The Howard Area Community Garden's 2015 Spring Opening Party is scheduled for Earth Day (Saturday, April 25), at 10 a.m. We will be doing some cleanup, share some snacks, give away lots of seeds, and rent a rototiller to share.
Long-time gardener Gina Carpenter will be offering a workshop at noon on Organic Gardening Basics. (HACG is an organic garden; if you're not quite sure what gardening organically means, please do join us for this FREE class!)
Bring a snack to share, your gardening gloves and tools (we have some loaners if you don't have any), your $15 annual plot fee and gardener's contract, and a smile!
See you soon!
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Proposed Garden Rules
The Leadership Team, NeighborSpace, and the gardeners who attended the potluck have all worked on updating the rules for the Howard Area Community Garden. The latest version of the proposed rules are below. Please let us know what you think!
Rules for Participation in the
Howard Area Community Garden
Howard Area Community Garden
(revised 2/2015)
As a gardener in the Howard Area Community Garden, I
agree to abide by the following rules:
1. I use this garden at the sole discretion of the Howard
Area Community Garden Leadership Team. I agree to abide by its policies and
practices.
2. The fee for the use of the garden is $15 per plot, per
year, payable on or before May 1 of
each year. There are no refunds. (Fee waivers are available in hardship cases.)
3. Gardens must be cultivated and planted before June 1 (or within two weeks of
assignment, if after that date). Gardens must be cleaned and "put to
bed" by Dec. 1.
4. I understand
that each gardener is asked to donate labor towards the betterment of the entire
garden. This service may be done during the scheduled workdays, or on my
own as arranged with a member of the Leadership Team. There are many jobs to
choose from, and if we all pitch in, the work will be spread out fairly and no
one volunteer will get burned out.
5. I understand that the Howard Area Community Garden is an organic garden. Only organic
fertilizers, compost, and manure may be used in the garden. Non-organic and
other chemical fertilizers or pesticides are prohibited. Painted wood or posts
are not allowed. Dyed mulch is prohibited.
6. I will keep all my plants within the limits of my
garden plot and will not allow any plants to grow more than six feet high. I will
do my best to keep my plot free of weeds, pests, and diseases.
7. I will keep my
plot, paths, and surrounding areas clean and neat. I will put kitchen waste
and plant material into the compost, and weeds/diseased plants/litter into the
trash cans. Anything I bring from my home, I will take back home. I will not
bring household trash and leave it at the Howard Area Community Garden.
8. Only one plot
per household. If I adopt an abandoned plot during the season with
permission from the Leadership Team, I understand that I must relinquish it for
the following year.
9. The water hydrant is provided by NeighborSpace, the
owner of the property, and is to be used ONLY for watering gardens, not to wash
cars. I will conserve water and be considerate of other gardeners who are
waiting for their turn. Water is turned on
by NeighborSpace in mid-May, and turned off mid-November.
10. I understand
that illegal plants, smoking, alcohol, illegal drug use, gambling, weapons or
pets are not permitted the garden.
11. Guests and visitors may enter the garden only if I
accompany them. They must follow all rules stated above. I will supervise my
children at all times when they are in the garden. I understand that I am solely responsible for the behavior of my
guests.
12. I will do my best to attend the regular garden member
meetings, educational programs, and workdays.
13. I will not make duplicate keys of any locks at the
garden, or give my key or lock combination to another person. If I lose a key,
I will pay $2 for a replacement. If I am the last person to leave the garden, I
will make sure all locks are secure.
14. I will never
take food, plants, tools, or anything else from other gardeners’ plots. I will
not take anything from the garden that is not rightfully mine.
15. If I intend to
return to my plot the following year, I will notify the HACG Leadership Team
by phone, email, or mail before April 1.
If I do not do this, I understand the plot will be reassigned.
16. I will respect
other gardeners. I will use appropriate language and refrain from
discriminating against others.
17. I will work to
keep the garden a happy, secure, and enjoyable place where all participants can
garden and socialize peacefully in a neighborly manner.
Violations
The Howard Area Community Garden Leadership Team is the
highest governing authority at the Howard Area Community Garden. I understand that breaking any of the above
rules is cause for loss of my plot privileges.
Breaking Rule 10 or 14 will result in immediate loss of garden membership.
In the event of a violation of the remaining rules:
Breaking Rule 10 or 14 will result in immediate loss of garden membership.
In the event of a violation of the remaining rules:
1. The violator will receive
one verbal/e-mail reminder from the garden coordinator.
2. If no response or correction
has been made within two weeks, the violator will receive a written notice
mailed to their current address.
3. In another two weeks, if no
response or correction has been made, the violator will receive a written final
notification that they have forfeited their gardening privileges and plot. The
plot may be reassigned and no fees will be returned.
4. The violator may be allowed
to reapply for another garden plot the following year, at the discretion of the
Leadership Team.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Notes from the potluck
The Howard Area Community Garden held the Annual Member Potluck/Meeting on Feb. 7, 2015, at Just Harvest on Paulina and Jonquil.
The following gardeners attended: Katje Sabin and her
husband Bill Gilliland, Jill Bjork and her son, and Geraldine Williams. Robin
Cline from NeighborSpace also joined us, and Anthony Boatman from Just Harvest dropped
in briefly.
Besides chowing down on all the yummy food everyone brought,
we discussed a few ideas for our garden.
The garden is currently full, although we haven't heard back
from a few members... so we might have a couple of spaces opening up. The
entire waiting list from past years has been emptied, and new applicants will
go onto a new waiting list. To apply, call or email the garden for an
application form (howardgarden@gmail.com).
We have seven new gardeners this year! Please welcome Emily
Deja, Fagin Prak, Derek Schumacher, Derek Barton, Arianna Soloway, Anastassiya
Suslik, and William Garvutt to our garden!
We are very happy to welcome back the Howard Area Community
Center's youth gardeners, led by HACC's youth program director Robert Conlen
and nutritionist Katherine Wong. They will work one plot and the three raised
beds, as well as assisting one of our elderly gardeners with her spot.
We also have a returning gardener, Chester Kos, who built
our wonderful compost bin system. Welcome back!
The Leadership Team (currently Katje Sabin and Gina
Carpenter, with help from Neighborspace) has been working on updating the
garden's rules. There is a new application form, and a Gardener's Contract.
Every gardener will receive a copy of the updated rules, along with the 2015 calendar,
contact list, and plot map, around April (once each gardener has confirmed that
they are returning for the 2015 gardening season).
If you had a garden in 2014 but didn't pay your fees, please
don't worry... you won't lose your spot. But if you CAN pay now, please
consider doing so. Fees go towards garden repairs, improvements, equipment, and
administrative costs like paper, copying and mailing. The annual fee is $15,
and you can mail it to:
Howard Area Community Garden
c/o Howard Area Community Center
7648 N. Pauline St.
Chicago IL 60626
(P.S. you are also welcome to pay your 2015 fee before the
May 1 deadline!)
Bartlett Tree Service, the same company that donated 12
cubic yards of mulch last fall, has also volunteered to remove the large dying
elm on the north edge of the garden. When they come in, we'll have about a
week's notice... and we will need help to temporarily remove some fencing so
they can have proper access. That should happen some time in February or
March... stay tuned!
If you need the combination for the lock on the north gate,
or a key for the west gate, please email howardgarden@gmail.com.
The Spring Opening Party is scheduled for Earth Day (Saturday,
April 25), at 10 a.m. We will be doing some cleanup, share some snacks, have a
seed swap, and hold a quick gardeners meeting. We may also organize a cooperative seedling order from Garden
Harvest Supply (they are willing to give us wholesale prices... check out this
page to start thinking about which things we'd like to order: http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/productcart/pc/wholesale-plants-for-sale-wholesale-plant-plugs-for-sale-c886.htm).
One of the improvements suggested was a dog poop bag
dispenser... we've all noticed the GIANT turds on the devil strip, and it would
sure be nice if people cleaned up after their mutts. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Waste-Dispenser-Aluminum-Bags/dp/B00IF7VD7O/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1424128531&sr=1-9&keywords=dog+waste+bag+dispenser
Our garden has officially joined the Rogers Park Garden
Group (http://www.rogersparkgardengroup.org/, an organization that gives out
public walkway grants each year), the Chicago Community Garden Association
(we're signed up for their annual conference; would anyone like to come with
me? http://chicagocommunitygardens.org/event/save-the-date-the-third-annual-ccga-gathering/),
and we've applied for a grant from Kitchen Gardeners International (http://kgi.org/).
We're looking at other grants as well. Would anyone like to help with this?
Would someone be willing to translate our proposed rules
into Spanish?
We'd like to look into worm bins (vermiculture). Does anyone
have experience with this?
The whole garden had a problem with tomato blight last year,
a fungus that kills the healthy plant at the peak of production. We'll be
looking into organic ways to get past this, but for now... just be aware that
we have it in our soil right now and that we need to plan on working together
to get rid of it.
Robin said that NeighborSpace might be able to help us
figure out a way to set up online membership payments and donations. And she
also suggested that we start up a Friends of the Garden group, for people who
can't garden but want to help support our efforts. Would anyone like to work on
this project?
Donald Johnson has volunteered to arrange bringing a
rototiller to the garden. Stay tuned for more info, and thank you, Donald!
We had a gardener give their space to someone outside the
garden without informing the Leadership Team. Please don't do this! We have an
established waiting list for folks who have asked to join the garden. If you
don't want your space any longer, that's not a problem... just let us know so
we can give it to the next person in line. And if you know someone who wants to
join the garden, please ask them to send an email to howardgarden@gmail.com for
an application so they can get in line. Right now, there's only one or two
people on the waiting list, so it won't be long. And we've had a number of
people who have come to garden work days even though they were still on the
waiting list... sweat equity. Let's keep things fair and honest; everyone can
be involved even if they don't have a plot yet!
If you have any suggestions or would like to pitch in with
any of the above projects or ideas, please drop a line to
howardgarden@gmail.com. Many hands make light work!
Now we just need to wait for spring...
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Our annual potluck is THIS SATURDAY!
Our garden with 20 inches of snow… Hope you all are staying warm and dry!
Saturday, February 7
From noon - 3:00pm
A Just Harvest
7649 N Paulina St, Chicago, Illinois 60626
7649 N Paulina St, Chicago, Illinois 60626
Bring something delicious to share for a potluck lunch, while we discuss our hopes and dreams for our beautiful community garden in the 2015 growing season. We will hear from our Leadership Team, and we'll have a chance to review our updated rules. Bring books, magazines, catalogs, and any other garden resources you'd like to share. See you soon!
Sunday, January 4, 2015
You are Invited to our Annual Potluck!
Announcing our annual potluck!
Saturday, February 7
From noon - 3:00pm
From noon - 3:00pm
Bring something delicious to share for a potluck lunch, while we discuss our hopes and dreams for our beautiful community garden in the 2015 growing season. We will hear from our Leadership Team, and we'll have a chance to review our updated rules. Bring books, magazines, catalogs, and any other garden resources you'd like to share. See you soon!
Friday, December 5, 2014
Old Garden Rules
We are in the process of updating our garden's rules. For reference, here is a list of the rules as of June, 2014 (please note that the Howard Area Community Center is no longer affiliated with the HACG). Please give your feedback to the Leadership Team by commenting here, sending email to howardgarden@gmail.com, or calling the garden at 470-228-1725. Thank you for your input!
Howard Area Community Garden
Rules and Guidelines
The following rules and guidelines are meant to keep our community garden a safe, clean, friendly, and healthy environment for all of its members. (Adopted July 2012)
This is an Organic Garden. Only organic fertilizers may be used - only compost, manure, and products that are labeled organic. Non-Organic and other chemical fertilizers are PROHIBITED.
Painted wood and painted posts are not allowed in the garden. Old paint contains lead, which is highly toxic to pregnant women and children. Modern paint is also toxic. Do not contaminate the soil.
Wood chips, dyed mulch, etc. are prohibited. Compostable mulch is permitted.
Deadlines:
• May 1-15 of each year (2013) if you intend to return to your plot please notify any community garden leader by phone, email or check the box on the list kept at the Howard Area Community Center. Failure to do so will result in plots assigned to someone on the waiting list.
• June 15, of each year all plots must be fully planted.
• November 15, of each year all plots must be fully cleaned up and left in an orderly fashion.
No pets in the garden or by any entrance. (for the safety of all members and pedestrians)
Every family is allowed only one garden plot.Definition of family is any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws.
Children must be supervised in the garden. Children are not allowed to run around unsupervised in the garden.
Stealing will not be tolerated. No one is to enter the plot of another gardener or take anything without their permission. Except for garden community-owned tools which should be return after each use in its proper place, in the back of the garden by the compost area.
There is a Zero Tolerance policy in regards to stealing. Any gardener who violates this rule will lose his or her plot. Please report theft or vandalism to the garden community leadership team immediately, Call 911 when appropriate.
Please be courteous and respectful of your fellow gardeners. Any gardener who violates this rule can also lose his or her plot. 911 will be called if appropriate.
All gardeners are responsible for keeping the paths around their plots free of weeds and garbage. Gardeners with plots on the alley and sidewalk are responsible for keeping those perimeters weeded as well.
Water and the hose are provided for watering gardens only. Do not wash cars or bicycles, play in the water stream, or in any others way waste water. When there are gardeners waiting for the hose, be respectful of those waiting and also wait your turn.
Do not water your neighbors garden when others are waiting to water their own garden.
Alcohol and Drugs are not prohibited in the garden.When entering the garden, leave the lock on the gate in the locked position.Do not put the lock in your pocket.
Do not leave lock in the open position. Tools in the compost area are for use by all gardeners. Return them to the compost area when you are done.If a tool is damaged or broken, alert a community garden team leader.
Howard Area Community Garden
Rules and Guidelines
The following rules and guidelines are meant to keep our community garden a safe, clean, friendly, and healthy environment for all of its members. (Adopted July 2012)
This is an Organic Garden. Only organic fertilizers may be used - only compost, manure, and products that are labeled organic. Non-Organic and other chemical fertilizers are PROHIBITED.
Painted wood and painted posts are not allowed in the garden. Old paint contains lead, which is highly toxic to pregnant women and children. Modern paint is also toxic. Do not contaminate the soil.
Wood chips, dyed mulch, etc. are prohibited. Compostable mulch is permitted.
Deadlines:
• May 1-15 of each year (2013) if you intend to return to your plot please notify any community garden leader by phone, email or check the box on the list kept at the Howard Area Community Center. Failure to do so will result in plots assigned to someone on the waiting list.
• June 15, of each year all plots must be fully planted.
• November 15, of each year all plots must be fully cleaned up and left in an orderly fashion.
No pets in the garden or by any entrance. (for the safety of all members and pedestrians)
Every family is allowed only one garden plot.Definition of family is any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws.
Children must be supervised in the garden. Children are not allowed to run around unsupervised in the garden.
Stealing will not be tolerated. No one is to enter the plot of another gardener or take anything without their permission. Except for garden community-owned tools which should be return after each use in its proper place, in the back of the garden by the compost area.
There is a Zero Tolerance policy in regards to stealing. Any gardener who violates this rule will lose his or her plot. Please report theft or vandalism to the garden community leadership team immediately, Call 911 when appropriate.
Please be courteous and respectful of your fellow gardeners. Any gardener who violates this rule can also lose his or her plot. 911 will be called if appropriate.
All gardeners are responsible for keeping the paths around their plots free of weeds and garbage. Gardeners with plots on the alley and sidewalk are responsible for keeping those perimeters weeded as well.
Water and the hose are provided for watering gardens only. Do not wash cars or bicycles, play in the water stream, or in any others way waste water. When there are gardeners waiting for the hose, be respectful of those waiting and also wait your turn.
Do not water your neighbors garden when others are waiting to water their own garden.
Alcohol and Drugs are not prohibited in the garden.When entering the garden, leave the lock on the gate in the locked position.Do not put the lock in your pocket.
Do not leave lock in the open position. Tools in the compost area are for use by all gardeners. Return them to the compost area when you are done.If a tool is damaged or broken, alert a community garden team leader.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Last 2014 Workday
This is a reminder that Saturday, November 22, from noon to 2 p.m. is our last scheduled 2014 growing season workday. It's time to put our beautiful garden to bed for the winter!
Six gardeners braved the rain to help at our October workday and we made a lot of progress. Just imagine how great our garden would look if we had everyone show up next Saturday! Even if you can only stay for half an hour, every little bit helps.
Please make sure you bring good, sturdy gloves (and maybe an extra warm pair to wear underneath).
If you can't make it on Saturday but want to drop by the garden sometime this week to help out, please focus on clearing all plants from the outer perimeter and pathways.
Also... stay tuned for information on our annual Winter Potluck! The tentative date is December 13th; time and place to be announced.
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