[Ali McDonald]

Hi,
I was wanting to find out what do people do when they have a bumper crop and end up with too much for themselves, does it go to waste?

I have an online survey. If you wouldn’t mind taking it I would very much appreciate it. The link;

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cF2e6vb1sIaX12vlHxbHWQ_3d_3d

You can of course respond the more traditional way below, or if you just want to add extra comments. Its all welcomed and valued.

Thanks very much
Ali

[Steve.P]

I try to freeze what i can (which is most veg). I got hold of a book called "Will It Freeze" and it a good guide to freezing most veg. When i first got my plot i went a bit mad with seeds and ended up with a glut which was given away. As you go on you find that you grow what you need, and can freeze, that way there is more space for more varieties that you like. Its still too tempting when the seed catalogue arrives in the post, and i end up ordering more than i can cope with, but that's life, eyes bigger than my belly

[mumofstig]

Did survey but like steve i freeze a lot of stuff, beans, peas root veg pumpkinsetc.
Aim is to have enough in there to last for the winter. I hate it when i have to buy veg

[lucywil]

same here, freeze some, give some away but very little goes to waste.

[Rampant_Weasel]

i think most ppl freeze extra stuff but as we all know your faced with a vast expanse of soil in the winter, but when u get planting its surprising how fast u fill it.
after a bit of experience u know how much of each crop u will use and grow the amounts accordingly as space is limited especailly if u only have half a plot which is wot alot of allotment providers are doing now.a full plot is 10 rods i think not sure on the feet measurement.
there are other ways of storing to such as keeping in a cool place eg.garlic onions.
crops like carrots can be clamped which means to store in a container filled with compost or peat or sand etc.
also, pickling and preserving is another standard practice.

[woodburner]

It hasn't happened yet but I live in hopes for this year The general idea is to make big batches of (unseasoned) soup and freeze that, but I am not very organised so extra veg will more likely be given away fresh.

[Oscar Too]

Why are you asking?  No-one goes to the bother of setting up a survey monkey out of idle curiousity. 

[Aunt Sally]

As site Administrator I'd like to know that too 

I have removed your link for now and will replace it after you contact me to let me know why you you want the information.

[Aunt Sally]

I have received a very quick reply from Ali and will now restore the link.

This was Ali's reply:

Hi,

I am a final year student studying BA (Hons) Graphic Design at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth. I am undertaking my final major project with the subject of sustainability and growing your own food.

I have posted previously (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=30594.0) asking for people problems that I may use as a focus of my study.

Through other avenues of research I have established that some growers have trouble getting rid of surplus crop due to lack of family nearby.

The survey is to establish if this is a common problem.

Hope this explains the reason for my survey.

Ali

I'm sure that Ali will give us the results of the survey for our information in return for our help

[Bombers]

I hate waste!
But... I have lots of family/friends close by, so most surplus stuff I give away to them.....
However, there was one particular crop that I couldn't give away..... and begins with C........? nastly stuff, that then grows into P......??

[BigPaddy]

Ali I think you should go back to your tutor and discuss best practice in data collection.

It isnt particularly ethical to jump in here and ask a random question which leads people to a survey which includes a number of questions unrelated to the original post. For example, why is my gender relevant to the question ' What do I do when I have a bumper crop'.

I work in Higher Education and I see an amazing number of poorly thought out research projects. Go and talk to the right people, this is not the way.

Sorry folks, hobby horse, will climb down now.

[Aunt Sally]

How true Paddy.

Both my husband and my daughter-in-law work in higher education and both despair at the low quality of students nowadays.  More than that though, they despair that the powers that be in the universities expect staff to lower their expected quality of work produced in order to keep pass rates high.

You can't make a silk purse from a sows ear and if the government wants more young people to go to university, by definition, standards WILL fall 

[Mrs sawnee]

Hi,
I was wanting to find out what do people do when they have a bumper crop and end up with too much for themselves, does it go to waste?

I have an online survey. If you wouldn’t mind taking it I would very much appreciate it. The link;

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cF2e6vb1sIaX12vlHxbHWQ_3d_3d

You can of course respond the more traditional way below, or if you just want to add extra comments. Its all welcomed and valued.

Thanks very much
Ali

We won't waste a thing if we can help it.  I always grow TOO many tomatoes on purpose so that I can make Mr Sawnee chutneys,lasagne sauces, homemade soups etc. which also double up as great and personal Christmas pressies   One year I overloaded on courgettes which Mr Sawnee HATES - but I got him to eat them by turning them in to Chocolate Courgette Cakes which are delicious served warm with cream   Everything else gets frozen or given to family and friends.

[Stripey_cat]

There needs to be a "preserve" option: there are very few things that you get such a glut of that you can't either eat fresh or put up!  Of course, feeding family and friends doesn't count as dealing with a surplus, for me.

[pushrod]

How true Paddy.


You can't make a silk purse from a sows ear and if the government wants more young people to go to university, by definition, standards WILL fall 

Now there's a can of worms - let's keep this on growing or i'll call a mod