This Year's Balance Sheet - 2010

[Comfreyfan]

I've never dared think of a balance sheet before, I'm sure I spend far more than I harvest. But just totalled up quickly on the back of an envelope and we're already in profit, just with the rhubarb and asparagus - brilliant year for both!

[dave_norm_smith]

Hi

I was totally inspired by the 2009 costing sheet and have been keeping tabs on my own this season. I am about £60 from my break even point but really haven't got into the full harvest at all yet. The harvest to date has only really been herbs, peas and strawberries. I still have my big money savers to come, spuds, autumn rasps, fennel, leeks, tomatoes etc

What I have been suprised at is our consumption of herbs, we must have saved £20 already. I always knew it was a lot but until keeping track you just don't realise and no soggy unused mush in the fridge from packs you couldn't quite use up! (Still cannot find lemon mint though!)

Dave

p.s. And if this has caught your imagination then you should read the full Dobby blog! Just a pity I'm not closer so I could trade Jam for honey! lol The boss wont let me have hives as well!

[Mrs Dobby]

Good to see everyones balance sheets looking so healthy!

Thanks for the kind words about our blog Dave, they are appreciated, I'm glad you liked it and found it useful, as far the honey, well, if we get a fair bit, then I'll possibly be selling it through a link from the blog, so any of the grapes that want some will be able to indulge in some organic free range honey from our bees! Proceeds from the honey sales will go towards paying back ur investment plus buying new beekeeping equipment for next year and towards a special projects fund that we've decided to form forr Moss View Allotments, we're looking at getting the site a few bits n bobs over the coming years, proper 'bins' for the bark chippings, a brick built BBQ and a decent gazebo are our first targets, but whether that will be this year, next or at some future time we will have to wait and see!

[Mrs Dobby]

23rd July 2010 update

Thought it about time I updated the list, especially after a bumper garlic and french bean harvest today!

Total Veg Plot Costs 2010

Rent + Subs for 2 full plots £100
Seeds £20
Seed Spuds £20
Onion Sets £6
Growbags £15
Chicken Manure Pellets £8
Plastic 'wannabe' Polytunnel £61
Bamboo Canes £8
Flower Plants £28
Scaffolding Boards £100
Watering Cans £8

Total Costs £ 374


Total Veg Plot Harvests 2010

Rhubarb £ 35
Fartichokes £ 4
Volunteer Spuds £15
First Early Spuds £15
Lettuce £11
Radish £10
Garlic £85
Strawberries £65
Raspberries £25
Peas £30
Broad Beans £35
Courgettes £45
French Beans £26
Red Onions £10
Cabbages £1
Peppers £2

Total Veg Plot Harvests £ 402

So, we've managed to move from a debit to credit of £26 on the balance sheet, after a total of £142 worth of crops today, not bad at all for one days harvest!!

[dave_norm_smith]

Hi

I'll have to bring my notes in to post the full list but I am around £11 from my break even point of £114 so I'm hoping to break that this weekend and move into profit. Next year should be easier as I wont have the fruit bushes, strawbs and herbs to buy again, as well as sourcing compost by the tonne for about £20. ( I worked that out to be around 14, 70 litre sacks?? )

Dave

[SarzWix]

That's a good price for compost Dave, does it come from the local authority?

I've updated my first post and we're now well into 'profit' with the harvesting of a couple of laden whitecurrant bushes! There's still lots of redcurrants to come, plus loganberries and blackberries

[dave_norm_smith]

Hi Sarz

Yep, I thought it was a good price as well. We don't get anything from the council in Doncaster in regards to cheap/ free compost bins or compost so I tracked down where the contents of my green bin go. Turns out its about 8 miles away and I can buy a ' half tonne for a tenner, just bring your trailer'. So after 10 mins of chat it turns out we know loads of the same people and one of my uncles works for him! Small world I guess!

Dave

[SarzWix]

No, our council gives nowt away either. I traced where ours goes to and was told I'd have to pay £50 a tonne, plus transport costs from York When I win the lottery...

[Winged one]

I got a nice harvest last week and was able to bring loads on hols. Enough to feed 5 for 2 dinners of spuds; peas, broadies and frenchies for a risotto verde one evening; 7!! patty pan squashes and a courgette; a savoy cabbage (eaten with home cured (not by us) bacon); a red cabbage (used for coleslaw); a bag of lettuces; a nice handful of radishes and spring onions; a beetroot; more frenchies for another night; and a nice carton of raspberries.

I also had a nice handful of blackberries from the local ditches - yum!!

I harvested the carrots from one tub tonight, which were ok. And we got 3 baby tomatoes when we got home too - the plum ones are starting to go peachy so we might get a few soon enough. I hope to get a trip to the plot this week also to grab some more spuds, beans, peas and salads. I reckon I have definitely broken even by now....

[dave_norm_smith]

Same here. It happened this weekend with the help of Dwarf beans, Almonds and garlic served with duck breast, Broad bean and dwarf bean with creme fraiche and pancetta served with lamb and a batch of courgette muffins with lime icing! ( Not all in one sitting!) Fantastic.

We are now using our cookbooks better as well as we look for recipes for the veg about to be picked, not the other way around.

Dave

[Mrs Dobby]

Balance Sheet Update - 15th August 2010

Balance Sheet Update - 15th August 2010

Total Veg Plot Costs 2010

Rent + Subs for 2 full plots £100
Seeds £20
Seed Spuds £20
Onion Sets £6
Growbags £15
Chicken Manure Pellets £8
Plastic 'wannabe' Polytunnel £61
Bamboo Canes £8
Flower Plants £28
Scaffolding Boards £100
Watering Cans £8
Soft Fruits £16
Clematis £10
Grape Arbour materials £ 40

Total Costs £ 440

The costings have escalated due to building the grape arbour, however, we're both happy with it and do feel its going to prove its value in making the plot a tidier place, supporting the grapevine properly and give us a comfortable shaded area to sit in! I've also got some more plans for spending on the plot, Argos have the exact coldframe I want to get to use as a hothouse for next year, and at present they are half price, so I've reserved 2 of them online for Lee to collect tomorrow! Bargain at £14.99 each!

Total Veg Plot Harvests 2010

Rhubarb £ 35
Fartichokes £ 4
Volunteer Spuds £15
First Early Spuds £15
Lettuce £12
Radish £10
Garlic £85
Strawberries £65
Raspberries £35
Blackberries £8
Peas £40
Broad Beans £42
Courgettes £63
French Beans £46
Red Onions £20
White Onions £40
Cabbages £5
Peppers £4
Tomatoes £10
Turnip £4
Runner Beans £15
Broccolli £14
Apples £4
Plums £5

Total Veg Plot Harvests £ 584

So, a total nett profit of £ 144 so far this year, with a large amount of harvests still to come!

Hope ypur balance sheets are looking just as good!

[Ruth M C]

This is a great idea! In the past I've only weighed the amount of produce to obtain a productivity level for my fruit and veg area. One little question - which supermarket do you compare prices with as they are all different, even for the same product? The cheapest, the most expensive or the middle man?
KR
Ruth

[Mrs Dobby]

Personally I usually use mysupermarket.co.uk for prices, usually for organic fruit and veg, as this gives you all of the major supermarket prices to compare!

HTH

[Ruth M C]

Thanks, Suzanne, for your advice. I've just spent the last few hours developing a 'balance sheet' for this year on my computer. I'm horrified at how much I've spent on the garden already this year - Over £700. It's all very well saying I get nearly 5kg of produce per square meter,but the cost of producing the actual stuff outweighs the results. I'm going to think very carefully about sourcing for things such as manure and compost for next season. In the meantime I've still got loads more crops getting ready for harvest so maybe I'll break even.
KR
Ruth

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Ruth, you can make your own compost, and once you've got the structures in place, then the costs do go down considerably, unless you wish to do some new 'project', so dont get disheartened by realising how much you've spent in a single year!

Also think how much 'fun' and enjoyment you've had from your GYOing, how much you've saved on fruit and veg prices plus of course the exercise from doing it all! If you think on it as a hobby, then £700 is only £15 a week, less than that whe you take off your cropping, and not a lot to spend on any hobby, or if you factor in the saving on gym membership (oyu get enough free exercise on the plot and havent got time to do justice at a gym and run an allotment IMHO), then it soon brings the costings down!