Garden Committee

Primary Purpose of the Committee

The Garden Committee shall operate and maintain specific outdoor Garden space, and engage in community participation in said space at MakeICT.

The Garden Area presently occupies the MakeICT courtyard. This includes the yard area inside the sidewalk from the South Wing to West Wing doors; The Pavilion; An 8,500 square foot Organic Community Garden comprised of communal and rental spaces, and a two foot buffer for planting south of the chain link fence.

INSERT GARDEN MAP HERE

Duties and Responsibilities

• Create and maintain a Garden.
• Organize classes related to gardening
• Provide information on gardening in an area on our forum

2024 Meeting Notes

Spring/Summer Notes
Winter Notes

Current Policies

• Do not pick crops or flowers from any plot that is not your own. Community plot harvesting guidelines will be posted during the seasons; generally speaking, garden volunteers receive first choice and remaining crops will be placed for general MakeICT member use and/or donated to area community food banks. Pollinator Garden flowers are never to be picked as they serve as food resources for pollinators.
• The MakeICT Garden is an organic space. Do not use unapproved fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, weed repellents or any other products that will affect other plots. Please refer to The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for allowable chemicals.
• The Pollinator Garden next to the south doors is a completely pesticide free space - even organic pesticides are forbidden as they will affect butterflies, bees and moths. Only biological control insects (such as ladybugs for aphids) are allowed.
• Noxious weeds are prohibited. Invasive plants which are not designated noxious weeds are only allowed in above ground containers. This includes the mint family. You are responsible for researching what you purchase/plant to know if it is considered invasive in Kansas/horticultural zone 6b.

Important Docs/Forms

Documents

Resources from Master Gardeners:

[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tuH1HEsmSdDRdAW612nTzFsn2SI8LeMm?usp=sharing]

Agreements

In ground plots will be 12’x12’ this year, while our raised beds are 4’x8’/ Both in ground and raised beds will be $25 for the season (ending Dec. 31st).

In Ground Plots will be distributed from east to west. Raised beds will be distributed much the same, but the row next to the sidewalk will be reserved for those with mobility concerns for easy access until all of the southern beds are rented or through April 30th, whichever comes first. Until that date, gardeners will be limited to one in-ground plot and one raised bed, starting May1st additional plots will be made available to those who want them.

Please email me to reserve your plot at aaron.rivers@makeict.org I will then provide you with a link to the specific wild apricot event page associated with your plot, and a copy of the Garden Plot Rental Agreement for you to print out sign and get to me. I will print copies for those who need.

The rental agreement is copied below, followed by a simple map of the garden plot schema.

MakeICT Community Garden

Rental Agreement

Plots within the MakeICT Community Garden are $25 annually, due prior to planting. This will give you access to either a raised plot or an in-ground plot, based on availability and preference. This will also include access to water and any shared tools in our shed. This does not give you access to other MakeICT facilities or tools unless you are also a member of our parent organization. The communal area of the garden is maintained by the Garden Committee and any volunteers who help with its maintenance.

As a member of the MakeICT Community Garden, you agree to the following:

• I will begin planting on or before June 1st and keep my plot maintained throughout the growing season. I will remove all personal property and vegetation from my plot by January 1st, 2025 unless other arrangements have been made with the Garden Committee.
• If I must abandon my plot, I will notify the MakeICT Garden Committee.*
• I will NOT use unapproved fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, weed repellents or any other products that will affect other plots. MakeICT is an organic garden. Please refer to The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for allowable chemicals (link on the Garden Wiki page).
• I will keep weeds in my area under control. I understand that if my plot becomes neglected, I will be contacted via email and given two weeks notice to clean it up. If not cleaned up after two weeks notice, the plot will be reassigned or tilled.
• I will keep trash and litter from my plot area, as well as the garden in general.*
• I will pick only my own crops unless given permission by another plot owner. I will abide by community guidelines for harvesting community plot crops.*
• I will NOT grow invasive or illegal plants. For a list of invasive species, please see the official Kansas Noxious Weed List from the Kansas Department of Agriculture (link on the Garden Wiki page).

Registering for a Garden plot constitutes agreement to these terms and conditions.

Members

Lead - Aaron Rivers
Sublead 1 - Piper Thomas
Sublead 2 - Tessa Garlough-Jones
Members -

Pollinator Garden

The Pollinator Garden is located on the south west side of the South entrance, currently bounded by the sidewalk and the west edge of the south wing of the building.

Insert Picture of Pollinator Garden Here

Class Ideas

Herbology 101: Soil Success: Profiting from Preparation

Herbology 102: Watering Wins - Surviving Droughts the Lazy Way

Herbology 103: Fertilizer Fortunes: What do all those letters mean, and which ones do I need?

Herbology 801: Forbidden Flora: Toxic Treasures in Herbology with Professor Sprout

Kansas Noxious Weeds - prohibited in Garden

https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/plant-protect-weed-control/noxious-weed-control-program

National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (for Organic Gardening)

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-M/part-205/subpart-G

Other resources

Media:Soil_sample_2_NW_corner_MakeICT_garden.pdf

Media:Soil_sample_1_East_half_MakeICT_garden.pdf

Media:Soil_sample_3_SW_corner_MakeICT_garden.pdf

Media:Pollinator_Garden_Soil_Test_Results_2022.pdf

Gardening Online Resources (includes Sedgwick County Extension Links)

Commitment approved at the March 18, 2021 Board meeting. The MakeICT Garden Area was formed in the  April 21st 2022 MakeICT Board Meeting with the motion: "The Garden Committee is formally requesting designation as an Area. Should the Board act favorably towards this motion, we propose that the Garden Lead be Sean Sandefur. Furthermore, the Garden Committee shall remain intact and steer garden rules, communal planting, and events."

Archive

[https://wiki.makeict.org/wiki/Garden_Archive]