H&C is excited to learn that 1,000 new allotment plots will be created on National Trust land in the next three years to give local communities the space to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

Demand for space to ‘grow your own’ is high, with more than 100,000 people currently on allotment waiting lists. Each of the new growing spaces will be registered through the new Landshare website, set up by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to ‘match-make’ between keen growers and available land.

Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust, said: “There’s something in the air. More and more people want to grow their own fruit and vegetables. This isn’t just about saving money – it’s really satisfying to sow seeds and harvest the fruit and veg of your labour. By creating new growing spaces the National Trust can help people to start growing for the first time.”

“We’re also looking to recruit many more volunteers with fruit and vegetable growing skills and knowledge to join us, so that we can offer even more practical help and advice to new gardeners.”

The new National Trust growing spaces will be available at around 40 different locations and will vary in size, from smaller plots suited to new growers taking their first steps to larger areas suitable for community growing schemes.

It has been estimated that these new growing spaces could produce up to around 2.6 million lettuces per year, 50,000 sacks of potatoes or, alternatively, mixed produce worth up to an estimated £ 1.5 million.

The new National Trust growing spaces will be in restored kitchen gardens, agricultural land or on vacant land near to Trust properties.

Geoff Stokes, National Secretary for the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners, said: “The demand for allotment sites is huge and it is great that the National Trust is able to use some of its land to help people grow their own. The growth in demand has been happening over the last few years, and though the credit crunch is helping to stir interest, the main reason more people want to grow their own is to improve their quality of life.”

The Trust is aiming to have all of its new growing spaces available by 2012 at the latest and will seek to encourage schools, community groups and charities to make use of the new sites, as well as individuals.