Allotments 4 All

Summat to look forward to, lads and lassies?

8th-14th August - more details on http://neildixon.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

All best - Gavin

Thanks Gavin, that is good information.  I would be interested to hear what anyone else might be planning for that week.

Think it is important to promote it as at our Committee Meeting last month we heard about lots of Allotment Sites that are under threat.  Housing land is so short now that some Councils are being very unscrupulous and trying to deter people from applying for plots so they can close some sites down and use them for building land.  >:( busy_lizzie 

We're planning a varied day with an open day, produce competition and hopefully a farmers market on the car park. The plan is to sell allotment grown veg and persuade organic meat, egg and dary farmers to take stalls along with Nottingham Organic Gardeners Society and maybe Five a Day.

I have been told that at the open day, plot holders wouldn't be able to sell produce as that is against some rule or other - how are you getting round that?

Sarah

We have associate membership at a nominal fee for people to buy from our trading hut. That should also cover buying veg I expect. The farmers market will require a licence ( all markets within 6 miles of Nottingham Market Place are subject to licence ) and that would enable us to sell our own produce as well.

That's good news!  Maybe if the council think that there is some free publicity in the local press, the useless so-and-so's will get off their backside and do something about the unattended plots!!

Lancelotment      We've elected an allotmenteer to our parish council in an effort to get some action.  So it's free sheds and greenhouses from here on in!   ;D

Wardy

Have just fixed our date for our Allotment Open Day to be in that week. But there seems to still be a problem around selling veg there and keeping the profit for the site. The councillors say that is just not possible and that any profits could only go to charity (not saying that is a bad thing, but could be a good way of raising us some cash). Does anyone have any further info? DJBrenton?
thanks,
sarah.

Sarah do you have an association? I wonder if you could register yourselves as a charity? Just an idea :)

Sarah-B    I'd be tempted not to tell them.  It's not like you're running a wholesale fruit and veg business, making zillions in profits and denying the council their wack.  It's only small beer for a one-off event for which the allotmenteers will have stumped up their own money, time and effort to try and attract people to the council's allotments.  You're doing their job for them when all said and done.  If the money goes back to your allotment association where's the harm? 

But that's just my opinion  :)

That would be my opinion too Wardy, but it seems we are in the pocket of the council and can't do anything without their say-so. It does seem a shame that we can't use the oppurtunity to raise some funds for the allotments.
Maybe Emmas idea would work - will look into it...

thanks all.
sb

Applying for charitable status is a huge undertaking.  The paperwork is mind boggling  >:(

Really? - that's probably not an option then  :(

Sarah-b        Don't sell your produce, just make it known you welcome donations to your assoc.! Who can argue with that?

It is a bit of an undertaking, and your income has to be over a certain amount, I forget how much, but i isn't that bad, else no one would do it! You do have to have certain things in place like constitution and te like, but its not undoable. is that a real word??

The place to look is http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/index.asp

I agree with alotalot - much easier to get round it that way than going down the charity route because your aim is to sell a bit of veg - not run a charity  ;D

Oh I completely agree with that sentiment ;D

Right!  National Allotments Week.  We are all lotty holders. Put your money where your mouth is - what are you going to do?

Posts please  ;D

I have put it as an item on our Agenda for next weeks committee meeting.  So I will tell you after the committee have discussed it.  Nothing was done last year so not too optimistic but I intend to push for something as I do think Allotments should be promoted.  Will get back to you.  :) busy_lizzie

I'm not sure why your council says you can't sell veg. Allotment holders in our area regularly set up at the roadside and sell things ( without anyone hassling them for licenses ) I do know that different councils have different rules relating to 'peddling' and the like though.
Anyone with an Association shop can sell to members of the public by charging a nominal fee for 'Associate membership' and it's hard to see how the council can prohibit allotment holders from selling their produce. I often have people wandering into my plots asking if I've any runner beans or whatever to sell.
What you may be falling foul of is market bye-laws or something.