OK, so it's not the end of the calendar year, but it's the end of the 2009 growing season and thus a good time to summarise the year's progress.
On the plus side, our allotment was more productive than previous years, but on the downside, we neglected it for longer than before and ended up losing our tenancy (see previous post). So, in some respects the year has been a bit of a disaster, but one can only chalk it up to experience and move on...
This year I kept a spreadsheet of expenses, to see how much it was costing and what value we were getting back out. Now obviously gardening is just a hobby, with diverse benefits including health and fitness from the work involved, and few people plan on making their hobbies profitable (though I'm sure gardening is extremely "profitable" if one compares it with the cost of gym membership!). On the other hand it's eye-opening to compare spiralling prices at the supermarket with the value of home-grown veg, and really makes you appreciate how useful growing your own veg can be.
This year expenses were fairly high, as I invested in plant-raising equipment such as rootrainers, new covers for my mini-greenhouse and a heated propagator, on top of consumables such as seeds and compost. Since I'm not strapped for cash, I no doubt spent a lot more on kit than I needed to - thrifty gardeners could save a lot on this side of the equation.
On the other hand, the value of the crops (plus spare plants and seeds that I sold) exceeded the cost of the seed I bought, and I still have plenty of seed for next year, so overall I consider myself to have broken even this year.
Total expenses: £355.73
Total income*: £97.65
Balance: -258.08
* Value of vegetables was based on equivalent supermarket prices at the time of harvest. Prices for organic supermarket produce were used for comparison where available, since my home-grown veg is chemical-free.