Are you interested in growing your own food in community with others?  Then the Burlington Area Community Garden program might be for you!

2025 new gardener registration will open in February – stay tuned for date, time, and registration link!

 

Garden Plot Fees: 

 

Kitchen Plot: $45.00

• Size: up to 100 sq. ft.
• Available at: Archibald Garden, Calahan Garden, Myrtle Street Garden, Riverside Garden, Tommy Thompson Garden, Winooski Valley Garden

Quarter Plot: $55.00

• Size: approximately 100-200 sq. ft.
• Available at: Calahan Garden, Lakeview South Garden and New Discovery Garden

Half Plot: $65.00

• Size: approximately 250-350 sq. ft.
• Available at: Calahan Garden, Champlain Garden, Lakeview North Garden, Medical Center Garden, New Discovery Garden, Rock Point Garden, Starr Farm Garden, Tommy Thompson Garden (till & no-till), Wheelock Garden (till), and Winooski Valley Garden

Full Plot: $110.00

• Size: approximately 500-750 sq. ft.
• Available at: Tommy Thompson Garden

 

**If you are not a Burlington resident, there is an additional $10 fee**

 

Optional Fees:

• Hay Bales: $8.00 each
• Compost (5 gallon bucket): $2.00 each

Both will be delivered to the garden sites between May and June!

**GARDENS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND CANNOT BE RESERVED WITHOUT FULL PAYMENT**

 

Scholarships:

There are scholarships available to help with these fees, as well as opportunities to donate to the scholarship fund and lend a helping hand to gardeners in your community! Through donations, these scholarships provide 50% of the plot fee for one full, half, or quarter plot per eligible household. If you would like to learn more about scholarships, please reach out to Meghan at modaniel@burlingtonvt.gov or 865-7247!

 

General Garden Information

For over 50 years Burlington area residents have come together to sow seeds, tend rows and harvest rewards. The Burlington Area Community Gardens (BACG) program is comprised of 14 garden sites across the Burlington area. Sites range from small neighborhood plots to larger sites with multiple acres of available plots. Being part of Burlington Area Community Gardens (BACG) means contributing to the gardening community. Participants are expected to maintain their plots at a standard defined within the garden maintenance policy. Gardeners participating in the program must complete four hours of community work at their site or at a BACG event during the growing season.

Site Leaders

Each site has one or more volunteer Site Leaders who help to keep the garden organized and the gardeners informed. They coordinate work days and community gatherings at the gardens throughout the growing season and are the main contact for any questions or concerns that may arise. Site Leaders will contact gardeners in the Spring to confirm the site’s opening date, schedule new gardener orientations and give any other beginning of the season information they would like to pass along. If you are interested in becoming a Site Leader, please contact Meghan O’Daniel at modaniel@burlingtonvt.gov.

Being a Community Gardener

The gardens rely heavily on their members to volunteer their time in order to keep them up and running. We ask that every gardener participates in community work throughout the growing season, 4 hours total per plot. These will happen on designated “community days” (with some flexibility if necessary) and can include a variety of activities ranging anywhere from moving hay to organizing the tool sheds depending on what needs to be done. Site Leaders can assist gardeners who cannot make work days by scheduling alternative work projects.

If you are interested in giving back to your community garden more than the required 4 hours, you’re in luck! BACG is one of City Market’s community outreach partners, which means that you can receive Member Worker credit through us. You must complete a Member Worker Orientation with City Market and complete your required 4 hours of community work as a garden before doing so though.

 

Gardener Agreement

We ask that all community gardeners abide by the Gardener Agreement in order to allow our gardens and fellow community members to flourish throughout the growing season.

By signing this, you agree to abide by the following requirements and understand that if you fail to do so, your plot privileges may be forfeited.

• I agree to be a responsible BACG community member by prioritizing inclusivity and demonstrating value for our shared humanity. This means:
  • Being open, accepting and respectful of everyone
  • Exercising patience, compassion and understanding towards others
  • Working to establish meaningful connections with all fellow community gardeners
  • Participating in productive communication and maintaining a spirit of cooperation with fellow gardeners
  • Being aware of my own privileged identities and how these affect others and understanding, acknowledging, exploring and challenging my conscious and unconscious biases
  • Remaining open to feedback and learning when I make a mistake, am uncomfortable or held accountable to help create a safe environment for all
• I agree to abide by the garden site guidelines and the Plot Maintenance Policy. This means:
  • Participating in at least 4 hours of community work at my garden site
  • Only using organic materials & products in my garden
  • Not growing tobacco or marijuana (including hemp) products in my plot
  • Beginning to plant my plot by late May (plots that are overrun with weeds by mid-June will be forfeited and given to someone on the waiting list)
  • Weeding and maintaining my plot throughout the season
  • Managing any pest infestations that may appear in my plot
  • Harvesting my produce in a timely manner
  • In the event of a natural disaster or circumstance that could not have been prevented by reasonable foresight or care, I will accept and abide by any site closures or other guidelines issued by the BACG program
  • Tilled Plots Only: Clearing the plot of all non-organic materials (i.e. fencing, twine, stakes, plastic etc.)
  • No-Till Plots Only: Clearing the plot of everything by mid-October if you do not plan on returning the following season. If you know you will not be returning before then, please let your Site Leader know

 

Garden Site Amenities

Each garden site has a tool shed with an array of tools available for all gardeners to use. Site Leaders will inform all gardeners of what the lock combination is at the beginning of the season, which will allow for full access and use of everything in the shed.

All gardeners have access to on site water. The Riverside and Baird gardens have large cisterns and rain barrels, and the rest of the garden sites have running water systems. Water is turned on around Memorial Day and turned off around Indigenous People’s Day.

Most gardens have on-site parking available. The Archibald, Baird, Myrtle St. and Riverside gardens, however, only have street parking as an option.

 

Locations

There are 14 community garden sites throughout Burlington.

Community Garden Site	Address	Plot Sizes	Till or No-Till
Archibald	28 Archibald St.	Kitchen Plots	No-Till
Baird	1110 Pine St.	Quarter Plots	No-Till
Calahan	2 Locust St.	Kitchen, Quarter & Half Plots	No-Till
Champlain	800 Pine St.	Half Plots	No-Till
Discovery	Ethan Allen Homestead	Quarter & Half Plots	No-Till
Lakeview	311 North Ave.	Quarter & Half Plots	No-Till
Medical Center	155 East Ave.	Kitchen, Half & Full Plots	No-Till
Myrtle St. Avant Garden	31 Myrtle St.	Kitchen Plots	No-Till
Riverside	230 Riverside Ave.	Kitchen Plots	No-Till
Rock Point North	4 Rock Point Rd.	Half & Full Plots	No-Till
Starr Farm	250 Starr Farm Rd.	Half & Full Plots	No-till
Tommy Thompson	282 Intervale Rd.	Kitchen, Half & Full Plots	Till & No-till
Wheelock	1251 Spear St. South Burlington	Half & Full Plots	Till only
WVPD Garden	Ethan Allen Homestead	Kitchen, Half & Full Plots	Till & No-till