2024-2025 Membership Guide
Please review your membership benefits and the updated garden rules, then complete the Membership Agreement.
2024-2025 Community Garden Membership Benefits
Individual Membership:
$275/year no service hours* required OR $190/year 1½ service hours* required per month**
Full access to the garden
Your own 4x10 ft. plot to build soil, plant, and harvest as you choose. (Plot may be shared with other gardeners of your choice.)
A selection of climate appropriate seeds and high-quality seedling starts at no additional cost for use in garden plots
Use of communal gardening tools
Use of harvested rainwater and tap water
Use of soil and amendments purchased in bulk for group use in garden plots
Access to compost drop-off and finished compost for use in garden plots when available
Invitations to workshops and special events held at the garden
Participation in planting and maintaining ornamental/flowering areas (optional)
Includes Communal Membership - Use of and judicious harvest from communal plots, fruit trees and food forest areas. (Must participate on at least one communal plot subcommittee to access harvesting rights - see notes on FAQ sheet for more information about communal area participation and harvesting.)
Communal Membership:
$125/year: 1½ service hours* required per month**
Full access to the garden
A selection of climate appropriate seeds and high-quality seedling starts at no additional cost for use in garden plots
Participation in at least one communal plot subcommittee allows judicious harvesting from communal plots, fruit trees, and food forest areas. (See note on FAQ sheet about communal areas participation and harvesting.)
Use of communal gardening tools
Use of harvested rainwater and tap water
Use of soil and amendments purchased in bulk for group use in garden plots
Access to compost drop-off and finished compost for use in garden plots when available
Invitations to workshops and special events held at the garden
Participation in group harvesting events. (See note on FAQ sheet about communal areas participation and harvesting.)
Participation in planting and maintaining ornamental/flowering areas (optional)
* Service hours can be earned during group work days, doing general garden maintenance, making repairs, volunteering at events and other special projects approved by the Community Garden Executive Committee.
** Scholarships are available. Ask an Executive Committee member for information.
2024-2025 Community Garden Rules
In Accordance with our Monroe County School District agreement, never, under any circumstances, will anything grown in the garden be sold, bartered, or given in exchange for a donation. Any member or group may have their affiliation with the garden terminated for violating this rule.
I will attend the annual Garden Orientation prior to planting in the garden, or schedule a convenient time with a Garden Executive Committee member. (New Members Only)
I will keep weeds down and maintain the areas immediately surrounding my plot throughout the season.
I will begin planting by late October and keep my plot planted at least through April 30th. If my plot is left dormant in the summer, I will “summerize” by planting a cover crop OR cover my plot with a thick layer (6” min.) of mulch or weighted-down cardboard. I understand that if I let my plot “go to the weeds” over the summer, I will have the option to clean it up or pay for it to be taken care of.
I understand that the community garden is a “pack in/pack out” zone and I will remove any trash I bring into or generate while in the garden. I will help remove any trash found in the garden that is not my own. I will reuse or dispose of plastic plant tags at the end of the season and keep them and all other plastics from littering my bed and common areas. The garden is not allowed to put trash in cans for pickup. Only plant material can be put in our cans.
I will not use pressure treated wood, PVC or other toxic materials in the garden. When using recycled/repurposed materials in the garden, I will only bring items that have an immediate purpose. I will not store items for personal use outside my personal plot.
I will not purchase any nightshade vegetable starts (peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, etc.) from Home Depot or any “big box” retail or commercial supplier, due to leaf curl and other diseases from these sources.
I will use only organic pest control methods and organic, non-chemical fertilizers. I will not use GMO seeds or plants in the garden. To the best of my ability, I will use organic seeds in the garden.
I will keep tall structures and plants to a height that will not shade neighboring plots during the main growing season (Oct. - Apr.) Issues regarding shading will be resolved by the Executive Committee.
I understand that I must receive approval from the Executive Committee BEFORE building any permanent structure (trellis, new beds, etc.) or planting any perennial plant that will be larger than 4’ at maturity. This rule applies throughout the garden in personal plots and communal areas. For permission, present your proposal to an Executive Committee member. Papayas, bananas, moringa, and other tree-like plants may not be grown in individual plots.
I will not harvest from anyone else’s personal plot without permission, nor will I harvest from Communal Beds or the Food Forest unless I am an active member of a plot subcommittee.
I pledge to conserve water by ensuring that all spigots are turned off after watering. I will use cistern water first, when available.
I understand that the garden is not a safe playground for unsupervised children and any child I bring to the garden will have my attention and supervision.
I understand that dogs and cats are not permitted in the garden. I will not put out food to attract stray animals to the garden.
I understand that smoking is not permitted in the garden and surrounding areas.
I agree to bring issues or grievances to the Executive Committee. Do not take matters into your own hands. If something is bothering you, let the Executive Committee handle it.
I understand that continued violation of these rules or failure to fulfill required service hours will result in forfeiture of my plot and membership at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
2024-2025 Community Garden Terms and FAQ
Waitlist and plot availability: As individual plots become available, the Executive Committee will move through the waitlist in the following order for right of refusal: 1) Communal members who have gardened with us for a full season; 2) People who have been on the waitlist for a full season or more, in the order of joining the waitlist; 3) After the first two groups, communal members who have gardened less than a full season in order of joining the garden; 4)
If no one remains on the waitlist, new members, with selection as approved by the Executive Committee, if there are more applicants than open plots.
Service Hours: All members who have not “opted out” by paying a higher fee to cover garden maintenance are required to contribute 1.5 hours of maintenance in common areas per month. These hours can be completed by participating in group work days, doing general garden maintenance, making repairs, volunteering at events and other special projects approved by the Executive Committee. Please remember to report hours to the membership chair for record.
Communal Beds and Food Forest: The design and planting of these areas is managed by Subcommittees*. Judicious Harvest** from all communal beds is allowed by anyone actively participating in maintenance of communal beds and the food forest (planting, watering, weeding and feeding). Please communicate with the plot subcommittee before making changes that might disrupt the work of others, including planting new crops and removing plants. Remember that plants in the communal beds and the food forest are to be shared collectively among members of the garden. You are planting for the community, not for yourself. Do not plan to harvest all of what you sow. A personal plot is the place for things over which you feel ownership. The only exception to judicious harvest is Trial Plantings*** and large items that are not easily shared. Large items will be shared on a Communal Harvest**** day.
*Subcommittees: A group of individuals that collaborates on the design, planning, and planting of communal beds. Participating in subcommittees is optional for individual memberships and mandatory for communal memberships. There is no limit to the number of subcommittees one can be involved with, but please only commit to what you can handle and inform other participants if you must step away.
** Judicious Harvest: Judicious: Having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense. Leave enough for others to harvest, “never take the last one.” Remember, all communal members and individual plot members who participate in at least one subcommittee have the right to harvest judiciously from all communal beds and the food forest. You are not just sharing with your subcommittee, you are planting for the garden community.
*** Trial Plantings: Experimental plantings will be marked with a flag or sign “do not harvest.” These plants are being tested for their success in our climate. In order to properly gauge their success, they need to be examined throughout growth without interference. Please leave them alone unless specifically instructed otherwise. If they yield a successful harvest, it will be shared communally. If you would like to trial a plant in a communal bed, please communicate with the Executive Committee first.
**** Communal Harvest: Large items grown in communal beds or the food forest that are not easily divided will be shared by “splitting” or consuming as a group in the garden. These items include, but are not limited to: winter squash, pumpkin, calabaza, pineapples, melon, ripe bananas, and papayas. Communal harvest will typically occur on a Saturday morning or on a work day.
A note on papayas and bananas: These fruits can be harvested and enjoyed when immature/green and fully ripe. Since the majority of gardeners prefer them when ripe, please do not over harvest immature fruit.