Florence Organic Community Garden
Registration Day!
Saturday, March 31st, 10 am to noon
Florence Community Center, 140 Pine St, Florence
Hello and welcome to the Florence Organic Community Garden (FOG), 17 acres of dedicated space at the Northampton Community Farm where citizens can get their hands dirty, enjoy nature and the company of fellow gardeners, and grow their own food organically! Over the past year, GFN and the City of Northampton have worked collaboratively to lay FOG’s groundwork. Thanks to the City’s support including pre-paying a 198-year lease to us and granting Community Preservation Funds toward the creation of FOG, GFN is now working to hard to install basic garden infrastructure–water source, irrigation, driveway, shed etc. So far our schedule is on target, and we are pleased to be able to lease our first 100 garden plots this Spring!
Please watch Remineralize the Earth’s 2-minute video showcasing our Fall accomplishment–”dusting” the field with 36 tons of rock minerals to enhance the site’s soil fertility .
Rules and Regulations
Steering Committee
Wish List
Resources and Links
Event Calendar
Registration Packet
Registration
Saturday, March 31st from 10 am-noon
Interested gardeners can register for one of 100 20×20 ft. plots at the Florence Community Center, 140 Pine St, Florence (the former Florence Grammar School).
The fee is $25 per plot for residents of Northampton, Florence, and Leeds, $30 for non-residents who work in the area, and $35 for non-residents who work elsewhere. There are also discounts for seniors (65+) and limited discounts for low income households.
Please bring proof of address to registration. Additionally, if you’re a senior, bring proof of age, and if you’re low-income, bring your valid SNAP benefit card to qualify (15 low-income plots available this year).
FOG will be in the southern-most portion of the Farm
- Young clover & rye grass at the FOG site,
- July 2011
“Opening Day”
Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2012 will mark the formal “Opening Day” of FOG when all the basic infrastructure should be in place for our 100 “pioneering” gardeners–driveway, water source, tool shed, etc. We will have a joyous Groundbreaking Ceremony on this day. Stay tuned for details.
Throughout the growing season, members of the community garden will contribute six hours of volunteer work at FOG and will receive numerous benefits including:
- Access to water
- Shared tools
- Access to rich compost and rock dust (for additional fee)
- Regular e-newsletter
- Training and workshops from expert gardeners
We thank you for your interest in the community garden and hope you will join us during this very exciting time!
The Master Plan
Guided by permaculture principles, FOG will offer many Northampton residents a place to grow their own food, and to experience cutting-edge sustainable agriculture. FOG will be organized into “neighborhood blocks” each with its own communal spaces and resources in order to foster community within the site.
The design, drafted by the creative team at the Regenerative Design Group in Greenfield, is based on thorough site analysis and input from the City, gardeners at the current Northampton Community Garden, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. As currently envisioned, the entire 17 acres will include space for educational programs, demonstration garden plots, workshops, commercial agriculture ventures and riverfront habitat. But the heart of the parcel will be the seven acres slated for community garden plots.
The current plan holds over 400 garden plots. With funds from the Community Preservation Fund, GFN will install a water source and spigots, access driveways, and other needed infrastructure. To make the garden as accessible as possible, GFN intends to phase in raised garden beds for people with mobility challenges. Meanwhile, GFN has seeded the area with perennial rye and clover and added mineral-rich rock dust to protect and nourish the soil.
The master plan has been guided by permaculture principles. One way these principles are being applied is to plant a permanent edible hedgerow along Meadow St. that supports pollination, improves habitat, provides food to people and animals, and creates a much-needed wind block. This hedgerow will also provide a visual buffer between the garden and adjacent streets and homes. The design includes rehabilitation of the 200-foot buffer zone along the Mill River through native species plantings that also support agriculture.
Click to view larger
Get involved!
Art Larson, chair of the FOG Planning Committee, brings over 20 years of community gardening experience to the job. There is plenty of work to do, so let Art know if you would like to contribute some effort to bring these plans into fruition.
