[philistine]

I am member of an allotment project that caters for adults with special needs, we have just lost our lottery funding, however in order become a little more self financing we have just took on another plot which we wish to grow produce to sell, we are thinking of growing 2 crops
per year perhaps runner beans June to sep/oct and then maybe another one which we could over winter any ideas

[Ice]

Does your allotment association allow you to sell produce?  Most don't, so worth checking first.

[Yorkie]

The definition of an allotment is for personal use, not sale.  Even if it's not specifically in your tenancy, I suspect it is against the statutory purpose of an allotment.

[Ice]

aqua, please don't use abbreviations or text speak as not everyone understands it and some get really annoyed by it.  Personally, I8 it.

[Zippy]

If =/ txt spk; then wt is =?

[compostqueen]

You can sell your allotment surplus.  Beetroot, yellow courgettes, and wallflowers plants which are ready by about October

[BabbyAnn]

I think the plants for selling are a good way to generate money without breaking any allotment rules as such - not only crops, but flowers and herbs go down very well too.  Seed is relatively inexpensive when bought in bulk depending on what you get, and better to stick with popular varieties.  However, finding inexpensive (but good quality) compost and pots will need to be considered so that you don't lose your profits.

[DD.]

Freecycle is a good way of getting loadsa pots.

[DD.]

PSB is initialising, not abbreviating.

[arugula]

aqua, please leave it now. You used the abbreviation wd, which we assume was used in place of the word would. In a gardening arena, people are far more likely to understand psb than they do wd.

[philistine]

We are a not for profit organisation therefore we can legally sell our produce

[aqua]

My students made £400 profit selling plants to staff in a small college. We only had until the end of May to be complete each year - it is worth considering.

[Yorkie]

We are a not for profit organisation therefore we can legally sell our produce

You miss the point.

The definition of an allotment, enshrined in law since 1922, is "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;"

You cannot use an allotment solely to raise funds, whether tenanted by an individual or not for profit organisation.

On the site I'm on it would mean an immediate revocation of the tenancy.

[arugula]

Perhaps it needs to change its mantle to something like community garden which would allow it to be run as a charity?

[Yorkie]

That still wouldn't work if it's on a statutory allotment site.  It's the purpose to which the crops are put, not the status of the tenant.