Documents

Please print and return completed license agreement and waiver to the Gatehouse.

Plot License Agreement *

Licensee Waiver *

Community Garden Rules

Garden Resources

Community Garden – FAQ (FAQ)

ABOUT

What is the Airstream Park Community Garden?

The Community Garden (or “garden”) is a limited Park resource consisting of a fenced-in series of Garden Plots bordering the golf course on the south side of the Minnesota Airstream Park. This is where licensed members (“Gardeners”) may grow produce. It is governed by the Community Garden Committee. Gardeners are responsible for managing their own Garden Plots and the common areas within the Community Garden.

PARTICIPATION

Can anyone be involved with the Community Garden?

Yes. However, you will need to be a licensed gardener, or sub-licensee with permission from the Garden Committee, to use a Community Garden Plot. Produce raised in a Community Garden Plot belongs to the individual licensed gardener and therefore is not available to others without prior permission.

How can I become a licensed Gardener?

Garden plots are assigned solely by the Community Garden Committee on a first-come-first-served basis, as Garden Plots become available for licensing, or temporary sub-licensing.

1. To apply for a Garden Plot send an email to garden@airstreampark.com
2. Once a Garden Plot becomes available and is assigned, applicants must complete the Garden License Agreement (and pay the annual license fee), complete the Community Garden Waiver, and abide by the Community Garden Rules.

Licensed gardeners in good standing and who continue to pay licensing fees may continue to use Garden Plot(s) assigned during previous seasons in accordance with the Community Garden Rules. This does not apply to temporary sub-licensees (which are for one season).

What happens if I will not be able to plant by June 1 or I can no longer maintain my assigned Garden Plot for a season?

What happens if I can’t plant my assigned Garden Plot by June 1st?

Contact the Garden Committee to indicate your planting schedule. License fees are annual and must be paid at the start of each season park opening for the license to remain in good standing. This is regardless of whether the Garden Plot you license is planted by you or a sub-licensee.

What happens if I can’t plant or maintain my assigned Garden Plot for an entire season?

Contact the Garden Committee that your assigned Garden Plot will be available for temporary sub-licensing for one season. You will still need to pay the annual licensing fee in order to maintain seasonal continuity. 

When would someone no longer be eligible to participate as a licensed Gardener?

While we are a community of volunteers who try to help those who seek assistance, there may occasionally be licensees who, for whatever reason, willfully choose to disregard Community Garden Rules. The Garden Committee makes good-faith efforts to notify licensed gardeners via written or electronic notice when licensees aren’t in compliance. Examples may include failure to keep assigned Garden Plot(s) weed-free; Garden Plot(s) are in disrepair, causing damage to Garden Plot(s) or communal areas; or other offenses outlined in the Community Garden Rules. At the discretion of the Garden Commitee, the license agreement is terminated and results in forfeiture of the Garden Plot usage by the end of the season. The best way to avoid issue(s) is to care, communicate, and cooperate.

Do I own a Garden Plot? Can I sell it? 

No. In accordance with Minnesota Law, the land is owned by the Minnesota Airstream Park. Therefore, the Garden Plot is licensed to you. The Park Rules and Regulations have been amended to separate lot share ownership from any Garden Plot(s). Any improvements to the Garden Plot (growing medium or structure) are considered non-reimbursable.

GARDEN PLOT STRUCTURE AND MAINTENANCE

Who is responsible for the Garden Plot structure and growing medium (dirt/soil/compost/etc.)?

The licensed gardener (not sub-licensee) is responsible for maintenance/replacement of the structure and growing medium within an assigned Garden Plot. 

What is the size of a Garden Plot? What structural materials are needed? 

Garden Plots are intended to have a uniform appearance. For best results, consult the Community Garden Committee before making any changes or improvements.

• Most Garden Plots have a 9×5-foot perimeter structure and are made of pressure- treated cedar for best results. Typically three 10×12-foot boards are cut to size and the scraps used to reinforce the interior corners.
• Garden Plot sides must be a minimum of 10 ½ inches high (the width of a standard 12-inch board of lumber). A height of 24 inches or 48 inches is recommended when  improved accessibility is desired. 
• Corrugated metal (aluminum color, not painted) may be used for the sides of taller beds. 
• Boards may be stained (brown/red/clear) but should not be painted. Shou Sugi Ban is also an encouraged way to organically preserve wood.
• Raised beds on legs are discouraged due to structural instability/risks and other challenges.
• Any vertical structures (trellises, poles, ornamentation, etc.) must be sturdy and anchored within or to the inside of the garden boards. All structures are to be removed at the end of the season. Fencing in the Garden Plot (all four sides) is not allowed. Arches between Garden Plots may be allowed at the Community Garden Committee’s discretion, and with permission of adjacent gardeners, so long as they are well-anchored, a minimum six feet clearance in the middle, and do not impede movement around Garden Plots.

Variances must be pre-approved by the Community Garden Committee. 

How much growing medium is needed?

The lower (10 ½- inch high) Garden Plot can be filled with approximately 1 square yards of organic growing medium (dirt/soil/compost/etc.). For taller beds, gardeners may want to use organic fillers, such as hugelkultur topped with soil, to control costs. Also consider Core Gardening methods.

What kind of amendments or improvements can be made to the growing medium?

The Community Garden abides by organic gardening principles. Chemical pesticides and non-organic fertilizers should not be used. When in doubt, contact the Garden Committee before using any amendments or chemicals.

How can I get help with my assigned Garden Plot?

Ask. Check with a Garden Plot neighbor, ask your Section Leader, or notify a Community Garden Committee member. Please communicate without fear of judgment or retaliation. We are all learning and growing. Also, use the Produce Marker System!

What does a Section Leader do?

Section Leaders lease a plot in one of three sections (See Garden Map). They are your committee liaison/advocate and are responsible for monitoring their section of the garden and offering assistance as needed.

What should I do if my neighbor’s Garden Plot needs some help or something in the common area needs attention/repair?

Because we are all volunteers, we don’t know anyone called “Someone Else.” 

• Check for Produce Markers. Whether it be weeding, watering, or notification of produce, or other issues, assume good intent and please reach out to gardeners in a non-judgemental way – they may not know it’s an issue. 
• Check the contact list in the shed and offer to help if you can or at least notify your Section Leader. 
• If something in the common area needs attention, notify a Section Leader or Community Garden Committee member and, if you can, offer assistance. 

What is the Produce Marker System?

You may notice colored wooden produce indicator stakes sticking out of some plots. These markers are intended to signify when (or when not) to help out or share produce. These are available in the shed near a marker guidelines sign. Only the assigned licensee/sub-licensee should insert markers in that plot.

• Use one of these:
  Red–don’t touch, leave everything alone; notify of issues.
  Yellow–remove the stake after you take up to 50% of ready produce;
  Green–share whatever is ready. 
• Blue–ground-level watering and weeding is welcomed; blue is the only marker optionally used with another.

CONTACT US

The Community Garden Committee can be reached at garden@airstreampark.com