When allotments are popular, so are farmers

MY brother-in-law Dave, who lives near Chester, has recently taken on an allotment in the Hoole area.
It had clearly been neglected and was in a dreadful state of dis-repair.

 An overgrown patch with knee-high weeds and wild grasses, it nevertheless had a useful little toolshed and a handy greenhouse, albeit with a few panes of glass missing. 
Dave has now dug deep and cleared the site so that it's now ready for spring cultivation.

Allotments have had a roller-coaster existence since they first emerged at the onset of industrialisation and the population shift to urban environments.
This encouraged urban working class to soil their hands to feed themselves cheaply.
Numbers of allotments were dramatically boosted during both world wars.
In 1916, the Cultivation of Land Orders Act was passed, giving local councils legal obligation and powers to take over land and create allotments. 
By the end of The First World War there were over a million plots throughout England and Wales.

During the last World War I remember clearly the famous “Dig For Victory” campaign championed by Winston Chuchill.
Britain was blockaded, many farm labourers were called up to fight for King and Country and those left at home had to muck in to feed the nation..
This resulted in a high point for allotments as the number of plots sprouted to 1.5 million.
I find it ironic that it takes a war for goverments and the people to appreciate the essential contribution make to this country by down-to-earth farmers and growers.

Concerns about health, diet and environment have led to greater interest in where our food comes from and along with television programmes have created a recent upsurge in demand for allotments.
The health benefits of working an allotment are numerous and there’s the added therapy of bonding with nature. 
Dave told me: “It's physically beneficial, mentally therapeutic and you can get lost in your own little world.
“And of course you can't beat the taste of freshly picked potatoes, peas, beans, beetroot and tomatoes.”