Rules and Guidelines

The MCC Community Garden (MCG) is operated by faculty and students of the MCC Urban Horticulture Program. Our use of this land depends on our ability to keep the garden and neighborhood relationships well maintained. MCG requires all gardeners to read and abide by the following rules and guidelines to ensure the growth of the gardening community as well as the continuation of plot ownership.

  1. Agreement and Fee. Before you start to tend your plot you must have signed the agreement and paid your fee.
  2. The garden is open from dawn to dusk seven days a week. The combination for the lock will be given to members and will be changed annually or as needed.
    1. Gardeners must provide their own tools. MCCG will assist gardeners in tilling their plots with our rototillers. Rototillers must be reserved in advance.
    2. Make sure to close the gate after you when you enter and exit.
    3. Notify MCG staff if illegal activity, such as theft, occurs.
    4. Each member and guest must fill out a MCCD Liability Release Waiver.
    5. Friends and family members are permitted into the garden, but are under your supervision and must adhere to the rules and regulations.
    6. Children under 14 must be supervised at all times while in the garden.
    7. Garden meetings and events happen throughout the year; we encourage you to participate.
  3. Smoking, chewing tobacco, and open flames are not allowed in the garden. Woodchips used for the paths and are flammable. Tobacco smoke is dangerous to all who breathe it, and tobacco is a carrier of the mosaic virus which can kill some plants.
  4. Plots have been marked for the reason of individual plot recognition.  Please do not move the markers.
  5. As Mesa Community College adheres to the Alcohol and drug-free environment laws, alcohol and other illegal substances are not allowed in the garden.
  6. As the MCG is a community garden, members are expected to partake in certain maintenance in order to ensure that the garden is a beautiful, well-kept area for everyone.  Such maintenance items are:
  7. Keeping equipment and site in good condition (general maintenance).
  8. Making signs for the garden.
  9. Managing and cleaning the compost.
  10. Weeding and cleaning the outer edges of the garden.
  11. Do the chores posted.
  12. Six times a year there are Clean Up days.  Members must attend at least three of the six days to facilitate in community cleaning and maintaining of the garden.
  13. Weeds and other plants should be placed in the compost.  Herbicides are not allowed in the garden; use of such weed killers will mean you are forfeiting your plot.  This will not include a refund.
  14. Gardening workshops will be held periodically throughout the year, however, it is the gardener's responsibility to research proper gardening techniques. The essence of community gardening is trial and error and sharing of knowledge. Numerous desert gardening books are available in stores and libraries, and the Maricopa Cooperative Extension offers a wealth of information.
  15. Plots may be arranged to the tender’s whim, but certain regulations do apply:
    1. Beds of the plot may not rise above 18 inches from the path.
    2. No permanent structures are permitted (concrete, bricks and mortar).
    3. All structures must not cross into, or shade, another plot.
    4. Any materials must be brought by the tender.
  16. Plot tenders may take home any produce they harvest for their family.  Trading between plot tenders is allowed.  If a plot is not harvested while the food is ripe the plot owner must relinquish rights to the produce and the produce will be taken to a food bank.
  17. Plot tenders are responsible for the maintenance and harvesting of their plot.
  18. Watering, weeding, harvesting and any other garden related maintenance are all the responsibility of the gardener.
  19. If you are going to be away for an extended amount of time, notify MCG.  Plot tenders can arrange for other plot tenders to watch over their plot while they are gone.
  20. Garbage and recycle bins will be provided. In keeping with the sustainable code MCG promotes, we ask that you recycle all materials that you can, compost those that are compost acceptable, and dispose of the rest in the garbage.
  21. Pets are not allowed into the garden.  This, however, does not apply to service animals.
  22. Drip irrigation is strongly recommended for all plots. A water line is provided to all plots and is set on a timer. MCG staff will help you choose drip equipment hook up your drip system to this line.
  23. Notify MCG staff if you find any leaks in the water line.
  24. Faucets are provided for hand watering only. Make sure all water faucets are off when you leave the garden.
  25. Rules pertaining to watering of the plots:
  26. The bulletin board is for garden business only, soliciting is not allowed.
  27. There is a suggestion box for any feedback or questions.  MCG also has an email if you prefer electronic communication.

The rules and regulations are in place so the MCG garden can grow, provide a healthy community atmosphere, and function as a pleasant place to garden.  If a violation occurs, such will be the immediate effects:

  1. If garden maintaining rules are ignored, you will be required to forfeit the plot.  As outlined below, these are the conditions under which plot forfeit will occur:
    1. Bringing alcohol and illegal substances into the plot
    2. Plot is not maintained for three weeks
    3. Without MCG staff approval, transferring or subletting of a plot
    4. Violation warning are ignored, and violations repeated
    5. Act in a threatening or abusive manner to other gardeners. NO BULLYING!
  2. Violation Procedures.
  3. When a violation occurs, MCG staff will send the plot tender a warning in the mail.  The warning will have the details of the violation and the deadline set for the plot tender to fix the problem.
  4. If the problem is not fixed by the deadline included in the warning, MCG staff will issue and second warning to be mailed to the violator. This warning will detail the violation, the deadline for fixing the problem, as well as the consequence of ignoring the warning, which is plot forfeit.

Compliance with the rules and regulations of MCG garden, detailed here, will ensure that the community garden grows and succeeds. Violations of the rules are regulated; any such violations will be dealt with by the MCG staff.

I understand that neither the Urban Horticulture Program nor Mesa Community College are responsible for my actions. I RELINQUISH THE URBAN HORTICULTURE PROGRAM AND MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FROM ANY LIABILITY, DAMAGE, LOSS OR CLAIM THAT OCCURS IN CONNECTION WITH USE OF THE GARDEN BY ME OR ANY OF MY GUESTS AS I AM THE SOLE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR MY PLOT.