Membership and Benefits

1. Fees and Assignment of Plots:

  $20 for each 12’ X 12’ plot

  $15 one-time initial membership fee for new garden members

  $20 contribution toward extra loam and compost for gardeners who build raised beds. (Exception for plots along the lower fence line, as good drainage can be an issue.)

2. Deadline:  Gardeners who participated last season and wish to renew their plots must pay the applicable fees by March 1, 2011. Plots not paid for by this date will be considered vacant and those plots will be assigned to a new gardener on the waiting list.

3. Assignment of available plots:  The garden is open to Cape Elizabeth residents with a maximum of two plots per gardener. Assignment of plots to new gardeners is based on the order of the waiting list. Second plots for existing gardeners will only be available once all gardeners on the waiting list have been given a plot.

4.  Garden Plots:  Plots are 12’ X 12'.  Paths are laid out between each plot to provide access

with wheelbarrows and hoses.  Within each plot, gardeners may plant as they wish provided

their crops don’t obstruct the paths or wander into other gardeners’ plots.  Raised beds may be

built if desired at the gardener's own expense for the wood.  Loam and compost will be

available to fill the raised beds, but an additional contribution of $20 will be assessed for those

using this mix (except for those gardeners with plots along the lower fence line). There may be

an organized workday for constructing raised beds early this spring if there’s enough interest.

5.  Benefits:  the annual fee will cover:

·        Water – provided by the Town;

·         Bulk purchase of lime, compost, mulch, organic fertilizer, and other organic products for gardeners to use on their own plots.  Individual plots have been treated differently, so gardeners may wish to have a soil test done to determine what’s recommended for their soil (soil test kits and instructions available in the shed);

·         Group supplies, such as floating row covers to deter pests;

·        Compost area for disposal of garden wastes;

·         Fence around the garden and possible additional fencing if needed

·         Waterline and hose system;

·        Wheelbarrows and hand tools (in garden shed); and

·         Garden shed for storage of bulk soil amendments, supplies, posting of information on bulletin board.  Gardeners may store small tools in the shed (at their own risk).

Rules and Responsibilities

1.  Gardeners are required to contribute at least 8 hours to the operation of the garden beyond maintaining their own plots and adjacent paths.  All gardeners should plan on giving 2 hours of volunteer time in the spring for preparation and 2 hours in the fall for clean-up.  We’ll schedule a number of workdays to accomplish the spring and fall tasks and attendance at one of the workdays in each season is required.   The other 4 hours can be competed on your own during the season or by working on tasks such as:

• Maintaining perimeter paths along the fence both inside and outside
• Cutting tall grass outside the fence
• Helping with Plant-A-Row – prepping soil, planting, watering, weeding, harvesting,
•    delivering produce
• Other jobs that need attention during the season

2.  All gardens in the Cape Community Garden must be ORGANIC.  Non-organic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are not permitted. Look for labels stating product is 100% organic.  We will provide appropriate organic products to deal with particular problems as they arise. A list of acceptable and prohibited products will be available.

3. There is no smoking in or around the garden. Tobacco mosaic virus, which can be carried on smoker’s hands, is a serious threat to tomatoes and other plants.

4. Please monitor small children in the garden so they don’t damage neighbors’ plots.

5. No pets are allowed in the garden – please tie them outside the garden or leave them at home.

6. Garden plots cannot be used to grow produce for sale, rented, or used for business purposes.

7.  Gardeners are responsible for working their plots by mid-June and tending them throughout the season. Any gardener who will not be using his or her plot for any reason is requested to let a member of the Garden Steering Committee know as soon as possible, so that the plot can be reassigned in time for a new gardener to plant.

8.  Gardeners are responsible, together with adjacent gardeners, for keeping paths around all sides of plots weeded throughout the season. Gardeners with plots bordering the fence may count the hours spent weeding along the fence as part of their 8 volunteer hours since these paths are wider and support more invasive weeds than the other paths.

9.  Plots should be planned so that trailing plants don’t spread into paths or into other gardeners’ plots. Tall crops (pole beans, corn) should be situated on the south side or middle of your plot so as not to shade other gardeners' plots.  Please plant the shorter sunflower varieties; the taller plants invariably will shade neighboring plots.

10.  Gardens must be “put to bed” by the end of October or two weeks after a killing frost – i.e. remove non-biodegradable mulch, weeds and dead plant material (to prevent spread of plant diseases). Gardeners who will be using the plot the following year may leave perennial plants and raised beds in place.   

11. A gardener who will be away or unable to tend his or her garden for an extended time should arrange help from a friend or another gardener and/or contact a member of the Garden Committee.

12.  If gardeners will be away when crops will be ready to pick, please notify Rachel Stamieszkin so that your plot can be picked and the produce donated to the Plant-A-Row program. Your plants will do better if the ripe produce is picked on a regular basis.

13. If a gardener is not following these Guidelines, the gardener will be notified and asked to correct the problem within two weeks.  Failure to do so means possible forfeiture of the garden plot during the current garden season with no refund of fees.

14. When there is a serious pest, viral or fungal problem in the garden, gardeners will be asked to more carefully and regularly monitor their plants, so as to contain the problem as soon as possible. When a gardener can’t be reached or isn’t able to come and deal with the problem, members of the Garden Committee may have to remove diseased or infested plants. Obviously this is a very difficult choice to make, but it’s the only way to protect other plants. We had a devastating outbreak one season of tomato late blight, which killed many, many plants, and moved very rapidly through the garden. Any gardener who has questions about the Guidelines is encouraged to contact a Garden Committee member.

15.  Be a good neighbor!  If you keep your plot(s) and paths well tended, the entire garden will be healthier, your neighbors will be happier, and you’ll make an invaluable contribution to the “community”, which is at the heart of our garden. Welcome!