RULES FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN PARTICIPANTS This is a community space that welcomes everyone who is willing to participate. Thus, to ensure an atmosphere of cooperation and friendship in our garden, we ask everyone come with an open mind and a willingness to accept all people of a different race, religion, or ethnicity. 1. PLOT USE AND MAINTENANCE OF ADJACENT PATHS.   a)    Use your plot: Actively garden throughout the season: i)                    Plots should be planted by May 1.  Exceptions, however, will be made for weather.  During the garden season please maintain your plot by planting, watering, harvesting, weeding, and soil building.  After the garden season, please prepare your plot for the winter by clearing away plant debris and planting a cover crop (we have the seeds).  Cover crops should be sown no later than October 15.  ii)                   Maintaining your garden is your responsibility.  If this year will be difficult for you, let us reassign your plot and you will stay at the top of the waitlist to come in when you are ready.  If you need help watering or harvesting or in the even of extraordinary circumstances affecting your ability to garden, please notify your site coordinator or neighboring gardener. b)  Do not expand your boundaries:  Please do not allow plants to encroach into paths or other garden plots.  Comfrey, mint, and Jerusalem artichokes are not permitted due to the invasiveness of these plants. c)  Use caution with tall plants and structures:  Please be careful that sunflowers, corn, or tall trellised plants do not shade your neighbor; please place these plants in the southwest corner of your plot.  Trees and permanent structures are generally not allowed in plots. d)  Paths are important:  Please keep the common paths around your garden weeded and mulched, wood chips are available at the garden for mulching paths.  For safety, do not dig into main paths; keep main paths level, rock free, and wide for walking.   2. NO INSECTICIDES, HERBICIDES, OR CHEMICAL FETILIZERS MAY BE USED.  The community garden is for organic gardening only.  We should be mindful of our gardening practices so that we leave a healthy place for our children.  Since we are on the bank of the Nooksack River , it is especially important that we practice sustainable gardening techniques.  Your garden plot has been prepared by the coordinator to support any plants you decide to grow.  Cover cropping greatly increases soil fertility.  An organic fertilizer has been added to your garden plot prior to the growing season.  This is sufficient for the season as the applied fertilizer is slowly released as the ingredients break down.  Any application of your own organic fertilizer MUST be approved by the garden coordinator.  THE USE OF INSECTICIDES AND HERBICIDES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED.  There are organic methods of pest control and, should you decide to use these methods, MUST be discussed with the garden coordinator prior to use.  Bugs are natural inhabitants in gardens, trying to eliminate pesky bugs also eliminates the beneficial bugs as well and disrupts nature’s balance.  Beer and sugar/yeast/water solutions serve as organic slug bait.  3. COMMUNITY TIME: We encourage gardeners to participate in general garden maintenance and up-keep, this is your community garden, as well as special events such as seasonal openings and closings. 4. MISCELLANEOUS a)      Smoking is prohibited in the gardens.  In addition to being unhealthy, tobacco can transmit a lethal virus to tomatoes and to other gardeners. b)      Loud radios are prohibited.  Please consider headphones for your neighbor’s peace and quiet. c)      Tires are not allowed at the site.  They can release cadmium or lead into the garden. d)      Produce from your plot may not be sold. e)      Please treat hoses kindly and carefully and return when finished watering.  IF others are waiting to use the hoses, limit your time to 10 minutes.  Sprinklers must be attended.  Don’t water others’ plots without permission.  Water service is off during the winter. f)        NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED AT THE GARDEN. g)      Closely supervise your children; help them learn respect for gardening and boundaries. h)      There is NO GARBAGE SERVICE: PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT.  Please pick up any trash and take it home for disposal. i)        Resolve differences in a neighborly way.  For problems with fellow gardeners, stay polite and listen carefully; usually solutions are easily reached.  Verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated.  Contact your garden coordinator for more serious difficulties. YOU AND YOUR FELLOW GARDENERS ARE CARETAKERS OF THE WHOLE GARDEN SITE. PLEASE USE COMMON COURTESY.