Community Garden

Rules & Guidelines

Markesan Community Gardeners agree to act respectfully and with kindness towards everyone who requests space in the garden and its neighbors. If conflicts arise, gardeners are encouraged to seek peaceful resolution directly with one another and, if necessary, reach out to the City Clerk’s Office.

The Markesan Gardens are notstrictly organic; however, gardeners are expected to practice organic gardening practices to grow vegetables and other plants in their garden. Gardeners may not use herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and/or chemical fertilizers except those that are consistent with organic gardening best practices. Do not use rugs, tarps, plastic film, or woven synthetic mulch (commonly known as landscape cloth) because it can be a nuisance as it degrades over time.

Gardeners must maintain their garden plot in a manner that limits the spread of weeds and pest plants to other garden plots and to areas surrounding the community gardens. Wood chips, secured and covered newspaper or cardboard, and straw/hay are acceptable mulches for weed control.

Gardeners may start clearing debris, preparing beds and start weeding no sooner than April 15th. Community Gardeners are expected to keep weeds down from spring to fall - this includes cutting, pulling, or otherwise controlling weeds before they go to seed or spread rhizomes. Weeds affect the productivity of your garden and impact neighboring gardens as weeds spread by seed or underground.

Prepare plots for winter each year by removing dead plant materials, plant cages, and tools. Low fencing, tomato cages, and other trip hazards that may be obscured by snow must be removed at the end of each year. Keep your plot free of garbage, inorganic waste, excess organic wastes, and unsafe or untidy materials, including glass.

Everyone named as a Markesan Community gardener is jointly responsible for the upkeep of the entire plot. All gardeners must be identified at the time of garden signup each year. Each gardener must provide complete contact information including mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

The City Director of Public Works will monitor plots for weeds, usage, and maintenance throughout the gardening season and has full authority to have violators removed from the garden. Markesan Community Gardeners can appeal decisions and actions of the Public Works Director to the Public Property Committee for consideration.

No trespassing on adjacent properties when walking to and from the garden.

No vehicles are allowed on the garden property with the exception of those authorized to bring water. Please contact the Public Works Director for instructions on using the garden water system. Requests for water are to be made through the Clerk’s office.

Harvest your ripe vegetables! If you have more than you can use, produce can be dropped off at the Markesan food pantry at City Hall and will distribute it to families in need.