Fruit and Veg for sale?

At our alloment site there is a small shop in summer where growers can take excess produce to sell, im not sure where the money goes though

I agree with Aunt Sally that the practice of 'renting boxes and giving away produce' sounds deceitful and dishonest.

As has been rightly stated by others, the expression "allotment garden" means an allotment not exceeding forty poles in extent which is wholly or mainly cultivated by the occupier for the production of vegetable or fruit crops for consumption by himself or his family (legislation).

It is to supply yourself and not line your pockets.  You are depriving someone else of the opportunity to grow their own.  If you want to do it for profit you should go the commercial route instead of abusing the system.

I don't have anything against swapping of course - just those people who think they can use this provision for self-interest.

And of course, those who purport to operate the box scheme, are fully registered as a business - insured, taxed, etc etc, aren't they    Of course not.  Therefore abusing that system too.....

We're not allowed (even though we know it goes on) but I've set up a Yahoo group specifically for our site, and we now swap seeds and plants. Anything surplus we tend to just give to each other, unless they have gluts of the same things of course!

I get given more than I give.  One lady doesn't like veg but grows tons of the stuff, because she enjoys the growing aspect, she gives stuff out to old peoples homes, other plotholders etc.  I've never thought of it as a money earning exercise (money saving, yes).  It's pretty obvious some people on our site are growing to supply shops and restaurants from what they grow, but nothing has ever been proven or done about it.  I love giving stuff away, last year someone insisted on giving me money (at work) for a veg box I gave her, but that was a one-off and I used the money for seeds, I certainly would never offer to sell anything.  We manage to use most of ours up anyway, only stuff like courgettes that I couldn't face eating any more of and had run out of things to do with them!

We can sell genuine surplus stuff if we want, but most of us just give it away. The fun's in the growing and the giving 

I can understand the reasoning behind the allotments, yes they are ment to be for supporting people,  I am currently on a waiting list which is at least 3 years but problably nearer to 8 years!!  So  Why when you look at sites and they are full of Flowers - although pretty, not used for eating is something not done?? Can see nothing wrong with swapping for other items or as one of the other posters said, put them outside your door with donations appreciated.  So long as you arent growing for profit then I think your conscience should be clear. 

I love the bartering system, you would be supprised what some people will swap for 1/2 dozen eggs etc.

Make sure that you comply with other council regs though!!! Think the box has to be on wheels so that it isnt classed as a perminant display

The allotment regulations state that the produce is mainly for the consumption of the plotholder and his family but in my contract there are exemptions in the case of crops which "all come at once" such as apples, pears, plums (presumably including greengages) etc.

This means that there is no problem with selling surplus produce within my contract.

There is a fairly standard allotment contract used by many local authorities which comes from the various Allotment Acts (which are amended fairly frequently such that you would have to be a real expert to be up to date with all variations.)

Different local authorities ban different things - some ban fruit trees, some ban greenhouses, some ban sheds unless they conform to a prescribed pattern, some require everyone to have a shed etc.