A Steering Committee consisting of seven garden members working together with a Dickinson College Liaison Officer manages the activities and maintenance upgrades for the garden. One of the Steering Committee members chairs the committee. The Steering Committee and Dickinson College Liaison Officer review and amend the rules annually.

Our community garden will benefit from following some simple rules. These rules help our gardeners maintain a beautiful green space for themselves and the surrounding community and avoid potential problems.

  1. Garden plots will generally be limited to two small or one large plot per individual.   We assign all garden plots at the beginning of the growing season. Gardeners can only make changes in plot configuration with prior approval by the Steering Committee chair. All open plots will be available to new members and assigned in order from the waiting list. Annual application forms are available in February to secure your garden plots for the upcoming season. Gardeners must turn in completed forms and payment before beginning work on plots.
  2. Each gardener is responsible for keeping their plots and surrounding walkways clean of weeds, pests, and debris. Maintaining at least a 4” deep or deeper layer of mulch (wood chips) in the walkways around their plots will keep weeds at bay.
  3. Garden Surrounds are optional but highly encouraged to protect your garden. Suggested materials are wood boards, plastic edging, and chicken wire. For the safety of the gardeners,  maintaining current surrounds is mandatory.
  4. Only annual flowers and vegetables are allowed in garden plots. Although, some perennials (e.g., rhubarb and some types of flowers) might be allowed.
  5. A community walkway is next to our garden, so each gardener is asked to plant one annual flowering plant (e.g., marigolds, zinnias, alyssum, cosmos, or annual salvia) in their plot to attract beneficial insects and to make the garden colorful. No unauthorized plants, please.
  6. Garden plants must not infringe upon adjacent garden plots; neither can they shade them or cover walkways. Each gardener is responsible for keeping vegetable plants, particularly tomato plants and sweet potatoes, under control and in the gardener’s own bed.
  7. If a gardener’s plot becomes weedy and overrun from lack of maintenance, a courtesy email will be sent to the gardener from the Steering Committee. The gardener will then have two weeks to clean up the plot. Unless the gardener contacts the Steering Committee within that time, the plot will be reassigned to another gardener after two weeks.
  8. Maintaining the garden area requires the support of all garden members. All gardeners are requested to participate in several “All Hands” Work Days to support the maintenance of the community areas of the garden during the growing season. In addition, gardeners will receive a Monthly Newsletter with important information about the garden, Project Lists, "All Hands On Work” dates," and other volunteer opportunities.
  9. Please, do not be tempted to feed wildlife or leave any food items on the garden grounds within or outside the fence. Any food items (from hamburger buns to pumpkins) attract wildlife to the garden area and encourage rabbits, groundhogs, etc., to establish homes within feet of the garden fence. Unfortunately, this always ends in the disastrous devastation of some beds in the garden.
  10. Organic fertilizers/pesticides, clearly labeled with your name, can be stored in the shed if space is available. However, use only organic fertilizers/pesticides in the garden in keeping with the college's sustainability and environmental stewardship goals. For information on how to use chemical-free alternatives, please get in touch with the Cooperative Extension Office at 717-240-6500 or attra.org.
  11. We have a compost pile for your use. Yes, for your convenience and to "close the loop," we have three "bins" along the north side of the garden area where you can deposit weeds and other plant material from the garden. The compost that we generate can then be used to enrich your garden beds! Please knock/shake off clumps of soil clinging to the roots before adding plants to the piles because too much soil makes the resulting compost less desirable. Also, please keep diseased plants (e.g., tomato plants that often get blight) out of the bins to prevent the dispersal of soil-borne pathogens via compost. Please dispose of diseased plants in the Dickinson College maintenance yard to the north of the garden (on the large mound in the center, where leaves and other organic matter are piled up.) No personal plants from home flower pots, pumpkins, etc., are allowed in our compost piles.
  12. Please take all garbage and food items home and discard them. We do NOT have trash pick-up at the garden.
  13. We welcome you to bring your children to the garden, but they MUST be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the garden, inside or outside the fence, for their safety.
  14. The Dickinson College Community Garden and its lessees are not responsible for any personal tools or belongings stolen from the garden. If you do not want others to use your gardening tools and you wish to store them in the shed, please write your name clearly on the handle, or keep them in a clearly identified box. Please respect the property of others and do not use it if an individual's name is on the handle. Community tools are clearly identified in writing or with colored orange tape around the handle.