[binner]

please bear with me here and i will try to make it as clear as possible.

i have been thinking for a while now about finding a bigger plot than my allotment to grow veg on and sell at markets, and also keep some chickens and possibly a couple or three pigs.
i have done lots of reading on the internet but there is a lot of unclear or contridicting info.
i found what i needed to know reguarding pig keeping, but what about growing veg to sell?
would i need permission from the council? DEFRA or other such organisation? do i have to be registered with anyone? or can i just go out and find some land to rent, grow veg and then just take it along to the local sunday market? would i need any kind of permit or anything?

thanks binner

[richyrich7]

Very interesting Binner, I would have thought you'd need change of use planning , depending on what the land is classified as. Best ask the planning dept to be safe

[binner]

i saw something about that but it was only a snippet, if i was to find a local farmer willing to let me have a corner of a field i would have thought it wouldn't need to be changed

[richyrich7]

i saw something about that but it was only a snippet, if i was to find a local farmer willing to let me have a corner of a field i would have thought it wouldn't need to be changed

Probably not 

[lucywil]

it states in the terms and conditions of out tenancy

"the allotment garden must be used by the tennant and his family only and wholly or mainly for the production of vegetables, flowers and fruit crops for consumption by himself or his family"

so i think the first thing you would have to do would be find out if yours says the same or something similar

[binner]

mine is the same, hence the reason for a bigger none allotment plot

[digalotty]

providing you use a piece of land thats suitable and not an allotment i think you should be ok, im also assuming that you might need a peddlers licence to sell the goods im not sure on markets licencing but your local police station or even council would be the best place to ask

[Salmo]

If you are selling to the public you should have public liability insurance just in case you poison somebody or they trip over a crate of cabbages.

If you prepare vegetables for market in your garage you may need change of use and be liable for business rates.

You should also tell the Tax Man that you have a second income, register as self employed and pay NI.

[zazen999]

You should also tell the Tax Man that you have a second income, register as self employed and pay NI.

No should about it - must is the word needed here

[richyrich7]

You should also tell the Tax Man that you have a second income, register as self employed and pay NI.

No should about it - must is the word needed here

Shame, IR gets enough as it is 

[binner]

huuuuummm bit more to think about then :blink:

unless i tell no one

[Shadrak]

I vote tell no one and you will be fine.

[binner]

I vote tell no one and you will be fine.

 

[chriscross1966]

If you don't make more than a certain  figure from the self employed then there is a form exempting you from the NI, it's about at the level where you're making a living at it ..........talk to your accountant......

chrisc

[cornishgirl]

I think you need to think very carefully about what you want to achieve. If you want to make a wage out of it, you may be disappointed. However, if you want to make a significant contribution to you families food bill, pay for seed and other sundries, make lots of friends (who you can sell surplus to) and genrally have a lot of fun, go for it. The questions you asked depend on the piece of land you find (is it for Agricultural use?), you will need to register with DEFRA for keeping pigs and also chickens (if you keep more than 50). Think carefully about your market - will you make enough to pay for the stall, would it better to use your front wall (local trading standards will tell you how many days you can do this), would it be better to sell directly to neighbours (by the back door!) Look at the DEFRA website, and talk to you local advisers - but most of all think about the savings you will make, rather than the money you may or may not generate. I'm looking forward to telling the tax man about my £104.25 made from selling my veg this year!!!!!

Oh, and look on the smallholders websites, loads of legal information on there!