Hi I'm interested in allotments
In Poland
How are allotments obtained? You need to buy from the state or another owner.
Are they privately owned or state run? They are private or belong to cooperatives of members.
Are they passed down through the family? I suppose so.
How important are they now? They have always been important. When my motehr got an allotment in 80s, she went overboard with looking after it. I was forced to work hard on it and hated it...
Did they start during the Communist era? Yes, the greatest development of allotment cutlure was in communist times.
How big are they? It depends. In big cities it is a few ares (1 are= 100 square meters).
What do you normally grow (I'm guessing the obvious) anything unusual? Rather usual stuff: some vegetables like carrots, cabbage, fruit trees like apple, pear, plum or cherry, strawberries, gooseberries, black and red currant and raspberries, walnut trees, sunflowers. Nothing extraordinary.
Are they available for urban dwellers? Yes, most allotments are owned and cultivated by city residents.
How are they seen...A hobby, an essential, a luxury, old fashioned, an embarrassment? Mainly a hobby and an opportunity to relax. Poor owners claim they save on food expenses. Sometimes they sell their produce on city fresh food markets.
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