Spotlight Magazine
National Allotments Week
10th-16th August is National
Allotments Week
During World War II and immediately
afterwards, almost everyone with a garden
grew fruit and vegetables. Food was
rationed so people supplemented their
diet with produce they’d grown in their own
back garden, or down on their allotment.
To me the very word ‘allotment’ evokes
memories of my granddad and post-war
community spirit.
During the 1960’s allotments began to go
out of fashion and continued to decline in
popularity until very recently. As a society
we were more affluent; more likely to buy
what produce we needed from the local
supermarket, and vegetable gardening just
wasn’t considered sexy!
There’s an old saying: what goes around
comes around, and it encapsulates
perfectly the fate of allotments which are
currently enjoying a popularity surge.
Suddenly we’re concerned about food in
a big way. The number of food banks is
growing as families struggle to put even the
most basic provisions on the table.
There are concerns about additives and
pesticides on shop-bought fruit and veg,
while the cost of organic food puts it out of
the reach of the masses. And what about
all those thousands of food-miles our
strawberries and courgettes clock up on
their journey to the supermarket shelves?
Surely that’s damaging the environment.
Then there’s the thorny problem of
childhood obesity. The list of foodrelated concerns seems to be growing
exponentially.
Yet modern housing often means tiny back
gardens and frequently no front garden,
so where are we going to grow all this
lovely produce? The answer of course is to
acquire an allotment and many people are
doing just that.
To join them simply approach your council.
Price and availability varies around the
country. In some areas there are waiting
lists.
But councils are taking allotments much
more seriously and many are actively
seeking to provide new sites. If a plot is too
large for your personal needs you may be
able to rent half or find a like-minded friend
to share it with.
Enquire today and you and your family
could soon, quite literally, be reaping the
benefits!
Allotment Benefits
Diet: You can harvest fresh, organic, fruit
and veg
Economic: You’ll save loads of money
growing your own
Environmental: Recycling organic waste
into compost, reducing food miles and
creating a wildlife-friendly habitat
Health: Great for aerobic exercise and
therapeutic calm
Social” It’s a brilliant way to meet friendly,
like- Z[