Balance sheet 2008

[Wren]

I was wondering how you were getting on Mrs D, thanks for the update and looks like you are quids in

[sewer rat]

Here's what I sold in the calendar month of August
Lady Christl potatoes - 151.85kg
Charlotte Potatoes - 80.21kg
Red Duke of York Potatoes - 94.04kg
King Edward Potatoes - 275kg
Peas (in pods) - 75.67kg
Broad Beans - 159.45kg
Cucumbers - 115
Courgettes - 182.35kg
Lettuce - 27
Milan turnips - 46.72kg
Broccoli - 120.51kg
Beetroot - 4kg
Cabbage - 76
Chard - 18 heads
Spinach - 9kg
Kale - 10.72kg

[Mrs Dobby]

Thats some harvest SR!! Glad to hear things seem to be going well for you, despite the weather this year!

[sewer rat]

Cost of fruit and veg

As this thread is titled "Balance Sheet" and therefore is somewhat financially based, anyone notice in the news that fruit and veg have gone up 14.7% this year This of course is announced just after I drop the price of my broad beans, courgettes, milan turnips, potatoes and peas.

[Eyren]

As this thread is titled "Balance Sheet" and therefore is somewhat financially based, anyone notice in the news that fruit and veg have gone up 14.7% this year

indeed! Those figures should be a big boost for Garden Organics' new
Dig for Victory campaign!

Our harvest this year has been a lot better than last, now that I'm getting the hang of what grows best where (and keeping the chickens out of the veg patch more effectively!). With a bit more practice and effort, I reckon we can be self-sufficient in everything except maincrop potatoes and greenhouse crops (no space for a proper greenhouse in our tiny garden, and we like to eat far more toms and peppers than we can grow)

[Kristen]

"(no space for a proper greenhouse in our tiny garden, and we like to eat far more toms and peppers than we can grow)"

Just a thought ...

... I tend to produce far too much from my greenhouse, I'm sure others do too. It goes to friends & neighbours etc.

A swap / barter system with a neighbour who is more interested in greenhouse than veg patch might work for you?

[Eyren]

A swap / barter system with a neighbour who is more interested in greenhouse than veg patch might work for you?

Sadly none of our neighbours have greenhouses either, as their gardens are even smaller than mine - I live on a modern (mid-80s) housing development, where 20' x 25' is considered a generous-sized garden for a three-bedroomed house

[Kristen]

Intended to be just enough for the de-rigeur Extension I suppose?

[Kayt]

Do I have to include the magazines I buy in this balance sheet too, there seem to be a few building up on the coffee table

[Kristen]

"there seem to be a few building up on the coffee table"

Sounds like they should be in the "Cost of compost" column

[Eyren]

Intended to be just enough for the de-rigeur Extension I suppose?

Yep

At least the previous owners of ours just went for in for a small south-facing conservatory, which is very useful in spring for raising plants - though not so good in high summer, since it doesn't have as good ventilation as a proper greenhouse would and gets ridiculously hot.

[Mrs Dobby]

Ok, we're pretty much at the end of the growing season, and the plot is emptying fast (apart from the winter veggies, chard, sprouts, cabbages, caulies, leeks, swedes, turnips, parsnips etc), so I thought it time to update the balance sheet, hope your harvests have been as good!

Total costs so far this growing year

Rent (for 2 full plots and a half plot) £100
Seeds £30
Seed Spuds £20
Compost / Grow Bags £20
Fertilizers etc £20
Muck £10
Lopper (tool from wilkos) £13

Total costs £213

Total Harvests

2 batches overwintered garlic (97 bulbs) =£50
Rasps 60lb =£512 (£8.40 a lb at Tescos!)
Strawbs 13lb =£65 (£5 a lb at Tescos!)
Courgettes x 180 =£90
Rhubarb 21lb = £42
Cucumber 60 = £30
Chillies / peppers = £25
Spuds 90lb = £60 (£0.50 -0.80lb at Tescos)
Onions = £75
Radish =£8
Mange Tout 20lb = £50 (£2.50lb at Tesco)
Broad Beans 15lb = £30 (£2lb at Tesco)
Lettuce x 10 = £6
Broccolli = £30
Cabbage = £35
Caulis = £15
Carrots = £20
Tomatoes 145lb = £170 (£1.22lb at Tescos)
Peas = £30
Runner Beans 65lb = £130
French Beans = £15
Mushrooms = £3
Apples = £25
Aubergines = £2
Brussel Sprouts = £10
Leeks = £10
Pumpkins = 62 = £100
Sweetcorn = 35 = £40
Swedes = £5
Turnips = £5
Beetroot = £5

Total Harvest so far 2008 = £1693 - a profit now of £1480!!

I'd say there's still 220+ more leeks (£100+), at least another 20lb of rasps (£160), another 12+ cabbages (£10), 4 more caulies (£8), a bed of Jerusalem Fatichokes (£50), about 50 bunches of celery (£40) plus about 30 bunches of grapes still to be harvested yet this year (the grapes are almost ready, another couple of nice days of sun and they'll be ready for harvesting!), so if they ripen and we get them in, we could be looking at a further £400+ of crops still to come, which would take our growing total to over £2000 for the year! Not bad at all, despite the lack of summer again this year!

Time now for the early crops for next year to be growing methinks (already have 25+ spring cabbages in and growing nicely, and the overwintering onions and garlic are going in next week), I know Mr D has itchy fingers to be planting seeds already, gonna have to try and distract him a bit methinks!

[CharlotteE]

Hi everyone

Has anyone else found they're saving a bit of money growing their own fruit and veg?

If you have, post your experience on this thread - we may be able to quote you in the magazine!

Thanks,

Charlotte

[pigletwillie]

We run 4 plots and have realised savings in excess of £3500 on the year. A chunk of this is down to the success of soft and top fruit, flowers (over 100 big bunches cut) and by adding value.

By adding value, such as by turning tomatoes into passata or sun dried, the basic saving of the tomatoes is magnified greatly. Even the humble onion, turned into onion marmalade increases in value tenfold compared to the raw article. Who could afford to buy raspberries to make raspberry jam? We have 20 x 1lb jars in the cupboard purely because we had so much fruit and it was a prudent way to preserve it. Adding value to a basic crop is the way forward, especially if you can make expensive products like sun dried tomatoes.

[john c]

Do It For FUN!!!
Not for the MUN
.We all know its not about the money lol