How many people does your allotment support?

[nickpgood]

Hi All

I was wondering if you could help me?
I work on a community allotment and i am trying to secure some funding...for part of the funding application i want to quantify how much produce the site produces in a year..
So if anyone can either have a guess at how many people's worth of fruit and veg their allotment produces, or how many kilo's of fruit and veg their allotment produces in a year that would really help me quantify the benefit of an allotment.
Also can you include the size of your allotment.

Thanks so much, really appreciate it

Nick

[zazen999]

Hi Nick

I've deleted your other thread asking the same thing.

If you have a search for Mrs Dobby on here; she records all the produce by weight that her plots produce.

However, I am of the opinion that you only get out what you put in. If you spend more time on the plot, you get a better return than if you only go once a week for a couple of hours.

Our plot supplies 2 veggies; we buy very little additional veg and are trying to get that down to zero veg. Ours is 10m x 30m.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Isn't one standard 10 rod(?) plot supposed to be able to supply veg for the year for a family of four - or did I make that up?

My half plot feeds me veg all the year round (although I do die of boredom in February eating solely kale, and I eat an awful lot of pasta and rice in May and June before the new potatoes are ready), and with plenty of surplus for friends and neighbours in summer.

[Snadger]

I have 2 X 10 rod plots which are intensively (I'm not going to say farmed!) cultivated!
I struggle to keep myself and her indoors supplied with a variety of veg but have to admit to buying very little in the way of veg. My hard fruit trees failed this year because the plonker next door decided to have a massive bonfire and scorched them! Should be ok for apple, pears and plums next year though.
Soft fruit was superb and freezes well.
Loads of eggs and the odd cockerel for Sunday lunch.
I don't grow maincrop tatties at allotment but I have found an area of wasteland I planted up with loads of maincrop tatties which I go and dig up as required (Guerilla gardening?)

All in all I would say my two plots make me and OH practically self sufficient in fruit veg and eggs!

[Alison]

Have just completed my first year with my plot and less than half of it is properly producing at present as the fruit bushes and trees are too small to do much and the bottom section was only used for random squashes and some extra spuds but will be a polytunnel and more veg beds next year. Anyway, the space we have got has been enough to keep us (me and OH plus some give aways) from needing to buy any veg since mid June although have had to buy loads of fruit still and I can't see that we'll ever become totally self sufficient in fruit. I'm not convinved that this year we'll be able to make it through the winter this year but am pretty confident we will next year, especially with the addition of the polytunnel. For note, the plot is about 45' by 80' ish.

[Jeanied]

My main plot is 22 metres by 5.5 m - I think that makes it a half plot - and it supports me and anyone who wants what I'm growing (friends, neighbours, unsuspecting work colleagues!). I also have 2/3 of another plot, same size which has 1/3 fruit trees (unproductive this year) and roughly enough brassicas for everyone who wants some!
Sorry - I never weigh or estimate what I've grown as it is all a bit too unscientific for that!

[Two_Sheds]

I grow enough for myself, with a little surplus for Himself (who hates vegetables) and the pets (parrots and guinea pigs, who all eat greens and carrots).

I probably could feed a family of four, if I needed to.