The National Allotment Society has announced the date for their National Allotments Week 2021: 9th-15th August. Their theme this year is 'Plotting for the Future', celebrating the contribution that allotments make to a sustainable future. More information will be available on their website over the coming months.
My Harvest
The My Harvest research project is on-going this year and the team would love to hear from new gardeners who would like to take part and measure their 2021 harvest. The evidence collected will be key to providing the vital evidence base to support the use of land for growing spaces within our cities and towns, at a time when people are becoming increasingly interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables.
NAS Plot-holders Survey
- At the end of 2020 there were several news reports that women were taking over the plots - your answers told us that the ratio of men to women is now 53/47% with some regional variations- this matched up with our Members Survey.
- It was also heartening to see how many people - 52% were using gardening practices that reduced chemical use and supported bio-diversity.
- 53% of respondents gardened with a family member or friend and for 11% of you good mental health was the most significant benefit that you got from your plot.
The answers to the questions about gardening know-how highlighted the importance of personalised info - friends and other plot-holders were the most popular source of knowledge and 32% of you would have appreciated a mentor or gardening buddy when you first started growing.
Read the latest version of the magazine from the International Allotments Federation on the theme of "We are Proud". The NAS took the opportunity to thank all those members who give their time and skills to supporting the allotment movement. We realise that there are many hundreds of you and you can read about the actions of just a few in this edition of the Hyphen magazine. https://www.nsalg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bindestrich_72_englisch_c-2.pdf
Finally:
On the plot in March:
Click on the beautiful image of Beaumaris Allotments in Anglesey for some allotment jobs to be getting on with in March.