community gardens handbook - eugene, oregon

8/8/2019 Community Gardens Handbook - Eugene, Oregon

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Community GardensHandbookPolicies and Pocedues

City of Eugene

Parks and Open Space


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Welcome to EugenesCommunity Gardens Program!

Since 1978, the City o Eugenes Community

Gardens Program has provided opportunities

or local residents to grow vegetables, ruit and

owers in a community setting. By signing up

or a plot at one o the six local garden sites,

individuals and/or groups can gain access to

a enced garden plot and the water, and tools

needed to produce a successul garden.

Community Gardens Program Manager

Parks and Open Space Division


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Community Gardens Calendar

at a Glance

January Deadline or renewal is the last business day

o the month

Mid-February Registration or new gardeners begins

Tird Monday in March Registration or new gardeners ends

Fourth Monday in March Lottery or available plots begins at 8:00 a.m.

April 24 Average last rost date!

May 15 Spring gardening deadline

May 31 Last day or reund

Mid-November Fall cleanup deadline

December Renewal begins or returning gardeners


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Community Gardens ProgramPolicies and Procedures Revised December 2009

Registration Information

Returning Gardeners

Te Community Gardens Program will send a renewal reg-

istration orm to all current gardeners in December. o re-new participation in the program or the next season, each

gardener must complete the registration orm and return

it with payment to: City o Eugene, Community Gardens

Program, 1820 Roosevelt Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97402.

Te registration orm, payment or program ees, and a

signed agreement must be received by the last business day

in January o the upcoming season. I a completed renewal

registration orm, signed agreement, and payment are not

received by this deadline, the plot will be considered avail-

able or reassignment to another gardener.

New Gardeners

Beginning mid-February, the Community Gardens Pro-

gram will provide inormation about plot availability orthe coming season. New gardeners should look at several

garden sites beore registering i requesting a specic loca-

tion. Please note demand is high or garden plots, and the

turnover rates are very low.

In order to provide a process that is as air as possible

the Community Gardens Program will use a lottery process

to determine the order o plot assignment and registration

or available plots. Registration closes at the end o the


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business day on the third Monday in March. Names will be

chosen by lottery on the ourth Monday in March, begin-ning at 8:00 a.m. and vacant plots will be assigned based on

the preerences stated on registration orms.

Individuals receiving a plot assignment will be contacted

by telephone and may choose to accept the garden plot

and complete the registration process within ten days o

notication. I registration or a new plot is not completed

by this deadline, the vacant plot may be oered to the next

person on the waiting list. Te waiting list remains eec-

tive or the current year only. Tose individuals who are not

successul in obtaining a garden plot assignment or the

current year must register again or the ollowing year.

New gardeners can expect to plan to spend around our

to ve hours gardening each week during peak gardeningtimes, and the ability o all gardeners to commit time and

energy to gardening and plot maintenance is an important

consideration.


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Community Garden plot use ees are:

Raised beds $20.00 available at Alton Baker only

(average size 50 square eet)

Root plots $30.00 not available at all locations(average size 250 square eet)

Vine plots $60.00 (average size 500 square eet)

Organizational plots $120.00 available at Skinner

City Farm only (average size 1,400 square eet)

Payment o plot use ees entitles the gardener to:A plot o land at one o the Community GardensAccess to water spring through all (each plot hasshared access to a water aucet)

Access to garden tools including shovels, rakes,hoes, and wheelbarrows

Leaves that can be used or mulching, composting,and soil amendmentsWood chips or pathways when availableAccess to the organic waste bin used or disposal oorganic waste, woody material, and sod


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Site CoordinatorsSite Coordinators, ormerly reerred to as Garden Manag-

ers, are a vital link between the gardeners and city sta.

Tey volunteer their own time to provide gardening advice,

weed control, and assist with site maintenance. Tey serve

as the rst point o contact or issues at each o the gar-

den sites. You can discuss composting, tilling, pest control,

tools, garden projects, etc. with this volunteer. I you notice

any type o maintenance problem, please contact the Site

Coordinator at your garden or the Community Gardens

Program Coordinator at (541) 682-4800.

Te Community Gardens are public acilities and one gardeners

actions may impact anothers use and enjoyment o the site. Inorder to efectively manage and protect the community resource

and assure that everyone can enjoy the community garden-

ing experience, the ollowing rules and guidelines have been

established.

Rules for all GardenersPlot Maintenance Standards

Naturally, a garden lled with well tended plots inspires

pride in both gardeners and neighbors. A public program,

however, necessarily includes a broad range o people whose

diering backgrounds, lie circumstances, and expectations

inuence their gardening styles and abilities. As an inclu-

sive program, we try to strike a balance between acceptanceo individual dierences and the community need or pro-

ductive garden spaces that meet minimum standards.

All gardeners are required to keep individual plots ina planted, productive state or cover-cropped or mulched

and ree o debris. Weeds and other vegetation must be


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controlled to limit their spread to adjacent plots. Gardens

must be in a working state by May 15 and winterized bymid-November.

Gardeners with plots that are not maintained to theminimum standards above or do not meet the May 15 or

mid-November deadline will be notied, and must take ac-

tion to bring plots into compliance o minimum standards

or meet the intent o the deadline within seven calendar

days. Plots that do not meet these requirements ater thisseven-day deadline will be reassigned, and the gardeners

agreement will be cancelled without reund. I individual

plots do not meet minimum standards or the conditions

and deadlines below on more than two occasions the

gardeners agreement will be cancelled without additional

notication, and the plot will be reassigned.Garden plots must be in a working state by May 15.

By this date gardeners need to have initiated some activi-

ties within their garden plots such as garden cleanup, soil

preparation, weeding, and planting.

Garden plots must be winterized by mid-November.Annual crops should be harvested, and all dead vegetation

(sunowers, tomato and squash vines, etc.) must be com-posted or removed rom garden plots. Soils must be pro-

tected rom damaging winter rains, and garden plots can be

cover-cropped or mulched with straw or leaves to control

grass and weed growth during the winter and early spring.

Winter gardens are encouraged, but must be maintained

to minimum standards; and cloches or hoop houses must

be maintained. Hoses should be coiled and placed in the

garden plot, and items such as plastic chairs, ertilizer bags,

plastic containers, debris, and other miscellaneous items

must be removed rom the garden plot.


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Additional Garden Rules

Beginning in 2010, residents living within the city oEugene will be given frst priority or assignment o garden

plots through the lottery process.

Gardeners are required to keep the Community GardensProgram notifed o changes to home address, phone number

email addresses. Accurate contact inormation ensures delivery

o renewal orms and other inormation in a timely manner.

Your garden plot cannot be transerred to any person orpersons.

No Community Garden Program ee reunds will begiven ater May 31.

Gardeners may not harvest produce or owers romanother plot without permission.

Garden plots are to be used or growing vegetables andowers or amily or personal use, and not or commercial

sales.

Vehicles are allowed in the gardens or the sole purposeo transporting produce or materials and supplies used while

gardening. Parking vehicles in the gardens is allowed only or

these purposes.

Driving vehicles into a garden site when soils are wetand sot is prohibited and drivers may be held responsible or

damages.

Responsible water use is required o all gardeners, andgardeners must take steps to ensure that water use is not ex-

cessive and does not interere with adjacent plots or common

areas.Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times and any dog

waste must be removed by the owner (City Code 2.1990).

Smoking is not allowed in the community gardens.Garden plots are restricted to the area within the iron

boundary stakes at each corner o your garden plot. Plots or


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vegetation and gardening supplies may not extend beyond

these boundaries into adjacent plots or common areas. Bound-ary stakes must be kept ree o any type o gardening tools or

equipment, including trellises and compost bins.

Common areas, such as walkways and roadways, must bekept clear in order to acilitate maintenance activities. Do not

pile or throw mulch, weeds, rocks, or other materials into these

areas. When not in use, keep hoses out o these common areas.

rash removal service is not provided in the commu-nity gardens except to acilitate the cleanup o plots or new

gardeners. Pack it in, pack it out.

Te ollowing plants are prohibited: rees, woody shrubs,grape vines, stinging plants, poison oak, and all plants listed

on the City o Eugenes Invasive Plant List available online at

www.eugene-or.gov/parks, select Natural Resources and Plant

Lists; or receive a print version by calling (541) 682-4800.

Tese plant lists will come under periodic review.

I additional garden plots become available ater June1 gardeners may use a second garden plot. Second plots will

be discounted by 50 percent ater July 1. Please contact the

Community Gardens Program on or ater June 1 i you are

interested in an additional garden plot i these are available.Please note that second plots are available or one growing

season only - March through November - and second plots

will be returned to the plot pool or lottery assignment the

ollowing year.

Pest Control and Integrated Pest Management

Community Gardens are designated within the IntegratedPest Management Policy o the Parks and Open Space

Division as No Pesticide Zones. No registered pesticides


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will be used within a Community Garden or within 25

eet o the outside perimeter o Community Garden sites

according to this designation. Te goal o the Community

Gardens Program with respect to IPM is to provide space

or and acilitate the production o vegetables, owers

or other desirable crops within a manageable and well-

maintained area, and to oster the responsible stewardship

o shared Community Garden spaces in perpetuity.

Emphasis is placed rst on the prevention o pests, andsubsequent, combined management strategies will rely

heavily on cultural practices or management o pests

and may also include one or more physical (mechanical

or manual) strategies. Materials other than registered

pesticides may also be used when action thresholds have

been reached as elements o an integrated approach. All

gardeners are encouraged to reer to the IPM Policy andOperations Manual or more inormation. Te policy and

manual on IPM or the Citys Parks and Open Space

division can be ound online by visiting www.eugene-or.

gov/parks and selecting Integrated Pest Management; or

receive printed inormation by calling (541) 682-4800.

IPM policy or the community gardens will come underperiodic review.

Guidelines for the Community Gardeners

One o the key objectives in community gardening is to

work together or next to each other in relative harmony.

Please be courteous in all interactions, and work together to

resolve any disagreements. Please contact your Site Coordi-nator or the Program Coordinator or guideline

clarications.


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Gardening in a public setting requires a air amounto time and commitment. Please make appropriate arrange-

ments to ensure a well-maintained garden space or every-

one in this shared setting.

Please respect the privacy o neighbors close to yourCommunity Gardens. Do not ask to use their telephones or

toilets except in emergencies.

Please be considerate o neighbors when driving andparking in the area around the garden.It is recommended that gardeners remove valuables

and lock vehicles while at the Community Gardens.

Please use a wheelbarrow to transport items into thegarden instead o a vehicle whenever possible. Te Com-

munity Gardens Program encourages the use o alternate

modes o transportation (bus, bike, walk) when commuting

to and rom the garden site.

Please be conscientious about water usage. Some gar-den sites do not have well-drained soils, and neighboring

plots can be easily aected by excess water. Limit watering

to only the intended crops, and take steps to ensure that

neighboring plots are not the recipients o excess water.

Do not leave water on overnight and i timers are used orwatering, please adjust them appropriately. Please do not

interere with another gardeners water usage, but please

contact the site coordinator as soon as practical i there are

issues with overwatering in the garden.

I sprawling vegetation like squash or other viningcrops are grown, the vines must be contained within the

plot they are grown in, and they must not encroach intoneighboring plots or pathways. Vertical crops such as pole

beans, corn or sunowers must be oriented in such a way as


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Acknowledgement of Rules and Guidelines

Please sign the enclosed sheet and return it to our ofce toacknowledge your review o these policies and procedures.

Tank you.

Enjoy your community garden!


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The Community Gardens Program

Parks and Open Space Division

City of Eugene Public Works

1820 Roosevelt Boulevard Eugene, OR 97402

(541) 682-4800

community gardens handbook - eugene, oregon

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