Community Gardens

Gardeners rent plots for one year at a time with the option to renew or change plots at the end of each season. Returning gardeners receive priority. During general registration, plots are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Plots are assigned by the program coordinator.

Important Dates:

October 1 – priority registration begins for returning gardeners

October 31 – priority registration ends

November 15 – general registration begins

April 1 – spring access for new gardeners

Fees:

• Full plot (~24’ x 22’) – $150
• Half plot (~12’ x 22’) –  $80

Given increased interest in gardening at the farm, two full-size plots (or the equivalent) are the maximum for any one person or family.

Produce is the sole property of the grower.

Gardeners must begin planting by June 1.

• • If nothing is planted by this date, your plot may be assigned to a new gardener or reclaimed by Liberty Prairie.

Gardeners agree to use organic inputs only.

• • Organic compost is provided to amend soil in spring.
  • We permit the use of organic fertilizers with 0 (zero) P (Phosphorus) values.
  • We do not allow the use of chemical herbicides or pesticides.

Gardeners must minimize weed growth within their plot.

• • Untended plots degrade quickly and exert pressure on neighboring plots.
  • If your plot becomes unkempt, you will be given one week to address the issue or make alternative plans with Liberty Prairie staff.
  • If the problem remains unresolved, your plot may be assigned to a new gardener or reclaimed by Liberty Prairie.

Prohibited plants:

• • Mint (family)
  • Nettles
  • Bamboo
  • Ivy
  • Noxious weeds
  • Trees

The metal stakes marking plot corners may not be removed.

• • Crops and flowers must remain entirely within your plot.
  • Personal tools and equipment must remain entirely within your plot.
  • Gardeners are permitted to fence in their plots; however, if you lease adjacent plots, you may not fence-in the adjoining walkways.

The on-site compositing is managed by Liberty Prairie staff and volunteers.

• • Deposit organic materials only where indicated. Produce, woody stems, and brush have separate drop-off locations.
  • Remove as much soil as possible from the roots of plants.
  • Do not deposit kitchen scraps or any other organics from your home in any of the managed compost piles at the Gardens.
  • Burning is not allowed.

The garden shed is not a shared storage space.

• • During the primary growing season (April 1-November 15), this location is reserved for Liberty Prairie staff and volunteers.
  • Overwinter storage of wheelbarrows and hoses is permitted (November 15-April 1).
  • Overwinter storage of personal tools (shovels, rakes, hoes, etc.) or infrastructure (fencing, tomato cages, trellises, etc.) is not allowed.

If you need to surrender your plot for any reason, please contact Liberty Prairie staff immediately, remove all physical apparatuses, and trim plants to the ground or remove them.

Healthy plants require soil rich in nutrients, organic matter, and beneficial microorganisms. At the Community Gardens we emphasize building soil organic matter naturally using compost, mulch, and low-till approaches to gardening. We promote these regenerative growing techniques to align the Community Gardens with our organization’s values. Our gardeners agree to use organic inputs only.

Compost: Finished compost is delivered in spring and is a shared resource split between the Community Gardens and the Prairie Crossing conservation community. Additionally, we are building an on-site composting operation to convert organic materials from the gardens into usable compost. This type of closed loop economy is crucial to sustainable agriculture.

Why is compost important?

• • Organic materials are nutrient rich and readily biodegradable, making them a valuable resource (not waste).
  • All forms of decomposition emit carbon dioxide and methane. Both are greenhouse gases, but methane has a significantly greater warming potential, around 30 times more than carbon dioxide.
  • When organic matter decays in landfills, decomposition takes place in an oxygen deprived environment, which produces a higher ratio of methane to carbon dioxide.
  • We cannot recapture organic materials from a landfill, wasting this valuable resource.
  • Compost production usually takes place in an oxygen rich environment, which significantly reduces the ratio of methane to carbon dioxide.
  • Local compost trumps commercial compost. Benefits of our on-site system include control over inputs and the elimination of transportation cost and fuel.

Fertilizer: Organic fertilizer is permitted; however, fertilizers may not include phosphorus.

• • Organic fertilizers release nitrogen more slowly than synthetic fertilizers, which helps nutrient uptake and can limit overapplication.
  • Commercial fertilizers prominently display their Nitrogen – Phosphorus – Potassium (N-P-K) values. When using a commercial fertilizer, the middle number must be ZERO (e.g. 6 – 0 – 6).
  • The production of synthetic fertilizer requires a lot of fossil fuel, and as the fertilizer breaks down in your garden it releases nitrous oxide, a gas that heats the planet nearly 300 times more than carbon dioxide over 100 years.

Mulch: We recommend mulching your plot with hay, garden straw, or leaf mulch.

• • Layering mulch and compost helps suppress weeds while providing a permeable structure for seedlings and roots to expand and grow.
  • Untreated wood chips are available at the Community Gardens year round to refurbish the paths between plots. We do not recommend using chip mulch in your plot because they take a long time to break down.

Tilling: We encourage no- or low-till approaches to gardening.

Why should you ditch your rototiller? Frequent tilling:

• • Depletes soil organic matter and reduces productivity.
  • Increases rainwater and irrigation runoff.
  • Disrupts or eliminates beneficial microbial activity in soil.
  • Brings weed seeds to the surface for germination.

Where should I park?

Please park along the west side of Harris Road (southbound in the direction of travel). The shoulder is reinforced beneath the soil. Do not park along the horseshoe drive or in Farm parking spaces. These locations are reserved for Liberty Prairie staff and volunteers, guests, and our educational partners.

When is water available in the Gardens?

Water is usually available by mid-April when the risk of regular overnight freezes ends. Water service is discontinued for the winter once overnight temperatures dip below 30 degrees for consecutive days, usually in late October. There are two spigots, one adjacent to the garden shed and another along the walkway by the western plots.

When does compost arrive in the spring?

Compost is usually delivered in mid-April. (The first delivery in 2024 arrived on April 16.)

Are there restrooms available at the Gardens?

Gardeners are welcome to use the porta potty on the farm near the tall barn (red front).