Brown County Community Gardens
Program Rules

Brown County Community Garden

Mission: The Brown County Community Gardens Program empowers all county residents to grow healthy food by providing resources and organizational capacity.

Contact:
Rachel Quintas, Brown County Urban Agriculture & Community Gardens Coordinator
2019 Technology Way, Room 113, Green Bay, WI 54311
Phone: (920) 391-4660
Email: rachel.quintas@browncountywi.gov

Garden Locations: Most gardens have their own volunteer Site Leader who can also be contacted with questions about the gardens and their rules. Contact information for some Site Leaders are listed after the garden’s address.

The Brown County Community Gardens Program is always excited to invite bi-lingual gardeners as Site Communicators! If you are interested in these volunteer positions, please contact the Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Coordinator for more details. Thank you for helping to ensure the program includes and welcomes everyone.

Gardens and Site Leaders

Garden	Address	Site Leader
5th Street	621 5th Street	Needed
8th Street	8th Street Park	Needed
Annunciation	411 Gray Street	Crystal, inspirednorth@gmail.com
Church Road	3435 Church Road	Joey, jpokladowski@gmail.com
Community Church	600 Cardinal Lane	MaryEllen, mary.grys@gmail.com
Four Seasons	471 Four Seasons Drive	Needed
Kroc Center	1315 Lime Kiln Road	Pete, peteborihane@yahoo.com
Three Corners Main Street	1531 Main Street	Needed
Lake Largo	Near the intersection of Lake Large Drive and Largo Ridge Drive	Allen, pyleman@perennialguru.com
Lions	863 Killarny Trail, De Pere	Alina, aostanciu@yahoo.com
MacArthur Heights	2421 West Point Road	Dee Ann, deeann.sanders@okstate.edu
Maple and Augusta	1028 N Maple Avenue	Jenna, kalies.jen@gmail.com
Olde North	1004 N Irwin Avenue	Penny, pderouin66@gmail.com
Veteran’s Garden	920 Emmet Street	None
All Sites As Needed		Cheryl, cabw333@aol.com

Welcome to the Brown County Community Gardens Program! The following regulations were created to ensure the program follows landowners’ and City of Green Bay ordinances. Thank you for your cooperation.

Registration Procedures

Plots may only be renewed by members of the same household or those listed as co-gardeners on the previous year’s paperwork and cannot be transferred to others.
Plots must be used by the person or people whose name(s) is on the plot registration.
Returning gardeners may only renew three plots per household.
- If the total number of plots exceeds three, the following season only three can be renewed.

Rental Provisions

The rental fee for each garden is based upon the size and location
Rental fees are subject to change on an annual basis.

Planting

Weather conditions may delay garden site opening dates. Gardeners will be notified via e-mail when gardens are ready!
- Tilled gardens: plots tentatively set to open on May 15th.
- Raised bed: Beds open in April.
- No-till: Plots open in April.
Gardens must be planted by June 10th.
- If open date is later than May 17th, this date will be adjusted by a few days.
If you choose not to use your garden plot(s) please contact the Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Coordinator (920-391-4660) so plot can be assigned to another gardener. If the plot is reassigned by June 15th, your fee will be refunded.

Garden News and Information

Information about events, rules, and ongoing gardening concerns will be shared by signs posted at garden sites, and/or by email or text messages.
Please inform the Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Coordinator or Site Leaders if you have questions or concerns regarding your garden plot.

Pets

Pets are not allowed in the Community Gardens. Thank you!

Alcohol

Alcohol is not allowed anywhere on garden properties.
- Gardeners reported drinking alcohol on garden property may be removed from the Community Gardens Program indefinitely.

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the garden properties.
- Gardeners reported smoking on the garden property may be removed from the Community Gardens program indefinitely.

Parking

Please obey street signs at your garden site. The BCCG is not responsible for stuck vehicles. Use care when driving on unpaved roads around gardens that may be affected by weather.

No parking on the grass! Follow street and parking lot signs at each location.

Bathroom Facilities

Per Wisconsin State Law, no person shall publicly urinate or defecate in any public place, on any public property, or on any private property not designed, intended or approved for such use.
Any gardener caught doing so will be removed permanently from the Community Garden program.

Safety & Courtesy

Gardeners are required to treat other gardeners and program staff with respect. Any offensive behavior will result in removal from the Community Gardens Program, indefinitely.
If you experience any unwell behavior from other gardeners, please immediately notify the Coordinator directly. Disrespectful or discriminatory behavior is not tolerated by anyone affiliated with the BCCG Program.
Children must be supervised by their family and must stay in their own family’s plot or on established paths.
Please do not enter or allow your children to enter others’ garden plots.
Gardeners and their children must not enter private property adjacent to garden sites.
Plant only within the corner stakes that mark your garden plot or within your assigned raised bed plot.
Please do not allow plants to grow into garden paths or neighboring plots. Tip: plant vine crops such as squash and pumpkins in the center of your plot.
Please do not allow tall crops such as corn or sunflowers to shade neighboring plots. Tip: talk to your garden neighbors about their garden plans. Perhaps some shade could be beneficial for some of their crops.
Anyone who vandalizes or steals from someone else’s garden plot will not be allowed to participate in the Community Gardens Program.
Please use designated paths to access your garden plot.
Sales are not permitted on the property.
Obey established hours of sunrise to dusk.
If you have concerns about vandalism or other inappropriate activity at the garden, please contact both the non-emergency police (920) 391-7450 and the Coordinator (920-391-4660).

Garbage and Composting

Please take ALL garbage (paper, string, plastic trays, cans, bottles, etc.) with you. Do not leave any garbage at your garden site or use any adjacent dumpsters (these are not for public use).
Compost your weeds/plant debris within your plot to increase organic matter! Please do not pile weeds/plant debris anywhere in or at the garden site-spread evenly if leaving in garden. Plants can also be carried out to local Yard Waste Sites.
- Green Bay Compost & Yard Waste Site (East Side): 2530 East Shore Drive, Green Bay
- Green Bay Compost & Yard Waste Site (West Side): 1470 Hurlburt Street, Green Bay
- De Pere Compost & Yard Waste Site: 655 Rockland Road, De Pere
- Hobart Yard Waste Site: 3769 N. Overland Road outside of the fence towards the left side of the gate. Open 24 hours.

Water at Garden Sites

Water is available at all garden sites for plants only. (Do NOT drink water, as it is not clean.) Please make sure to turn off the water when you are finished using it. Please be mindful of your water use.

Soil Preparation

Tilling

Tilling is provided by the program.
Hand tools and rototillers are allowed in the gardens.
Avoid rototilling when soil is wet: worsens drainage which leads to soil degradation.
Be mindful of excessive use of rototilling to prevent soil problems.

Fertilizer

Gardeners may apply organic (such as composted plants and composted manure) or synthetic fertilizers (such as 10-10-10) to garden plots.
Please ensure that chemical fertilizers do not also contain herbicides, as these products are not allowed in the gardens.
Follow application rates for commercial products carefully, as excess fertilizers can burn plants and/or reduce seed germination.
Be aware that excessive fertilizer to your plots can negatively impact soil health.
Adding organic material (leaves and other decomposed plant material) and incorporating 2-3 inches deep is a good way to improve soil health.
Gardeners can apply organic mulch.

Stones

Gravel and small stones should be left in garden plots as they improve soil aeration.
Please keep stones and other material out of the grass. Keep grass clear for lawnmowing.

Pesticide Use

The Brown County Community Gardens strictly limit the use of pesticides. Pesticides are chemical used to kill or repel pests. Pesticides include:

Herbicides – kills weeds
Insecticide – kills insects
Fungicides – kills fungi

FOR EVERYONE’S SAFETY, NO HERBICIDES AND ONLY SELECT INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS. This rule will be firmly enforced. Gardeners using unacceptable pesticides will be given one warning (verbal, written and a $30 fined ticket at their plot). Second offense will result in loss of gardening privileges.

Examples of acceptable insecticides and fungicides:

Insecticidal soaps and oils
Botanical insecticides (neem, pyrethrin, Spinosad)
Microbial insecticides (Bt-Dipel, Thuricide, M-One)
Mineral insecticides (diatomaceous earth)
Copper soap, copper fungicide
70% neem oil
Actino-Iron

Examples of unacceptable pesticides:

Manufactured, inorganic pesticides (Sevin, Round-Up, Malathion, Diazinon, Methoxychlor, Marlate, Spectracide, Rotenone, etc.)

Please always follow application instructions for ACCEPTABLE pesticides. (Please note: Although acceptable insecticides are organic in nature, they are NOT non-toxic.)

Garden Neglect and Weed Maintenance

Gardens and pathways must be kept relatively free (80%) of weeds. All weeds must be shorter than 9 inches per city of Green Bay ordinance.
The pathway surrounding your garden is your responsibility.
Gardeners who have neglected garden plots and surrounding pathways will be notified they have two weeks to remove weeds. No effort to maintain the plot will result in the loss of gardening privileges.
Straw, leaves, plain-brown cardboard, woodchips, floating row cover or plastics film may be used as much to suppress weeds. Be sure to cover cardboard with soil or mulch to prevent material from blowing away.
If using non-biodegradable materials (landscape fabric or plastic) to suppress weeds, gardeners must remove all material at the end of the season.
Compost your weeds/plant debris within your plot. Plant material must be chopped into small pieces, 1-3 inches to properly decompose. Plant material may also be carried out.

Fall Cleanup

*The Community Garden Coordinator has worked closely with our Tillers and Extension Staff to design these regulations to ensure an efficient and cost-effective Garden Close. Please reach out to the Coordinator if you have any questions regarding these procedures.*

Gardeners who do not maintain garden plots throughout the season and at garden close will not be allowed to rent a plot the following year. If you cannot maintain your plot during the growing season, please contact the Coordinator.
Any items gardeners bring in, such as: fencing, trellises, decorations, signs, sticks, buckets, water cans, and non-biodegradable landscape fabrics/plastic, etc. must be removed and taken off site by the end of the day on the garden closing date.
- Items left behind at garden sites will be discarded and gardener will not be allowed to rent a plot the following year.
When removing stakes, please remove all string attached to the stakes. Please throw away the string off-site.
Place garden stake by water tanks.

CLEAN UP for Plowed Plots BY OCTOBER 23rd (tentative date)	–All stalking material: corn, sunflower, and brassicas (broccoli, kale, choy, etc.) must be chopped down to 1-3 inches above the ground and the rest of the plant hauled away to Yard Waste sites. Do not leave in garden. –Non-stalky plant material can be left in ground to increase organic matter. -Remove all stakes, string, plastic, wire and other materials from your plot. -Neatly pile garden plot stakes by the water source. -Remove and discard string attached to stakes. –Remove any personal fencing or other personal materials.
CLEAN UP for Raised Beds by OCTOBER 31st (tentative date)	– Remove everything, including all plants and their roots, haul off-site to Yard Waste Sites. -Remove and haul away any personal fencing or other personal materials.
CLEAN UP for No-Till Plots by November 15th (tentative date)	-Remove everything, including all plants that are finished for the season, haul off-site to Yard Waste Sites. -Please let the Coordinator know if you are planting cover-crops. -Neatly pile garden plot stakes by the water source. -Please remove and discard string attached to stakes. -Remove personal fencing or other personal materials.

Gardening Information and Education

Extension Brown County Horticulture Help Desk is available for gardening related questions. Contact the Horticulture Help Desk by calling (920) 391-4615 and leave a message or via email at horticulturehelp@browncountywi.gov. Insects and samples of plant issues can also be left at the Extension Brown County Office, 2019 Technology Way, Suite 113, Green Bay, WI 54311. If sending an email inquiry, 2 photos may be attached to the email.

Plant Selection

Choose plants hardy for the Brown County USDA Zones. Brown County is zone 5b.
Plants must have a growth period of less than 110 days.
Choose resistant varieties.
Cool growing season typically begins in early May – Soil temperatures above 40 degrees F.
Warm growing season typically starts at the end of May – Soil temperatures above 65 degrees F.

Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteer opportunities are available in Community Gardens. Please read Community Garden newsletter along with emails that will be sent related to opportunities. Information will be provided about how to get involved.

Disclaimers

Extension Brown County, Brown County, City of Green Bay, and partners do not assume any responsibility for mishap or injury occurring in the community gardens nor are responsible for accidental or intentional acts of vandalism, or other harm by people, animals, or weather to gardeners or plant materials.
All plots are approximate and actual size may vary.
Opening of gardeners is at the Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Coordinator’s discretion.

Brown County Community Gardens Program Rules.pdf (279 KB)