Community Crop User Agreement

To register for a garden bed please read this agreement
and fill in the required areas.

Community Crop Responsibilities

The Community Crop Garden Society is a registered non-profit society which was established in 2007 with the building of the South Calgary Garden. All aspects of Community Crop gardens are volunteer driven. This includes, garden building, governance, garden bed registration, maintenance and all other garden improvement and education projects. Community Crop is funded by garden fees, private donations and city and community grants.

Community Crop will

• collect garden fees and signed user agreements to register community gardeners and assign garden beds. All fees, donations, fund-raising profits and grants will be used for the maintenance, insurance, improvement and expansion of the above gardens as well as to facilitate adjacent special projects such as murals, site and community beautification, and gardening education
• mark each garden bed clearly with a garden bed number and maintain garden bed registration records. All gardener contact information will be used for garden communication only and will not be shared with others without prior permission.
• make the gardens as unencumbered and accessible as possible to all ages and ability levels and provide easy access to garden tools, water, composting bins and compost.
• follow the principles of organic and pesticide-free gardening.
• organize and assist volunteer work days for cleanup and improvement of common areas, paths, and garden beds.In addition Community Crop will provide a garden liaison as a contact person for garden inquiries and to represent garden concerns to the Commity Crop governance board.
• provide a web site, and signage, for garden information and user feedback.
• answer inquiries in a timely manner and forward information regarding garden events.
• provide the opportunity for returning gardeners to renew garden beds for the next season and for new gardeners to have fair access to newly available garden beds
• ensure that all requirements for Land Owners (City of Calgary and the Calgary Board of Education) are met, including providing liability insurance for the garden sites.
• ensure that the land is optimized for the needs of the community, the land owner and the gardeners.

User Responsibilities of Alternative High Gardeners

Access to this garden is limited to after-school hours, as follows:

• July 1 to August 20 anytime.
• Between August 21 and June 30, Saturdays and Sundays anytime, Mondays to Fridays 4 pm to 10 pm only.
• Access to the garden site during school hours, access to the school building, or any direct contact with Alternative High students is not permitted.

User Responsibilities at All Gardens

• The gardens are located on City of Calgary and Calgary Board of Education land. While you are entitled to garden at these sites, other park and school ground users are permitted to walk through and enjoy the garden space. All park use by-laws are applicable.
• You are responsible for your own and your guests safety at all times while on the garden site. Ensure that your conduct at all community garden locations is safe, responsible and respectful to other garden users, to all other park users and to the land owner and their staff.
• Minors are the responsibility of their parents, legal guardians or adult companions at all times, consequently and with regard to the foregoing the applicant agrees to accept responsibility for all risks to, and conduct of, any minor children in their care, including but not limited to the damage or loss of property or physical injury to themselves or to others.
• Garden beds must be planted by June 15. Garden beds not planted by that date will be considered abandoned and the garden bed will be reassigned. Fees will not be refunded. In addition, you may not be permitted to renew your garden bed the following year. Please notify your garden leader when you have planted your garden bed.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact information is complete and current. Email your updated contact details.
• Weed and insect repellents are strictly forbidden.
• Stakes must be pushed in by hand to prevent damage to underground utilities.
• Garden beds overgrown with weeds will not be tolerated and may be removed without notice. Seeds must be collected in a timely manner so that they do not self-seed throughout the garden.
• You are not permitted free access to the adjacent buildings. Buildings and adjacent equipment are not to be marked, altered or damaged in any way. If you witness someone damaging the property ask them to leave or call 911.
• Do not leave garbage or personal items on the site.
• It is your responsibility to keep Community Crop informed of anyone who will be sharing your garden bed or looking after your garden bed in your absence and to make sure the that these persons be informed of the Community Crop guidelines.Notify Community Crop of any extended absence during the garden season.
  
  Community Crop reserves the right to notify gardeners when garden beds appear to be abandoned or are not being harvested. Failure to respond to such a notice will result in your garden bed being maintained and harvested by Community Crop volunteers. Continued failure to keep your garden bed well maintained will result in your garden bed being reassigned to a new gardener the following year.
• Gardeners will be provided an opportunity to renew their garden bed for the following season via an email invitation in February. Gardeners will be provided with 4 weeks to renew their garden bed. Failure to respond and provide the season's garden fees and a signed user agreement by the renewal deadline will result in the garden bed being reassigned to a new gardener.
  
  Fees can be paid by email transfer to Membership@communitycrop.org or cheque - payable to Community Crop Garden Society and mailed to:
  COMMUNITY CROP, PO Box 86064, 2106 33 Avenue SW, Calgary AB T2T 1Z0.
• Upon being assigned a garden bed, it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct garden site and garden bed ( numbers are indicated on each garden bed structure). If for any reason a change of garden bed assignment is required you must receive authorization from Community Crop.
• Ensure that you harvest only from your assigned garden bed. It is your responsibility to ensure that you inform any guests who assist you with your garden bed that harvesting is permitted from your garden bed only. Gardeners who wish to share their harvest must mark their garden bed and notify Community Crop and other gardeners.
• You are responsible for watering your own garden bed and for arranging volunteers to water on your behalf in your absence. All watering is via hand watering from the water barrels and other water sources at the garden sites.
• Water-Me Flags - for use when gardeners are away at our Currie Booster and Alternative High Garden sites only.
• Alternative High Garden - mark the dates you will be away in the task/volunteer book located in the shed and visably place one orange flag in your garden bed. Flags can only be used for 2 consecutive weeks at any one time. Perpetual use is not allowed.
• Currie Booster Garden - mark the dates you will be away on the white board located in the shed and visably place one flag in your garden bed. Flags can only be used for 2 consecutive weeks at any one time. Perpetual use is not allowed.
• Garden members can then identify and help water beds of gardeners that are away
• The untreated wooden garden planter boxes are the property of Community Crop and are not to be moved or modified. Any temporary structures must not cause damage to the existing garden planter boxes and be removed and stored off-site by no later than October 31st.
  
  Plant supports, trellises, scare crows and garden decorations must be no higher than 36 inches tall and must not impede on the space or block sunlight in adjacent garden beds. Garden box boarders, barriers must receive prior approval from Community Crop.
• By no later than October 31, all foliage (excluding perennials) must be cut down composted. It is your responsibility to notify Community Crop of any perennials that you wish to leave for the next season. After October 31st, Community Crop reserves the right to have volunteers clean up your garden bed.
  
  Failure to keep your garden bed well maintained can result in your garden bed being reassigned to a new gardener the following year. All temporary structures also must be removed by October 31st.
• Compost bins are set up at the gardens for the composting of garden and vegetable waste only. Compost materials are for use by the community garden only and are not to be removed from the site without permission from Community Crop.
• When City of Calgary and Calgary Board of Education maintenance crews are on site, they must be provided the right-of-way to perform their duties.
• You are responsible to ensure that tools and water are used in a safe and responsible manner, and that they are properly stored and locked after use. The operation of any power tools or equipment at the garden site is prohibited without prior notice to and permission from Community Crop.
• The applicant grants permission to Community Crop Garden Society to make use of photographs, digital images or recordings of their activity in Community Crop Garden Society gardens for the purposes of public relations, training or marketing of Community Crop Garden Society.
• This is a volunteer driven, non profit community gardening organization and each gardening site relies completely on the effort of volunteers to maintain, administrate, and enhance them. We require all our garden members to volunteer a total of 5 hours of their time. Helping with general garden maintenance throughout the gardening season as well as meeting the following requirements:
  • attending spring and fall cleanup
  • garden bed weeding/maintenance/picking up garbage
  • general weeding (walkways, perenial beds etc.)
  • help with any special garden project(s)