Eldora Community Garden
The Eldora Community Garden is a community garden located at 787 4th Street in Eldora, Iowa. This garden is unique in that it leases plots for personal gardening use, but also offers large donation beds cared for by community members and harvested for food donation to food pantries and other organizations. Our garden provides a fenced area of just under 1 acre where community members can garden, volunteer or come and enjoy our children’s and picnic areas.
Public Hours – May to October
Wednesdays (6 pm – dusk) and Saturdays (9-Noon)
All area residents are granted access to the garden at any time by signing a waiver at City Hall. We welcome anyone to use the garden!
Sign Up to Volunteer for the 2021 Eldora Community Garden
Questions? Email the Eldora Community Garden
Leasing Gardeners:
Gardeners who are interested in leasing a plot for the 2021 gardening season are able to rent unclaimed plots on or after March 1, 2021. New gardeners require a phone conference with a committee member and must register at City Hall with a payment. The fee for leased plots goes towards the water bill at the garden. Leased gardeners will pay $45, which includes a $10 deposit given back in the fall at the end of the season.
Volunteer Opportunities
Two volunteer activities for the good of the garden are required for any leased gardener or volunteer. Below are the scheduled work days for the 2021 year. Social/public outreach events will be indicated with an asterisk. Tasks will vary with progression of the season. Estimated tasks may be indicated with a future schedule on our Facebook page.
Calendar will be posted later
*Monthly “Watch it Grow” Events. Assist in set-up, tear down and providing a free meal/education to the community. Hours to each date correlate with public hours mentioned above.
Sign Up to Volunteer for the 2021 Eldora Community Garden
Other Volunteer Opportunities:
We are looking for 4-6 volunteers to consider taking on one of the following responsibilities for the 2021 year:
Harvesting assistance in the summer/fall from the garden Tuesdays and Fridays.
Assisting in transportation of harvested produce from garden to food pantry to nursing home on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Event development and assistance. AKA: someone who’d like to help us plan fun things at the garden.
Educational committee member. AKA: someone who’d like to help us find ways to educate our community about gardening and the yummy things we grow.
Maintenance overseer. Someone handy with the ability to come and take care of structures and other elements of the garden.
History of the Eldora Community Garden
Founded in 2019, the Eldora Community Garden is 100% volunteer created and maintained. The garden is a club under the City of Eldora and managed through volunteers connected to the city’s Parks and Recreation committee. The garden was created by a few friends who wanted to provide the experience of gardening and access to fresh produce to their community. Now, the garden is a special place in our little town. The garden’s goal is that the community uses the space, grows in the space and benefits from the space. Big thanks to the 100+ individuals, businesses and organizations that assisted the garden in its conception and purposes.
Sign Up to Volunteer for the 2020 Eldora Community Garden
Quick Links
Garden Rules
Leased Plot Garden Contract
(The Release of Claims form provides any community resident access to the garden outside of its open hours. This is your garden! Print and sign and bring to city hall or come to city hall to sign a copy for entrance information.)
