Growing trend for grow your own

There is a rapidly growing trend of people wanting to produce their own organic food, it has been suggested.

National Trust director general Fiona Reynolds suggested most people grow their own purely for the pleasure derived from producing something from scratch.

"More and more people want to grow their own fruit and vegetables," she told the Daily Mail.

"This isnt just about saving money – its really satisfying to sow seeds and harvest the fruit and veg of your labour."

The newspaper suggests that around £1,100 worth of fruit and vegetables can be grown on an allotment plot each year.

With over 100,000 people on waiting lists for an allotment plot in the UK, and 300,000 plots currently in use, those fortunate enough to be able to build a greenhouse and vegetable patch in their own gardens could get ahead of the crowd.

The National Trust recently announced plans to create around 1,000 new allotment plots and community gardens by opening up the grounds of some of its finest stately homes.

It was recently announced that scientists are to meet at the Eden Project in Cornwall to discuss how best to proceed with sustainable food production in the face of climate change.