Houserville Community Garden

Rules of Conduct

A community garden requires being a good steward and a good neighbor. Our goal is a happy, secure, fruitful place where all participants can garden and socialize peacefully. In that spirit, if you are accorded a plot at the Houserville Community Garden, you agree to:

1. check your email regularly for updates from the garden coordinator,
2. participate in our spring workday (usually 9 AM to 1 PM on a weekend day in late April or early May) or its makeup,
3. participate in our autumn workday (usually 2 PM to 4 PM on a weekend day in late October) or its makeup,
4. sign up for and complete at least one mid-season task from a list to be generated as we go that benefits the whole garden (e.g., applying our soap-vinegar mixture to the perimeter),
5. assume full responsibility for the cultivation and maintenance of your plot,
6. plant it no later than the first Sunday in June,
7. keep within its 10 × 15' boundaries,
8. keep it free of weeds, pests, and disease to the best of your ability,
9. keep it absolutely free of weeds over 6" tall and weeds gone to seed,
10. prevent weeds in it from spreading to a neighbor’s plot,
11. remove weeds from the paths and fence lines immediately surrounding it,
12. keep it free of trash and debris (e.g., plastic bags, empty planters, plastic jugs),
13. work it no earlier than 7 AM and no later than dusk,
14. promptly harvest edible plants,
15. remove organic waste, such as weeds, dead plants, and rotten produce, from your plot and either take it home or place it in the designated waste area,
16. plant tall crops only where they will not shade neighboring plots,
17. avoid touching any plants in any other plot without consent,
18. abstain from all the following activities in the garden:
1. planting illegal plants,
2. smoking,
3. drinking alcoholic beverages,
4. using illegal drugs, and
5. gambling;
19. respect other gardeners,
20. allow guests in the garden only if you accompany them,
21. be responsible for the behavior of your guests,
22. return communal resources, such as the hose and the soap-vinegar mixture, to their designated storage area,
23. keep the garden gate closed,
24. not take anything from the garden that isn’t yours,
25. report suspected theft to the garden coordinator,
26. not bring animals into the garden,
27. not overwater, remembering that the church is supplying the water,
28. not sue the landowner,
29. park only in designated parking areas, not blocking other vehicles,
30. ensure the presence of an adult unrelated to you in the garden if you are in the presence of a child unrelated to you in the garden,
31. donate at least 10% of your harvest to those in need,
32. clean up your plot and the paths surrounding it by the last Sunday in November, which even if you intend to renew your plot the following year nevertheless includes removing all:
    1. plants and weeds, including low-lying creepers, except cool-season crops still producing, perennials, and cover crops;
    2. plastic coverings except those helping you actively grow crops in the off-season,
    3. tomato cages,
    4. garden ornaments,
    5. watering cans,
    6. compost piles, and
    
    and which if you do not intend to renew your plot, also includes removing all:
    1. stakes (except the plot corners),
    2. fencing, and
    3. trellis structures.

Disregarding any of the above rules may result in the loss of your plot. If you fail to the observe the rules:

1. you’ll receive a first warning by email, then
2. if your non-compliance persists through the date first communicated by the coordinator, you’ll:
   • receive a second warning via phone call and second email,
   • temporarily forfeit any harvestable crop in your plot (which will be harvested and donated), and
   • permanently forfeit the $25 refundable portion of your annual dues,
   then
3. if your non-compliance persists through a last-chance date set by the coordinator, you’ll receive an eviction notice via a second phone call and a third email.

Upon eviction, your plot will be cleared, your gardening privileges revoked, and your dues completely forfeited. Your participation in the following season will be up to the discretion of Houserville UMC House of Hope and the garden steering committee.

In disciplinary and all other matters, Houserville UMC House of Hope will have final decision-making authority, with counsel from the steering committee. The church and committee will do everything they can to maintain a culture of harmony, respect, and mutual support.

Sound reasonable? If you’d like to apply for a plot ($35), we’re currently accepting requests for 2024 via our online form. Apply