Re: fences and theft

**A*@aol.com**

To quote the Robert Frost poem: "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors" 

In our experience over the last 25 years at the CCG in the midst of NYC it 
had been essential to have a large front garden keyed gate ( which is then 
overlocked at night with a chain and padlock at night and on days when the ice is 
dangerous.) as well as a back garden fence whose two locks are keyed so only 
gardeners and their guests can get it.  The main garden shed is kept locked 
(with keys for volunteers and folks who maintain volunteer beds) but an attached 
lean-to with the less expensive replacable hoes, pitchforks, clippers, etc is 
kept open.  Of course dangerous or expensive stuff like our chipper shredder 
and our bee keeping equipment are locked up as well. 

Accessibility to the front garden space is managed by monthly key 
distribution to neighborhood residents (we currently have 4,000 keys available in the 
neighborhood) and an open gate policy on weekends and holidays when a responsible 
volunteer or steering committee member is present.  The back garden is locked 
due to issues of theft and vandalism.  

All human communities have individuals whose behavior is inimical to the 
order that a community garden needs.  A good fence and reasonable security 
procedures helps minimize the damage that these anti-social individuals can wreak. To 
read how this works, please go to  <A 
HREF="http://www.clintoncommunitygarden.org/";>Clinton Community Garden</A> 

Best wishes,
Adam Honigman 

<< Subj:     [cg] fences and theft
 Date:  5/22/03 11:55:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time
 From:  apneufeld@telus.net (Neufeld)
 Sender:    community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
 To:    community_garden@mallorn.com

 Hi all,

 Our garden is in a school ground, in a low-income neighbourhood and most of 
the gardeners have experienced the frustration of things being stolen out of 
their plots.  In the last week, one of the gardeners installed a nearly 6-foot 
tall chain-link fence with a locked gate around their plot.  Now I completely 
understand and sympathize with the feelings that caused this gardener to take 
such action, but the fact remains that the new fence feels out of place in a 
community garden.  The gardeners have discussed this problem of theft many 
times before, but never has this been seen as the right kind of solution.

 2 questions: first, do any community gardens have rules about fences around 
plots?  second, can you share your creative and effective solutions for 
dealing with theft?

 Paul Neufeld >>

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