Is an allotment cost effective?

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Is an allotment cost effective?
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judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 11:53 am Post subject:
My sister had a small collection of dehydrated frogs. I made her throw them away when we decluttered her utility room.

bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 12:03 pm Post subject:

cab wrote:

oldish chris wrote:

Absolutely, I was thinking of comparing it to golf on the basis that we are talking about exercise in the fresh air and a bit of a chat.

Last time I played golf I got home with a rucksack full of wild marjoram, sorrel, pears, and a dehydrated frog.

did you eat the frog?

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 12:03 pm Post subject:
It surely depends on what you grow, and what you like. I don't think it likely to be cost effective in cabbages, potatoes, and onions: they're just too cheap to buy. But looking at what it costs down the shops, just one rhubarb plant more than covers the rent... shame I'm not that keen on rhubarb.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 12:47 pm Post subject:

Like most things in life I think it can be massively cost effective (abundant fruit/veg, exercise/what else would you be spending your money on, fresher food, less waste from buying fresh food), or hugely wasteful (buying seed, fertilisers, etc without the economies of scale, moving water, unnecessary equipment, time wasted travelling/doing things inefficiently). It always makes me laugh how some people think they are 'self sufficient' in food when what they are actually doing is buying everything and entirely reliant upon outside inputs, whereas others seem to manage with hardly any.

Really what it comes down to is the price of oil- the more expensive that gets, the more cost effective a plot is [potenially].

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 3:29 pm Post subject:

alibibby wrote:

did you eat the frog?

No, I gave it to a re-enactment type person who wanted to hang it on some string with rude vegetables etc

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 4:03 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

It surely depends on what you grow, and what you like.
I don't think it likely to be cost effective in cabbages, potatoes, and onions: they're just too cheap to buy.
But looking at what it costs down the shops, just one rhubarb plant more than covers the rent... shame I'm not that keen on rhubarb.

cabbage: cost to grow on allotment: 20p, from Tesco 78p, ASDA 50p (ref: https://www.tesco.com/todayattesco/pricecheck.shtml )

potatoes (new) Tesco: £1.39/kilo, back garden: out of tub of compost (ex-heap), cost = 1 seed tuber.

onions: Tesco: loose, class 2, 67p/kilo, now I've got a catch crop of Japanese onions in my greenhouse that are big enough to eat. Expected yield: at least 12 lb, cost = seeds = £1.79

I get a buzz out of being able to declare a meal home grown (bar the joint of meat), the flavour is vastly superior (especially a cabbage cut minutes before it gets cooked). Hairyloon is right that basic vegetables are very cheap in the shops, however, allotment grown stuff is cheaper still.

Swap the rhubarb for something else, e.g. a blackcurrant bush. Yield of a mature bush is over 3 kilos.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 4:11 pm Post subject:

oldish chris wrote:

cabbage: cost to grow on allotment: 20p, from Tesco 78p, ASDA 50p (ref: https://www.tesco.com/todayattesco/pricecheck.shtml )

How'd you work out your numbers, not that I'm going to argue about it.
But the pigeons ate my cabbages and the slugs ate my spuds... and last I looked, cabbages were 30p in Lidl

Am growing cabbage in the back garden now, so I can shoot the -ing pigeons.

Quote:

I get a buzz out of being able to declare a meal home grown (bar the joint of meat), the flavour is vastly superior (especially a cabbage cut minutes before it gets cooked).

Things you cannot put a price on.

Quote:

Swap the rhubarb for something else, e.g. a blackcurrant bush. Yield of a mature bush is over 3 kilos.

I have several blackcurrants, and I've killed 3 spades trying to dig up the rhubarb... that one is staying.

Kinnopio

Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 7:44 pm Post subject:

I think pricing things out as to how much it costs at the supermarket is also misleading as the quality of the produce that you get from the allotment is that much higher. I think we should at least be comparing the 'premium' range of fruit and veg from a supermarket (for example tomatoes, the bog standard ones are awful whereas the premium range are at least pleasant (although not outstanding)).

In addition there are somethings that, although in many ways are ordinary, you just can't get from a supermarket:
Small broad beans
Broad bean tops
Plums that are actually ripe
Courgette flowers
Small courgettes
Potatoes that form a proper crisp skin when baked
Tender non-stringy runner beans

I think the list could go on and on

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 8:14 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

How'd you work out your numbers, not that I'm going to argue about it.
But the pigeons ate my cabbages and the slugs ate my spuds... and last I looked, cabbages were 30p in Lidl

You go ahead and argue

You have got me thinking, 30p at Lidl? Going to use a spreadsheet (rather than, literally, the back of an envelope) and get a more accurate cost.

I believe that it is in the spirit of downsizing to make sure that costs, benefits and risks of a money saving initiative are fully understood. Someone (other than me) will be grateful for your challenge.

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 8:54 pm Post subject:
maybe you could factor in the organic thing too, if that's how you grow stuff. Organic is often more pricey. Also bear in mind any transport miles, how local the produce is, and therefore how fresh it really is. Just thoughts.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 8:54 pm Post subject:
You can't put a price on food poisoning

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 8:56 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

You can't put a price on food poisoning

oh I dunno, lost labour/wages while worshipping the toilet, wear and tear on the loo, cost of cleaning materials....

I'm sure some bright spark on here could cost it out for you...

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 9:07 pm Post subject:
Perhaps they'll do a spreadsheet... (say it out loud to yourself )

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 10 9:22 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Perhaps they'll do a spreadsheet... (say it out loud to yourself

)

That reminds me, must factor in manure.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 10 9:11 am Post subject:

oldish chris wrote:

Hairyloon wrote:

How'd you work out your numbers, not that I'm going to argue about it.

You go ahead and argue

Sorry, no can do.
To argue, I'd have to determine an alternate set of figures, and even if I charge myself double for my time, it still works out cost effective as somewhere to escape from the crazy woman.

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