Experimental College Community Garden

Location

Click here to see the EC Garden on the Campus Map

South of The Domes & Orchard Park, north of the Student Farm

(fenced in), and across Orchard Park Dr. from the greenhouses.

Email

Click here to email the EC Garden Coordinator

Phone - please email

Website

Official EC Garden webpage

> EC Garden Contract

> EC Garden Application

> Renewal

"The Experimental College Community Garden, or EC Garden, is a peaceful garden space where both the general public and UCD students, staff, and faculty can have common ground. Anybody can rent a 10'x20' plot for an annual $30 plot fee - or $20 to garden Sep. through Feb. No deposit, just plot fees. You can also do work-trade to make your plots cheaper, and the work hour tasks can be collaborative, solo, drop-in, work day efforts.

The EC Garden is coordinated by the Experimental College. The EC Garden has been at its present location just outside the campus core, nestled up against Hwy. 113 by the Student Farm since 1970, and the irrigation was finished being laid around 1972. The garden has always been run according to organic standards. Water, tools, mulch, manure, and gardening advice are included in your plot rental. Gardeners may plant annuals, biennials, and perennials, including fruit and nut trees - they just have to be labeled with a permanent sign so the next gardener knows what they've got. Usually community gardens don't have enough space for trees; so we're lucky ;)

Please download an application and fill it out. Then email the EC Garden Coordinator with your interest, and set an appointment to take the orientation tour. It takes about an hour to take the tour, find your plot, and pay with check, cash, or money order.

You may work in trade for membership and land at the EC Garden, even on a cashless basis. It's only $2 per hour, but after a year of controlling the weeds outside of your plot, you could rent the next year for free - or expand into more plots. Folks can do many tasks, including garden maintenance, as well as computer work and tabling at the Davis Farmers Markets. Pay OR work, then start gardening and enjoy the harvest. Email if interested.

The Domies [collective students in the dome homes at Baggins End Innovative Housing] have their own gardens to the north. They just completed a really cool yurt that took much effort to get designed, approved, and constructed - see their Wiki at The Domes and check it out.

Orchard Park Apartments - UCD student housing - has a community garden (for Orchard Park Apts. residents) to the northwest that used to be really great, but it's pretty overgrown now and needs a resident volunteer Coordinator - contact Sue Franck if interested, but only if you live in Orchard Park Apts. All that would need to be done is to start renting from the spot that's closest to the apartments and emanate from there. Manure and rice hull mulch are freely available, and it would be so easy... Email the EC Garden Coordinator too if you do; we will help you start with fig tree cuttings and work hour task grants.

The Student Farm runs the organically certified Market Garden CSA (it's under market price, get on the waiting list now!) to the south and the open fields to the south and west...

Sisters of the Moon... manage part of the Student Farm

The Bike Church used to be located between The Domes and the EC Garden but has recently moved and changed names to the Davis Bike Collective

Relatively large populations of ground squirrels and rats seem to share a cyclical relationship that's more like a tag-team war on our crops, especially corn and squash. Jack rabbits nibble to a lesser degree, while slugs and squash bugs and pincer bugs slash away at spring seedlings. Wild turkeys have been homesteading in this area for at least the last few years (no input food storage). Pheasants and coyotes have been seen, and perhaps a fox has her den out there too. The barn owls are squeaking, and voles are voling.

There is also a large population of gophers who have developed a keen appreciation for onions and garlic. They are mostly a nuisance during the winter and spring. Brian Yoxall, an EC gardener has written a gopher manifesto which will help you manage your gopher population.

Some gardeners keep chickens, which are also found at the Student Farm and the Domes. Chickens and chicken coops are tentatively allowed at the EC Garden, but the gardener must abide by a short set of requirements to keep this super-fowl at the ECG. Organic eggs, fresh from the garden! Not many community gardens can suckle such a crop! Who wants to keep quail or rabbits?

Sandrine Journet working in the EC Garden To get involved, read our contract, apply for a plot, schedule a tour (even if you're just curious), or join our EC Garden Friends listserv (email your request to Coordinator). Volunteer work tasks are mostly drop-in, but can be organized projects as well. Work days and events are announced on the EC Gardeners listserv. You could also attend one of our winter campfires (must be permitted by UCD Fire Dept.) to be announced.

Davis Gardening

There is plenty of room for new gardeners at the EC Garden; it's a great treasure with lots of opportunity. Another option for gardening in Davis is the Davis Community Garden a.k.a. the 5th St.Community Garden; although it doesn't have as much space for incoming gardeners (If interested, get on the wait list now!). The 5th St. garden is a well-managed garden that has much less pest pressure than the ECG, as it is downtown; so it's easier to get a harvest there. For more information, see the gardening page.

Cob Benches

Currently there are at least 4 gardeners at the EC garden who are growing hops to be used in homebrewed beer. Hops are a perennial plant that grow long vines, up to thirty feet in length, and produce flowers called hop cones which are used to bitter and flavor beer. Below is a picture of a hop cone with hop vines, also called bines, in the background. In the spring of 2009, the Merry Growlers of Davis started a new hop plot in the EC garden. To learn how to grow hops you can go to the Merry Growlers of Davis page where they are documenting their progress and experiences on growing hops.

Hops cone, click to view cross section of a hop cone Hops plant

Publicity

Please download an application and fill it out. Then email the EC Garden Coordinator with your interest, and set an appointment to take the orientation tour. It takes about an hour to take the tour, find your plot, and pay with check, cash, or money order.

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