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Thought this was a brilliant scheme and was wandering if many other allotments do it. They have divided up a few plots into 1 rod plots and are available for free (or a donation to the society) to kids in the hope of encouraging young people to take up growing yor own. This is working great for us as the boys are able to start growing and while we wait for a full size plot to come available - or as the organiser put it waiting for one of the old farts to pop their cloggs!!!. Its a great way to supplement whats growing in the garden and for newbies such as us to start on a small scale.

That is a great idea how big is a rod?

the boys plot is approx 2mX5m which is a great size for 2 kids who until recently saw vegetables as the devils foodstuff!!

Wow, that's pretty big... I am thinking about giving a few square metres over to E when she is big enough... then she can do what she likes with the space (hum.. she is only 19 months old... so it might be a while ) But honestly, that is a great idea.

I have my neice (aged 10) visiting me for a few days over the summer and I was going to try and get her to take an interest in planting a few seeds, but she lives a long way away but, if I 'look after' it for her she can visit a few times a year and get the produce that grows on her patch... investment and all that.

Mr and Mrs luvpie wrote:the boys plot is approx 2mX5m which is a great size for 2 kids who until recently saw vegetables as the devils foodstuff!!

Wow thats the size of my whole garden (front and back) brilliant idea

we have a couple of "kids"(about 14yrs old) on the next plot to ours.
theyre really good at keeping weeds down ,better than me and theyve got lovely healthy looking choocks,but it was hard to get the "old boys" to give them a plot in the first place ,(lots of suspicion over what crops woul be grown)
give kids a go and most will make a great job of it

We have four children between us and ours grow stuff on ours too. The eldest and youngest flowers and the middle guys veggies.

They all eat everything (exc Artichokes) so we are really lucky. They think it is great to eat what they grow and get very excited when it is time to harvest, make Jams, Pickles etc. My only problem is they can be very loud and I know most people like allotments to be a peaceful escape. I find myself forever asking them to not stand 2ft away from each other and shout at the top of their voices. (I blame the Italian blood on my partners side) Tee Hee!

I feel a bit mean now only giving my little girl 3 pots and putting the sunflower in the patch(under rabit protection).She has a pot for carrots,one for strawberries and one for tomatoes and says she will eat all her own produce so a few more pots next year I think with,broccoli,parsnips,cauliflower, salad ,beans and peppers...........

I'm all for encouraging kids to grow their own. My 14 month old is currently at the stage of trying to dig up the potatoes though!


Ratty

My 15 month old has a definite interest in picking up soil and crushing flowers.

I can only imagine with the soil he is commenting on my inability to turn it in to a fine tilth, but I don't know what the flowers thing is about. Some early psychopathic tendency, no doubt.

On our site we've devoted three whole plots to a schools' area. It includes veg beds, flower garden, nature trail, pond anda class room in an old portacabin.

We've several schools interested in using the facilities so looks promising.

Problem is that it keeps getting vandalised - shed broken into, messed up, fire extinguishers set off, cctv cameras destroyed, etc so it's delaying the opening of it somewhat. Most annoying as the idea of this project is to get kids interested young so that they have something creative to do with their time rather than turning to vandalism, but the current vandals are doing their best to destroy it.