Bylaws

Article I. Mission

1. Background

New Roots Community Garden Woodside (New Roots or NR) comprises two garden spaces that total 5,000 sq ft. One adjacent to 4138 69th Street and the other on the east side of 69th Street.

The site is managed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) through a licensing agreement with the Department of Transportation. The IRC acts as an advisor for all garden activities and events onsite, offering technical and programmatic support as well as overseeing decisions regarding changes in infrastructure. 

Members of New Roots will ultimately decide day-to-day activities and collaborate to cultivate the garden according to their overall vision.

B. Mission and Goals

We believe in the function of this community garden both for food production and as a space for gathering and sharing knowledge - a common ground that takes shape through collective work. 

New Roots is a space that is inclusive to all. We strive to uplift and foreground those community members who are immigrants, undocumented, refugees, non-white, and otherwise typically excluded from land access. As such, we want our leadership, practice and programming to reflect our unique location in Queens and for the garden to be a space to forge new cross-cultural bonds and relationships

Our goals are:

1. To forge community bonds and relationships through collective work.

2. To contribute to food sovereignty in Queens, by increasing access to locally grown and culturally appropriate food.

3. To expand community control of land through collective stewardship of green spaces in our neighborhood.

4. To foster a cooperative learning environment where all garden members can share their knowledge of growing food and living healthily and sustainably.

5. To cultivate a safe community gathering space. 

6. To partner with other gardeners, neighbors, and community groups in Queens and around New York City to achieve these goals. 

Article II: Membership (meetings, keys, code of conduct, membership agreements)

1. General Membership

Memberships will run from April 1 through October  31 of each year, but volunteers may join at any time during the year. General membership is open to any person living or working in Woodside or the surrounding neighborhoods of Queens.

2. Eligibility for Membership

Application for membership will be open to any resident of Queens who supports the Mission & Goals in Article I, Section B. No one will be denied membership on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, or sexual orientation. All prospective members will undergo the following process:

• Prospective members start off as volunteers and must complete 8 hours of general service in order to be considered for membership. These hours must be logged in the log-book that lives in the greenhouse. 

• General members must commit to 8 hours of volunteer work per month during garden open hours.

• Upon completion of hours, membership applications will be reviewed by the Membership/Education Working Group.

• Individuals/households approved for membership must sign a membership agreement and sign-up for at least two Working Groups.

NR members will commit to the following responsibilities:

• Each new member will be supplied with a key to enter the garden. The key shall remain the property of NR and must be returned to a member of NR upon termination of membership.

• General members have access to all the benefits of the garden, such as workshops, events and contributing to the design and organization of the garden.

• All members must comply with New Roots Garden Bylaws.

NR members must sign two documents: 

• 1. 1. Rules of Conduct Agreement

     2. NR Bylaws.  

(Upon request, these documents can be provided in the following languages: Bangla, Tagalog, Spanish, Thai, Korean, Mandarin, Tibetan, or another language spoken by potential members).

C. Membership Revocation or Dismissal

1. Maintaining a healthy community requires the utmost respect in how members treat and interact with each other. When in the garden or communicating via phone or computer, all members, volunteers and visitors must behave in a manner that is respectful and inclusive of everyone. 

• Be aware of the space you take up and the privileges you bring, including racial, class and gender privilege. 

• Avoid assuming the opinions, identities and abilities of other participants. Foster a spirit of mutual respect: Listen to the wisdom everyone brings to the group.

2. Should a member, volunteer or visitor engage in disrespectful behavior as described in the Membership Agreement, they will be asked to leave the garden and to refrain from communicating with any NR members. 

3. Final revocation of membership is left to the discretion of the IRC and is based on the consensus and recommendation of NR members. Violations of the Bylaws or Garden Rules should be brought to the attention of the IRC Food and Agriculture Coordinator, who will discuss the issue with the Membership Working Group. There are a variety of reasons that gardeners can be dismissed as members of NR:

   • Not fulfilling membership requirements ie. participation in working groups, open hours, and membership meetings

   • Violation of the safe spaces policy and other stipulations articulated in the Garden Rules and Membership Agreement.

     • Should the need for arbitration arise NR will seek the services of an external, objective third party.

4. Conflict Management

If a garden member wishes to raise a formal grievance, they may submit it to the Group and an IRC representative in writing. The Group will assemble a grievance committee consisting of 5 randomly selected members with at least two members from the Bylaw Working Group. The grievance committee will review the grievance, hold an in-person meeting with the grievant if requested and issue a recommendation within 30 days. The recommendation will be discussed at the subsequent meeting.

Article III: Communal Space

1. All plots are communally managed. Crops are planted and maintained by members, according to the design and gardening practices approved by the Planting Working Group and IRC Food and Agriculture Coordinator.

2. Harvest days and harvest schedule for specific crops will be determined by the Harvesting Working Group and the IRC Food and Agriculture coordinator. 

3. Members are encouraged to take home reasonable amounts of produce from the garden (ie. for themselves and/or family). 

4. All excess produce will be distributed to the wider community from within the garden or donated to local food pantries.

5. No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are permitted in the garden.

6. Members may submit proposals for special growing projects to the Planting Working Group via email or at a monthly meeting.
   
   

Article IV.  Working groups and Notice Board 

1. Notice Board

A Notice Board with daily tasks for everyone will be kept in the NR Greenhouse on the east side of 69th Street. It is the responsibility of all members to not only execute these tasks but also to add To-do items that they may have observed. Along with the Notice Board, a composition book of members and their affiliation with any working group will also be located in the NR Greenhouse on 69th Street.

2. Working Groups will be charged with specific tasks and responsibilities in relation to the group’s purpose. New Roots members will be allowed to join multiple working groups, and as a member you must join at least two working groups. Group tasks will be posted on the Notice Board located in the greenhouse in the west garden.

1. Planting Group

Responsibilities include crop planning, propagation, planting and cultivation of all NR crops. The Planting Group maintains NR seed, plant and crop inventories and manages seed, plant and crop requests from members. 

2. Water Group
   Responsibilities include coordinating to fill the water tanks as needed from the hydrant/s, as well as developing and maintaining rainwater collection systems already in place in the garden. 

3. Harvesting Group

Responsibilities include coordinating a daily watering schedule and harvesting of NR crops. Group members are responsible for outlining harvest schedules for NR crops and communicating them to NR members. Group members are also responsible for making excess produce available to the wider community at the appropriate time. 

4. Membership/Education Group

Responsibilities include the creation of educational opportunities and activities for all members and the wider community. The Education group is also responsible for identifying, whenever possible, training opportunities for NR members, e.g., in composting, harvesting, or fundraising.

5. Outreach & Events Group

Responsibilities include engagement with the Woodside community as well as businesses, organizations, gardens and farms around New York. Group members will be responsible for scheduling of and communication around events at the garden. 

6. Fundraising Group

Responsibilities include seeking donations and support for NR projects and events, for seeds, plants and crops, for PPE, gardening gear and tools. Group members are also responsible for maintaining inventories and financial ledgers. 

7. Bylaws Group

Responsibilities include organizing and scheduling General Membership and Bylaw Amendment meetings. The Bylaws Group is also responsible for updating and distributing NR Bylaws to all members. To be a member of the Bylaws group, you must have been a member of NR for at least a year.

8. Research and Development (R&D)

Responsibilities include documenting and improving upon NR growing practices, researching and experimenting with new plants and growing techniques. Group members will work on inventing better and competitive gardening to help revolutionize community gardens. Group members also communicate with other urban gardeners to share knowledge.

Article V: Garden Policies

1. Open Hours – Each member will sign up and maintain 2 open hours per month throughout the season. Open hours should be hosted with at least one other NR member. It is the responsibility of each member to find a replacement if they are unable to perform their open hours. Failure to maintain open hours without due notice is grounds for membership termination.

2. Organic Gardening – No pesticide, herbicides or non-organic fertilizers may be used in the garden. No treated wood may be used for garden beds. We use only organic growing practices.

3. Alcohol – Alcohol is prohibited inside the garden. 

4. Smoking is prohibited inside the garden.

5. Children – Toddlers and very young children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Children up to ages 15 must be accompanied by an adult when gardening.

6. Animals – Pets are not allowed in New Roots, unless they are on a leash. If a pet is disturbing the garden or endangering plants in any way, the pet’s owner will be asked to take the pet outside the garden. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after pets.

Article VI: Meetings

Members are encouraged to attend all membership meetings and agree to be on the membership email list, which includes garden updates, scheduling notices, etc.

Meetings will be held primarily in English, however, an interpreter can be requested by any individual attending a meeting. With due notice, the group will arrange for someone within the community or through IRC to attend the meeting as an interpreter.

1. Regular Meetings

Regular meetings of the members will be held monthly, beginning in February/March and ending in November of every year. Meetings shall be facilitated by two garden members on a rotating basis. 

2. Annual Meeting

The first meeting of the year is defined as the Annual Meeting, during which NR members sign up for Working Groups and Bylaw amendments may be proposed. 

3. Special Meetings

Special meetings may be called by the IRC Food and Agriculture Coordinator or a simple majority of the NR Members upon two weeks written notice.

4. Notice of Meetings

The schedule of regular meetings will be set at the Annual Meeting and posted on the garden fence within 30 days thereafter. Notice of the regular meetings will be communicated to NR Members via e-mail and other communication methods that the Garden uses. Notice of the Annual Meeting will be communicated to the NR Members via e-mail or text message at least two weeks in advance. Meetings might be postponed due to inclement weather. 

5. Voting

   1. All issues to be voted on shall be decided by a simple majority vote of those members present at the meeting at which the vote takes place.

   2. Each member is eligible to cast one vote - or abstain from voting - on any motion brought before the full membership at a meeting.

   3. Each member is entitled to one vote in matters concerning revisions to the Bylaws or other issues put before the general membership of NR for approval by the Bylaws Working Group.

Article VII: Amendments to Bylaws

Upon request of a garden member and a majority vote, a proposed change to Bylaws will be considered. The proposed change will be circulated in an email to members and a vote at the subsequent garden meeting will be held. A vote to change the Bylaws requires a two-third approval