If it is not a plot at home, the garden around the house, or such, then it is an allotment and many even who have a garden at home still hanker after an allotment, especially as a place where to grow food. And some even fulfill this by having one or even two an allotments where to do just that.
I believe that in respect to the allotment only one country probably can surpass Britain and that is Germany with its “Schrebergartenkultur”, the “Allotment Culture”. Entire colonies – and they call them thus – exist in many areas of Germany with garden sheds that are often more like little log cabins and small houses, like country retreats – often in the very cities, such as in Berlin – little Dachas, where families even live for much of the summer.An allotment garden can be, as far as I am concerned, on allotment areas proper, but it can also be a part of one's garden at home.
Aside from that one could have a clandestine allotment or two squirreled away somewhere in woods or field. This would fall under the category of “Clandestine Farming and Gardening”.
Allotments and allotment plots at home really came into their own during the “Gig For Victory” campaign in World War II when the British Isles had problems getting food in through the blockade by the German submarines.
This also showed that in these Isles we depended and once again depend too much on food from abroad, and nowadays probably even more so than then.
I mean, really, organic French beans from Kenya, flown here. Firstly, how do we know that they are “organic” and secondly, considering they get flown daily into the UK by the tons they are not at all green, despite their color, and their environmental footprint is rather enormous. This is absolutely, in my opinion, silly. Food miles and carbon footprint of the highest order. But I digressed.
With the aid of the “Gro Patio Allotment” frame a plot of your own for growing some of your greens at least can be had nearly everywhere now.
However, it is the “real” allotment (and the “allotment plot” at in a garden at home) that is the subject here.
Allotments for the people came into being in the United Kingdom in the 18th century: for example, a 1732 engraving of Birmingham, England shows the town encircled by allotments, some of which still exist to this day. Following the Inclosure Acts and the Commons Act of 1876 the land available for personal cultivation by the poor was greatly diminished. To fulfil the need for land allotment legislation was included. The law was first fully codified in the Small Holdings and Allotment Act of 1908, it was modified by the Allotments Act of 1922 and subsequent Allotments Acts up until 1950.
Under the acts a local government is required to maintain an "adequate provision" of land, usually a large allotment field which can then be subdivided into allotment gardens for individual residents at a low rent. The rent is set at what a person "may reasonably be expected to pay" (1950), in 1997 the average rent for a 10 square rods (250 m²) plot was £22 a year. Each plot cannot exceed 40 square rods (1000m²) and must be used for the production of fruit or vegetables for consumption by the plotholder and their family (1922), or of flowers for use by the plotholder and their family. The exact size and quality of the plots is not defined. The council has a duty to provide sufficient allotments to meet demand. The total income from allotments was £2.61 million and total expenditure was £8.44 million in 1997. In 2000 metrication legislation made it illegal to use square rods as a unit of pricing and allotments must now be priced in square metres.
As we can see from the provision of the various Allotment Acts the produce from such a plot, theoretically, is for consumption by the plotholder and his family only. In other words, sale of produce, theoretically, contravenes the legal provisions and, I am certain, therefore, that sale of produce would invalidate one's licence to one's plots and maybe even more than that.
However, there is allotment forestry where it would appear that allotments are used for the production of beanpoles and other small woodland items, as well as for crafts such as stick dressing, and the subsequent sale of such items produced. Such activities, when we looks at the Allotments Act would be unlawful if, I assume, carried out on land owned and provided by the local authority. On other land, and especially in one's own garden or such there is nothing that can be said against this, I should think.
Today many allotment areas have fallen prey to developers especially in the south-east of England and this is rather a sad state of affairs. The demand for ever more housing, which is not sustainable in the south-east at the rate it is going on, for ever more business parks, supermarkets, out of town, and such has caused the death of many an allotment area. Though I do also know of one allotment area in a municipal park, however, that simply was abandoned for, it would appear, lack of interest.
On the other hand the demand for allotment plots, I believe, is higher than ever and there are long waiting lists in many areas. It is many of the Asian and Afro-Caribbean families that hanker after plots where to grow their own and often rather exotic vegetables can be seen growing on plots up and down the country, such as Okra, etc.
It was his father;s allotment that instilled in Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones the wish to become a farmer and today “The Black Farmer” is a well-known brand in this country.
We need more allotments rather than fewer as we must look at food more at a local level, and to growing much of our own needs again.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), February 2008
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