Allotments 4 All

General => News => Topic started by: norfolklass on July 16, 2007, 15:01:03

Title: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: norfolklass on July 16, 2007, 15:01:03
I got home last week to find a letter from the council via the local garden centre offering me a year's free rent on my plot if I signed up to sell my produce on both Sat and Sun of the annual autumn gardening fayre :o I thought that part of the agreement of having an allotment was that you only grew fruit and veg for your own consumption and not commercially for profit. are the council trying to catch me out?!? it's a bit of a shame this is my first growing season and that I haven't got much anything to sell... maybe next year!

has anyone else heard of a similar scheme?
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: saddad on July 16, 2007, 15:12:16
You've just reminded me that I need to contact the council about Eco-Fest later in the year when we may have some produce!
::)
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on July 17, 2007, 07:41:53
If it's from the Council, then they can't be trying to catch you out as the letter could easily be produced in evidence later!
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: sazhig on July 19, 2007, 17:16:12
Do they say where the profits will go to? Our site association holds a sale every other week at the village hall during the summer, using any produce people have going spare & the proceeds go to the association for improvements to the site.

Saz
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: norfolklass on July 19, 2007, 17:34:16
ooh, good question! I'll check the letter.
we don't have a committee on our site, so I've got no idea who'd get the money raised through sales...
it would be good if we did, then the cash could go towards clearing the overgrown plots and getting them usable again
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: djbrenton on July 22, 2007, 12:00:41
There's nothing unlawful about selling a reasonable surplus. The horror stories you hear about action being taken are more often concerning having an unlicensed stall on the public highway (i.e. outside the allotments). You are required to grow mainly for yourself and your family, not eclusively.
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: norfolklass on July 23, 2007, 12:51:40
I've already recycled the letter in a tidying frenzy ::) so I've got no idea!

there's also a prize to be won (£1,000 in Notcutts vouchers :o) for the ugliest home-grown fruit or vegetable, just turn up on the day at Notcutts in Norwich, first weekend in September (I think)
Title: Re: free rent for a year?!?
Post by: artichoke on July 23, 2007, 21:57:42
Our site manager has just offered us a FREE stall at local Farmers' Market (normally £6) to sell surplus produce. We get to keep the money. Can't do it myself because I never have surplus, but one of us does it and keeps the cash.