Custer Community Organic Garden

Custer Community Garden Rules

Custer Community Garden is operated by the city of Custer and its gardeners on city land, with oversight from the Custer Community Garden Committee. Our continued use of this land depends on maintaining good relationships with the community, the surrounding neighborhood, and the city of Custer. We must all respect the interests of our fellow gardeners and the community that we share our gardening space with. To promote this and to ensure that the needs of the Garden and the city and relevant Custer city ordinances are met, the Custer Garden Committee requires all gardeners to agree to and abide by these rules.

CUSTER COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDEN AGREEMENT

Download a PDF copy of Agreement & Space Rental Contract

Custer Community Garden adheres to organic gardening techniques, which are methods that are people, plant, animal, and environmentally friendly for the health and well being of all. No herbicides, non-organic pesticides, non-organic fertilizer, or any other chemicals or preservatives, may be used at any time in the garden. Failure to follow these regulations will result in forfeiture of your garden plot without refund.

Organic gardening information and resources are available at the Custer County Library and on the website www.custercommunitygarden.com

Plot Rental: The annual garden plot rental fee is $25 for a 20’ X 20’ (400 square feet) plot. Plot rental starts on January 1st and gardeners who want to keep their same plot must rent it by to April 15 to ensure they get last year’s plot. The plot rental fee is good for the calendar year (Jan 1st through Dec 31st). Plot rental will be limited to 1 plot per household until May 1 of the same rental year. During May 2- May 9, renters who had two plots the previous year will be allowed to re-rent their same second plot (if still available). After May 9, all plots not yet rented shall be available as second plots. Garden plot rental is limited to two plots per household. Garden plots will be protected by a gated six foot security fence. Do not give out garden gate combinations without permission from the garden chairpersons. If you are the last person to leave the garden, please lock both gates.

Water: Water will be provided by the City of Custer. Renter to provide adequate hose and sprinkler for their own garden site and must water themselves. Renters must be present while watering. (Future plot rent will be determined by water usage).

Gardening: Gardeners must be actively working in their plot by the first day of summer or the plot may be forfeited to someone on the waiting list. Plot holders should devote reasonable amounts of time to the maintenance and improvement of the plot throughout the gardening season. All paths and plots must be kept free of grass, weeds, trash, etc. by the plot holders. Please do not let your plants creep into the aisles or into your neighbor’s plot. Any fertilization, mulching, etc. is the responsibility of the renter. Please keep your plot free of noxious weeds at all times. A garden committee member may contact you with a warning if you allow noxious weeds (i.e. Canada thistle) to grow over 1’ high on your plot. After 2 warnings about noxious weeds by a committee member and renter persists in allowing rampant growth of noxious weeds, said renter may lose his/her plot.

Harvesting: Crops must be harvested once they are mature. If you do not feel that you can use everything, there are food banks and senior citizens who could use extra vegetables. Please notify a Community Garden Committee Member if you have harvested all you desire, and wish to donate the remainder. If you want someone to work your plot or pick your vegetables while you are away, please give them a signed note. By November 1, all dead plants, weeds, and stakes should be removed from your plot and compost materials may be placed in compost pile. The compost pile is only for the use of the Community Gardeners and should only be used for compost, yard waste, or wood chips, no trash shall be deposited therein. All trash shall be removed from plot and garden area; garbage cans are provided for your convenience. Tires, concrete blocks, landscaping fabric, or other structures used for landscaping are permitted within the garden plot; however, you are responsible for their removal if you don’t plan to rent your plot the subsequent year. Failure to comply may result in a disposal fee for such abandoned material.

Release of Liability: The City of Custer and Garden Committee will be free of any and all liability for acts of vandalism, destructive storms, insect infestations, or any other loss or claim that occurs in connection with use of the garden. No stealing of anything is permitted. Should it become known that you have taken anything such as vegetables, tools, hoses, plants, etc., you may lose your plot and not be permitted to return.

Garden Committee: Any rule added to these bylaws must be approved by the majority of the Custer Community Organic Garden Committee. Any conflicts among gardeners may be reported to the committee for resolution.

GARDEN SPACE RENTAL CONTRACT

I,                                                                                                         , having rented garden site
#                                         , for the                                                   growing season, do hereby agree
to the above stipulations which I have read and received a copy of.

Dated this                    day of                                                                                                 .

(Signature of Renter)
(Home Address)
(Phone)

(E-Mail)

	To download and print out a PDF copy of the Agreement and Garden Space Rental Contract click here - Contract