High Demand for UK Allotment Gardens Leaves 100,000 People on Waiting List

Between wanting to reduce the amount of food miles in the diet, and simply desiring fresh home-grown produce, the interest in allotment gardening in the UK is booming, leaving 100,000 people on the waiting list for a plot of their own.

“Demand for allotments is at an all-time high. In some areas, such as London, there’s a 10-year waiting list for a plot. We need more. There are many wasted acres near towns and villages that could – and indeed should – be given over to allotments.” – Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life magazine

Similar to renting a plot of land in the US from a community garden, allotments allow individuals to grow their own produce, commune with nature, and enjoy the fresh air for a welcome change of pace in their busy lives. The experience of being able to put your fingers into the soil, to plant some seeds, and to reap a harvest of healthy foods is a thing of the past for most city dwellers.

The number of allotment gardens in the UK has dropped from a high of 1.5 million plots in the early 1900s to a low of 245,000 plots today due to the increase in development and urban density.

A couple of projects have come to the forefront in the local food/allotment movement in the UK, such as British Waterways’ (which controls 2200 miles of waterways/canals) plan to open up unused areas of waterfront properties to vegetable allotments, even using retired canal workboats as floating gardens. Another project is the National Trust’s push to develop 1000 new allotments in the next three years on Trust Land, allowing communities to participate in the adventure of growing some of their own food.

“There’s something in the air. More and more people want to grow their own fruit and vegetables.  This isn’t just about saving money – it’s really satisfying to sow seeds and harvest the fruit and veg of your labour. By creating new growing spaces the National Trust can help people to start growing for the first time.” – Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust

The National Trust estimates that the new plots could produce up to 2.6 million lettuces per year, or 50,000 sacks of potatoes or other produce worth up to an estimated £ 1.5 million.

Now that’s a lot of food!

Image: muggers! at Flickr under CC license

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