Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation

4 Ways to Compost at BFC Garden

Garden Rules and Regulations 2013

Download the 2013 Rules and Regulations [pdf]

Please check all bulletin boards for announcements.

    Hours

  1. Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    (Closing may be moved as early as 7 p.m. as sunset occurs earlier in the day.)
    Sunday & Holidays 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    Garden Staff may not always be on duty. Gardeners are required to vacate the Garden if severe weather threatens.

    Parking & Bikes

  2. Parking is restricted in the Garden area. Reserved spots for handicapped parking are available for vehicles displaying a valid handicap placard. Please use the parking lot at the schoolyard where the yellow lines indicate parking spots. The driveway area is used for loading and unloading as well as pedestrian traffic. Please use caution when driving or walking in driveway.
  3. Please park bicycles near the storage shed at the Garden entrance. Bikes are not permitted in the Garden area.

    GARDENER RESPONSIBILITIEs

  4. To maintain the peace and tranquility of the Garden, Gardeners are expected to treat one another and Garden staff with courtesy and respect. Depending on the severity of the lapse, failure to maintain courteous, respectful behavior could result in a written notice from the Garden Coordinator or Garden Committee or denial of gardening privileges in future seasons. A serious offense could result in immediate forfeiture of your plot. Produce remaining in forfeited plots will be donated to the Hunger Centers. Grievances should be brought to the Garden Coordinator or a member of the Garden Committee for presentation to the Garden Committee. The Garden Committee’s decision will be final.
  5. Plots are assigned by the Garden Coordinator and the Chairperson of the Garden Committee and/or designated Committee members assigned by the Chair. Returning Gardeners may request the same location or a different location. First-year Gardeners are limited to one (1) plot; thereafter, the limit is two (2). This limit does not apply to Gardeners who maintained more than two (2) plots prior to the 2010 Gardening season. A Gardener can be a Co-gardener of no more than two (2) additional plots.   Gardeners/Co-gardeners may not transfer their plot(s) to anyone without permission of the Garden Committee. Anyone working in a Garden plot must have a signed waiver of liability on file.
  6. Gardeners are responsible for ensuring their plots are maintained during vacation periods or other absences longer than one week. If possible, please advise the Garden Coordinator or a member of the Garden Committee in advance if you will be away from your Garden for more than one week.  
  7. No one is permitted to trespass into any Garden without permission of the Gardener or just cause.
  8. Children must be supervised at all times to ensure they do not step into other Garden plots or disturb fellow Gardeners.
  9. Pets are not allowed in the Garden per City of Cleveland Ordinance (Section 603.04 – Dog Nuisances).
  10. The Garden maintains an inventory of hand tools, wheelbarrows, and carts for Gardeners’ use. Access is first-come/first served. Any Garden implements used should be cleaned and returned to the shed area as quickly as possible. Unauthorized removal of Garden assets and/or produce is prohibited.
  11. As a condition for the services provided to Benjamin Franklin Community Garden by Summer Sprout, the selling or bartering of ANY produce grown in the Garden is specifically prohibited.
  12. Please respect posted signs and limits regarding usage of communal supplies such as manure, leaf humus and wood chips and instructions regarding usage of the compost pile.
  13. In keeping with the intention and meaning of a community garden, and in an effort to defray costs and maximize grant awards, each Gardener is asked to donate a minimum of five (5) hours toward the operation, maintenance, and promotion of the Garden. In lieu of volunteer hours, a Gardener may make a monetary donation to OBCDC’s Garden Fund and/or donate produce to a hunger center.
  14. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the owner of the Garden property, prohibits alcohol, drugs, and smoking on school grounds.

    PLOT PLANTING & MAINTENANCE

  15. It is mandated that NOTHING be planted or placed in such a way as to shade or encroach on another Gardener’s plot. Further, each gardener must allow 12 inches for a walkway between adjoining plots, and any plantings should be a minimum of 12 inches from paths. No illegal or invasive plants, morning glories, for example, may be grown. SUNFLOWERS OF ANY TYPE ARE PROHIBITED. Corn may be grown only in designated corn plots, which might be available after May 15th.
  16. For appearance, Gardeners assigned plots adjacent to the center East-West blacktop walkway, are asked to plant a row of ornamental flowers along the border with the walkway. Since the Garden is recognized as a Monarch Butterfly Habitat, monarch-attracting flowers, such as zinnias, are highly recommended.
  17. Garden paths must be kept free and clear of all obstacles (i.e., hoses, tools, wagons, wheelbarrows, etc.). Hoses must be run along paths (not through other plots) and disconnected after use. Any personal supplies/implements (tools/sprinklers, etc.) must be stored within one’s plot. Neither OBCDC nor the Garden Staff are responsible for tools or personal property left unattended on the premises.
  18. Plots must be weeded regularly. This includes adjacent paths. The condition of the Garden is monitored continually by the Garden Coordinator and members of the Garden Committee.If a plot appears to be neglected, a series of warnings will be issued. Failure to address warnings and control weeds may result in designation of the plot as “abandoned,” forfeiture of the plot, and denial of gardening privileges in future seasons. Abandoned Gardens revert to Garden Committee control.
  19. Inorganic herbicides are strictly prohibited. This includes Preen and similar products. Please contact the Garden Coordinator or a member of the Garden Committee if you need advice regarding organic herbicides.
  20. Gardeners are encouraged to compost within their plot or the Garden’s community compost bins (see Garden Coordinator for instructions). Gardeners may also choose to bag and remove organic waste. It is the responsibility of the Gardener to bag and remove all trash.

    HARVESTING AND DONATIONS TO THE HUNGRY

  21. Gardeners are encouraged to donate surplus produce to the hungry. Please leave it on the table by the Garden shed. Any Gardener donating produce independently should obtain a receipt from the recipient organization and submit it to the Garden Coordinator or the Garden Committee so an accurate count of donations can be maintained.
  22. When a plot is declared abandoned, the name sign is removed and any produce from the plot is harvested and donated to a local Hunger Center.

    END OF SEASOn

  23. At the conclusion of the season, all Gardeners must sign out with the Garden Coordinator or a member of the Garden Committee (as noted on the Garden roster). Ground must be level. Raised beds and walkways must be raked smooth. All manmade materials, including weed-blocking material and staples/pins, must be removed. Any straw in bales must be removed or spread evenly across the plot. Any remaining vegetation (including vines and plant stalks) must be removed or cut to lengths/heights of less than two (2) feet and distributed evenly across the plot. A checkout sheet must be signed confirming the plot can be successfully plowed.
  24. No cover crops are permitted.
  25. Sign-outs should be completed in advance of the last day of the season. Gardeners who fail to complete the check-out process by the end of the final day may be denied gardening privileges in future seasons.

    Failure to comply with any of the above Rules and Regulations may result in the Gardener forfeiting his or her Garden plot(s) and being excluded from the Garden program.

Download the 2013 Rules and Regulations [pdf]