Grateful neighbours reap rewards of surplus harvest
It’s that time of year when most of us have some surplus produce. Getting the quantities right is one of the perennial problems facing allotmenteers. Growing one or two courgette plants should provide about what I want, but they can fail to flourish so I usually plant a few extra. Not for the first time they have all done well and there are far too many. Redcurrants like jewels are hanging on the bush, begging me to pick them. Once again, there are more than I can use. My neighbours’ bush is like a small tree and similarly laden. Cabbages can grow too big for single use and all the cauliflowers coming at once is a common problem. However most of us have appreciative friends and neighbours so nothing is wasted.
No-one knows how much food gardeners are producing and how much their efforts can contribute to food security. A few years ago, Peter Wright on Edinburgh’s Lady Road Allotments, recorded all his produce and the number of hours he spent on his plot and published his results in a pamphlet. Now, the University of Sheffield’s Measure Your Harvest project is encouraging gardeners throughout the UK to do as Peter did and record their individual harvests.
Growing food is just part of the joys of having an allotment. Sometimes, I just want time to think and recharge the batteries so I get my head down and do some weeding in solitude; other times, it’s more fun to spend time laughing and chatting with fellow plotholders than actually gardening. You can be as sociable as you want to be. One of my small grandchildren joins in digging potatoes and is easily distracted by worms and woodlice.
We are the lucky ones. There are thousands of people on waiting lists in Scotland wanting to be part of this. A place to grow one’s own food has been an aspiration for centuries stretching back to Gerrard Winstanley’s Diggers in 1649. The Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society has just published a new booklet called Grow Your Own Allotment Site – (www.sags.org.uk/docs/siteassociationdevelopment. pdf ) – the first in their Galvanising Grassroots series. As well as some guidance on how to mobilise support for new allotments, the guide will help people understand the purpose, benefit and operations of allotments. Both individuals and community groups will find it invaluable. There are case studies with accompanying photos and delightful illustrations by Emily Chappell. n