Community Garden: OPENING - May 20

Good Morning,

I hope you are doing well and have managed to remain healthy.  With much excitement, we will be opening the Community Garden on Wednesday, May 20 with restrictions.  Please see the important attachment which has some very specific guidelines for all our safety during COVID-19.  Town of Franklin parks and playgrounds will remain closed until further notice, but I feel we can garden as long as we follow the guidelines. 

DPW will turn the water on next week.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  

Franklin Community Gardens

Garden Rules and Regulations

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to establish the eligibility requirements and the rules of garden use for Franklin Community Gardens.

Scope:

All gardeners and volunteers who use the gardens that are part of Franklin Community Gardens.

General Information:

• Eligibility for garden space: Application for garden bed lease shall be open to any current resident, property owner, local community group, business operator, or employee of the Town of Franklin.
• Gardener dues are: $40.00 per season.
• Gardeners may sign up or renew beds through the Town of Franklin Recreation Department, phone: (508) 613-1666, email: franklinrecreation@franklin.ma.us.
• Leased beds may be renewed to gardeners in good standing.
• If any unassigned beds remain after June 1 and there is no one on the wait list, the Garden Committee will notify gardeners that additional beds are available. Gardeners may then have the option of leasing one additional bed for that growing season only. The additional bed is not automatically renewable.
• The Garden Committee is responsible for ensuring that the rules are followed at all times.

Rules and Regulations:

• As a gardener, I accept and will abide by the following:
• I will actively garden my bed during the gardening season
• If I must abandon my bed for any reason, I will notify the current Garden Coordinator
• I will keep my bed weeded and free of trash and debris, and I will maintain the areas immediately surrounding my bed, including pathways, in the same manner
• If my bed becomes poorly maintained, I understand I will be contacted by a member of the Garden Committee via email on record. I will have one week to respond. If the Committee receives no response after that time, my bed will be reassigned
• If I am unable to maintain my bed for any reason, whether short term or long term, I will notify the Recreation Department at (508) 613-1666 immediately
• The Community Garden requires ongoing maintenance. Therefore, I agree to complete at least 4 hours per season toward garden maintenance.
• I will harvest my bed in a timely manner
• At the close of gardening season, I will remove all non-wintering plants and man-made objects from in and around my bed. Objects are not to be stored on the ground next to beds for safety reasons. Storage is available in the shed. Additionally, I will compost all non-wintering plants in my bed
• I will garden only in my own bed unless given permission by another bed user
• I understand all beds at Franklin Community Gardens will be organic and that the use of non-organic fertilizers, insecticides or weed repellents is forbidden. When in doubt, contact the Garden Coordinator
• I understand that I will be held responsible for guests I bring to Franklin Community Gardens
• I will not bring pets to the garden
• I understand that my bed is not transferable
• I understand that the Town of Franklin is not responsible for my actions. I therefore agree to hold harmless the Town of Franklin for any liability, damage, loss or claim that occurs in connection with use of the garden by me or any of my guests
• Franklin Community Garden reserves the right to revoke bed use if a gardener violates any rules and regulations established by the Town or by Franklin Community Gardens. No refund will be provided for any garden beds that have been revoked due to misuse
• I will abide by all rules and regulations established by Franklin Parks and Recreation for the use of Municipal Facilities

Happy Gardening,

Ryan Jette
Director of Recreation
Franklin Recreation Department
275 Beaver Street
Franklin, MA 02038
Office: (508) 613-1667

Link to additional info
https://drive.google.com/open?id=12ynYstU_260A1Pi0ZEJjGikUJJ_qvfHa

The last time I was at the community garden was in the BCE (before coronavirus era) Dec 26, 2019