Reminder: Plots available beginning this Wednesday, March 5th.

Don't forget, anyone interested in leasing a garden plot for the 2014 season should join us at the Rockrimmon Public Library on Wednesday, March 5th between 6:30pm and 7:30pm to reserve and pay for their plot. Plots this year will cost $70 for the season. Please download your lease form here so that you can fill it out at home and have it ready when you arrive at the library. We expect to have around 8-10 plots available.

Some members of the garden committee and some of our returning community gardeners will be available at the meeting on March 5th to greet new gardeners and answer questions.

A few highlights for 2014:

• Soil enrichment. New for 2014, your lease now includes organic soil enrichment applied free of charge by Whole Yards Organic Lawn & Yard Care. Community gardeners may opt out of this service but will be expected to use some form of organic soil enrichment to ensure that the plot remains fertile for future gardeners. 
• Overseeing the school beds. Each community gardener will oversee one 4'x10' school bed. Students and families from Foothills Elementary School will still be offered opportunities to water the school beds, but community gardeners will keep an eye on the school plots to ensure that they are maintained and watered in the event that a plot is forgotten or abandoned or not taken care of. Community gardeners are also free to harvest from the beds they are assigned, up until a few days before school starts. At that point, we will reconnect with our community gardeners either by email or by the info board at the front of the garden to let everyone know what crops need to stay in the ground to be harvested by students.
• Straw. We have purchased straw bales that you will see around the perimeter of the garden. Community gardeners may use straw from the bales to cover their beds which will help the soil retain moisture until crops grow tall enough to shade the soil. The increased price of a plot (from $65 last year to $70 this year) reflects this change.
• Perimeter beds. We are planning to build more raised beds around the perimeter, probably the weekend of April 26th. We will publicize that build day and would love to see community gardeners and neighbors there!

We hope to see you on March 5th!