Community Garden

“Ground Rules” for Bearden United Methodist Community Garden 2026

The Mission of the BUMC Community Garden is to:

1. Provide a source of highly nutritious fresh vegetable to area “food banks” for distribution to persons in need,

2. Effectively and efficiently manage the resources provided by Bearden United Methodist Church; and

3. Provide a means for multi-generational members of the BUMC community to make personal, physical contribution for the betterment of the community.

The garden is NOT for commercial use and produce is NOT intended for sale. In keeping with the garden’s purpose, 100% of the produce from the community spaces will be donated to local food pantries/giveaways and 10% of the produce from adopted space is expected to likewise be donated by the adoptee.

The original community garden is located between the westside of the sanctuary building and the west parking lot and south of church administration offices. The gardens are part of the Knox County Community Gardens and Growers Alliance, which is approved by the Knox County Master Gardener Program, who provide opportunities for education and public use described within the TN Master Gardener program.

All the labor for the church community garden is provided by volunteers. Overall management of the garden is handled by BUMC leaders/volunteers and coordinated by Leigh Cheek, master gardener and garden coordinator.

Please observe the following guidelines and always be a good neighbor:

• The Garden Coordinator has the authority to resolve conflicts, including refusing and reclaiming adopted garden spaces if the benefit to the whole community garden is compromised.

• Individuals/families must apply for their space annually. Returning gardeners will be giving first preference and permitted to keep the same space if possible. We will be in the process of accepting applications for this year’s garden starting March 19th and ending on April 19th.

• Individuals/families adopting space are responsible for maintaining their space in a weed free condition and harvesting produce with ripe. They are also responsible for returning the space to a condition ready for planting a winter cover crop at the end of the growing season.

• An inability to maintain an adopted space will result in forfeiture of rights to the adopted space as well as its produce and future adoption of space will be at risk.

• Space overgrown with weeds or not attended to (i.e. crops not harvested) will prompt a warning from the garden coordinator and if no action is taken in a timely manner to maintain, the garden coordinator will reclaim the space.

• Some plant residues may be useful for composting. Ask the garden coordinator or a Master Gardener to help identify what should or should not be composted. All materials headed to the compost bin must be chopped into small pieces. No wood stems, no sticks/twigs should be composted. Diseased plant and material should never be composted – no tomato plants, not plan debris with powdery or downy mildew, etc. Read and follow the instructions on the compost bins.

• Biodegradable mulch such as compost, leaves, straw, and hay are encouraged. Non-organic mulch (such as plastic and rubber) must not be used.

There a presently three community garden scheduled work times:

1. Tuesday evening 4:30-7 (or dusk) (during daylight savings time).

2. Thursday morning 10-noon.

3. 1st and 3rd Saturday morning 10 am-noon.

Please coordinate other desired work time with the garden coordinator to ensure access to the community tools. There may be certain time that extra help is needed, and notification of that need with be sent out in advance.

OTHER POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Gardeners are expected to visit their adopted space at least once a week during growing season. If not possible please contact the garden coordinator for help.

• Tall plants should be grown so not to avoid shading other plants in nearby space. Corn, Okra, Tomatillos, Tomatoes, will not be grown in adopted Raised Beds. Tomatoes may be grown on a adopted 8-foot panel. Each panel provides space for 4 tomato plants. The number of panels allocated will be at the discretion of the garden coordinator.

• Trash cans are available. Please put all trash in the garbage cans provided or take with you when leaving. Do not overfill the trash cans, and do not fill them to the point that they are too heavy to move.

• Do not drive on the garden space.

• Always supervise children while at the garden. Children (ages 1 to 12 years old) are not to be left unsupervised. We encourage and welcome children in the garden to learn more about gardening and how they can become gardeners. However, they must be always supervised by an adult.  This can be a parent, another gardener, or a Master Gardener teaching them about gardening.

• Use of herbicides and pesticides are prohibited except when and where authorized by the garden coordinator.

• The use of the water hose is permitted. Please report any leaks to the garden coordinator.

• The gates into the garden are for loading and unloading tools and supplies. Please park your vehicles in the paved parking lot next to the garden.

Our Plot Application to garden a particular garden bed is coming soon.