New Idea for Allotments

Dapos

Hi all,

Working on a college project and I've been looking at ways of helping small farmers.

I've been looking at a new type of "smart" allotment (SmartPatch). It works in the same ways as typical allotments but you will have built in soil sensors and a Camera feed so you can monitor allotment from your phone. You could share progress with others online, compare and a range of other features.

What do ye think? I don't have an allotment so I was also curious about a few things:

- Is there a shortage of allotments?
- How much do they usually cost p.a.
- how often do people typically attend them (I know it probably ranges depending on how busy people are)
- What are the biggest issues people have at the moment with the current allotment set-up?

Link to idea below. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!


http://smartpatch.instapage.com/

Dapos

Dapos wrote: »

Hi all,

Working on a college project and I've been looking at ways of helping small farmers.

I've been looking at a new type of "smart" allotment (SmartPatch). It works in the same ways as typical allotments but you will have built in soil sensors and a Camera feed so you can monitor allotment from your phone. You could share progress with others online, compare and a range of other features.

What do ye think? I don't have an allotment so I was also curious about a few things:

- Is there a shortage of allotments?
- How much do they usually cost p.a.
- how often do people typically attend them (I know it probably ranges depending on how busy people are)
- What are the biggest issues people have at the moment with the current allotment set-up?

Link to idea below. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!


http://smartpatch.instapage.com/

Anyone?

prinzeugen

Dapos wrote: »

Hi all,

Working on a college project and I've been looking at ways of helping small farmers.

I've been looking at a new type of "smart" allotment (SmartPatch). It works in the same ways as typical allotments but you will have built in soil sensors and a Camera feed so you can monitor allotment from your phone. You could share progress with others online, compare and a range of other features.

What do ye think? I don't have an allotment so I was also curious about a few things:

- Is there a shortage of allotments?
- How much do they usually cost p.a.
- how often do people typically attend them (I know it probably ranges depending on how busy people are)
- What are the biggest issues people have at the moment with the current allotment set-up?

Link to idea below. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!


http://smartpatch.instapage.com/

On the allotments I am at in South Dublin, there is a waiting list of 40-50 per year from what I understand.

Ours cost 200 Euro per year for about 80m2.

Some people will be down daily, some like myself 4 days a week (look after4 plots for a charity) and others weekends only.

The biggest issue we have is theft and vandalism. Theft of veg happens but if anything flammable is not bolted down it will get burnt in a kids bonfire..

A thing to remember is that allotments have a community spirit so everyone knows how others are doing anyway! Also most won't be techsavy.

Also soil conditions and how the ground is worked means one plot will never be the same as the one next to it.

A camera feed might be a good idea but I doubt most people would have use for a soil sensor.

uck51js9zml2yt

prinzeugen wrote: »

On the allotments I am at in South Dublin, there is a waiting list of 40-50 per year from what I understand.

Ours cost 200 Euro per year for about 80m2.

Some people will be down daily, some like myself 4 days a week (look after4 plots for a charity) and others weekends only.

The biggest issue we have is theft and vandalism. Theft of veg happens but if anything flammable is not bolted down it will get burnt in a kids bonfire..

A thing to remember is that allotments have a community spirit so everyone knows how others are doing anyway! Also most won't be techsavy.

Also soil conditions and how the ground is worked means one plot will never be the same as the one next to it.

A camera feed might be a good idea but I doubt most people would have use for a soil sensor.

Just out of curiosity, is yours in pearse college?

prinzeugen

Gloria Beautiful Self-help wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, is yours in pearse college?

It is...

Dapos

prinzeugen wrote: »

On the allotments I am at in South Dublin, there is a waiting list of 40-50 per year from what I understand.

Ours cost 200 Euro per year for about 80m2.

Some people will be down daily, some like myself 4 days a week (look after4 plots for a charity) and others weekends only.

The biggest issue we have is theft and vandalism. Theft of veg happens but if anything flammable is not bolted down it will get burnt in a kids bonfire..

A thing to remember is that allotments have a community spirit so everyone knows how others are doing anyway! Also most won't be techsavy.

Also soil conditions and how the ground is worked means one plot will never be the same as the one next to it.

A camera feed might be a good idea but I doubt most people would have use for a soil sensor.

Thanks a mil for reply, interesting issue on theft, I hadn't thought of that!

I was thinking of the sensors as a different angle to bring a new segment of people involved. Would you have people of all ages at this allotment?

prinzeugen

Dapos wrote: »

Thanks a mil for reply, interesting issue on theft, I hadn't thought of that!

I was thinking of the sensors as a different angle to bring a new segment of people involved. Would you have people of all ages at this allotment?

All ages. What I have noticed however is that most of the "millennial" ones that have got plots give up as they don't realise how much manual work is involved.

They are looking for quick, easy and simple things so any smartplot would need someone to do the hard work for them..

Or you give them preprepared beds that they plant seeds in.

For example you could set something up that say a person rents a bed or two. Its all preprepared. They plant the seeds they want and sensors water it when needed.

They can view it on the mobile to see when the stuff is ready to collect/harvest.

Dapos

prinzeugen wrote: »

All ages. What I have noticed however is that most of the "millennial" ones that have got plots give up as they don't realise how much manual work is involved.

They are looking for quick, easy and simple things so any smartplot would need someone to do the hard work for them..

Or you give them preprepared beds that they plant seeds in.

Ya, that is what I thought. But would I be right in thinking there is a big demand for these? Is there anything stopping a farmer rigging out a spare field for allotments? That was where the idea came from originally.

prinzeugen

Dapos wrote: »

Ya, that is what I thought. But would I be right in thinking there is a big demand for these? Is there anything stopping a farmer rigging out a spare field for allotments? That was where the idea came from originally.

Edited my post. There is allotments further out that are on farmers land. Problem is getting there..

uck51js9zml2yt

The issue of theft has always bothered me about allotments. Is there much?

I saw pearse college setting them up years ago. The quality of the soil was more akin to a building site than a place to grow veg.

Dapos

prinzeugen wrote: »

Edited my post. There is allotments further out that are on farmers land. Problem is getting there..

Yes, this may be where the idea falls down. How far are people willing to travel to there allotments...

prinzeugen

prinzeugen wrote: »

For example you could set something up that say a person rents a bed or two. Its all preprepared. They plant the seeds they want and sensors water it when needed.

They can view it on the mobile to see when the stuff is ready to collect/harvest.

I was editing my reply so I don't know if you spotted the above..

Are you in Dublin?

Another thing about allotments is everyone likes to make them different to the others.

Be it a few flowers or a fruit tree.

prinzeugen

Dapos wrote: »

Yes, this may be where the idea falls down. How far are people willing to travel to there allotments...

I know one gent that drives a fair distance now.

I suppose the answer would be, how long are you willing to walk and carry stuff?

Dapos

prinzeugen wrote: »

I was editing my reply so I don't know if you spotted the above..

Are you in Dublin?

Another thing about allotments is everyone likes to make them different to the others.

Be it a few flowers or a fruit tree.

I didn't spot the edit. Do you think there would be an appetite for a pre-prepared allotment with sensors?

prinzeugen

Dapos wrote: »

I didn't spot the edit. Do you think there would be an appetite for a pre-prepared allotment with sensors?

From my view.. No.. Not in the traditional allotment.

However maybe you should try doing a survey around Google/Grand Canal and see..

Younger people would grow stuff if it was easy and simple.

What about smaller boxes for balcony's etc?

Dapos

prinzeugen wrote: »

From my view.. No.. Not in the traditional allotment.

However maybe you should try doing a survey around Google/Grand Canal and see..

Younger people would grow stuff if it was easy and simple.

What about smaller boxes for balcony's etc?

I had originally thought of it as an idea for helping farmers gain extra income but maybe it would work better on a small scale like in peoples balconys and gardens.