The Center for Sustainable Living

Join the Greenvale Park Community Garden (Download Application and Guidelines)

Do you long to be planting and weeding and harvesting this summer, but don’t have a yard to garden in? Would you like to feed your own home-grown produce to your family and friends? Want to work with a group of gardeners to create a great new garden space in Northfield?

Here’s your chance! Northfield Community Gardeners will begin accepting applications on February 1 from those interested in maintaining a garden plot in the Greenvale Park Community Garden. Garden plots will be 10 feet by 20 feet (with a 10’x10’ half-plot option also available.) Those who are assigned plots may plant what they choose (taking into account the needs of neighboring gardeners, of course) and will be responsible for planting, weeding, watering, harvesting and otherwise maintaining their plots throughout the growing season. The produce of the plot will be theirs to eat, can, share, and use as they choose. All gardeners at the community garden will use organic gardening methods, and experienced gardeners will be available to help newer gardeners learn the necessary skills.

Community Gardens are just as much about growing community as growing food! Gardeners will work together to create this new garden space, which is now flat and sunny lawn. Gardeners will get to know each other as they work to erect a fence, build compost piles, incorporate compost, and handle other garden-creation tasks. In addition to the individually assigned plots, there will also be a communal plot which all of the gardeners will help to tend and harvest . . . produce from this plot will be donated to the food shelf.

Applications will be accepted beginning February 1. Applications (in English and Spanish) can be picked up at Just Food Co-op, Econo Foods, Cub Foods, Northfield Public Library, Greenvale Park School, Northfield CAC, Community Services Division, St. Dominic Church or the United Methodist Church. They can also be downloaded in pdf form from The Center for Sustainable Living or the Community Services division of the Northfield Public Schools. Completed applications should be mailed to Northfield Community Gardeners, 809 S Linden St, Northfield; or they may be dropped off at the Greenvale Park School office. Once applications are approved, gardeners will pay a gardening fee of $25 for the year ($15 for half-plots) to help cover costs of water and other garden expenses. Financial assistance will be available through the CAC for those who are unable to pay the full amount. If you have further questions about the garden please call 507-649-0707. Habla Espanol? Llame al 952 201 8852.

If you don’t have time or inclination to take on a garden plot this year, but would like to be involved, please call one of the numbers listed above! The Gardeners will also be seeking donations of used garden tools in good condition.