2025 Yardshare Memorandum of Understanding

Terms of Service and Agreement

Synopsis

Trefoil Gardens is a Neighborhood Cooperative Gardening service. We share resources with our neighbors. Most of the time, this is an exchange of fresh groceries for the use of land, but it can be other resources, such as time/ labor, or material/ food storage.

Our Online Store is open weekly.

Yardshare members trade space in exchange for a CSA share and early access to our online store and “CoOp Member” pricing ($1 off per item in our webstore, with occasional deeper discounts).

As the yardshare member, you will be responsible for:

• Providing access from 7am-7pm

• Paying the mortgage and water bill (water bill may increase up to $60/ month/ 1000 sf in planting season and drought situations, and will typically average no more than $350 per year in per 1000 sf)

• Assisting with the purchase of soil amendments 2x per year

• Respecting the gardens, tools, and equipment we have at the site. We observe a strict no smoking policy in the gardens, we do not encourage or invite animals into them, and any chemical applications (whether organic or not) in the vicinity of the garden should be documented, at a minimum, and coordinated with Trefoil Gardens if at all possible.

Remember- this is a cooperative. We always look for Win-Win relationships. We don’t require anyone to engage beyond their initial commitment, but if you want to learn more about how to do what we do, we welcome you to jump in and get your hands dirty with us!

CoOp members are part of our decision-making process and are welcome to vote on issues at Shareholder Meetings, and encouraged to assign proxy votes if they cannot attend.

We offer additional amenities to Shareholders, including weekly yoga, free or discounted admission to workshops, and the opportunity to work with our support and resources in your own project.

If you ever feel like something is unfair or you need to something more (or less) from us, let us know. We are investing a lot of time, energy, and money into this cooperative relationship and we want to maintain it for as long as possible.

Memorandum of Understanding

Trefoil Gardens (Contractor) is utilizing a portion of the yard space of the below signed (Client) for the purpose of for-profit urban farming in the 2025 growing season and going forward on a year-by-year basis. Portions of the yard will be altered physically to allow for those urban farming activities, including the removal of lawn, gravel, cement, and other ground obstructions. Trees and shrubs will be maintained or altered on a case by case basis. Returning alterations of the yard to the original state is not within the scope of this understanding*.

Contractor will be responsible for all labor in soil and bed preparation, weed control within our used space, crop selection, crop planting, watering, pile based on-site composting, and harvesting. Temporary fencing and other crop protection or season extending systems will be provided by Trefoil gardens, as well as irrigation system components. Tools and equipment provided by Trefoil Gardens as well as crops grown on the property are the property of Trefoil Gardens.

Client will be responsible for maintaining a functioning water supply (hose bibs), providing water, the cost of soil amendments, should they be needed (peat moss, manures, ph. balancers, compost), and providing easy access to the yard between the hours of 7am and 7pm. Should the residents wish bin composting, the cost of equipment sufficient to service garden will be paid for by client, all labor to be done my Trefoil Gardens. Permanent fencing will be paid for by the client, and all equipment provided by client will remain property of client unless otherwise agreed to.

In exchange for usage of the yard as outlined above Contractor will provide one (1) csa share of our weekly CSA, consisting of various greens, fruits, and vegetables. In cases of crop failure, the CSA share contents will be reduced as needed to ensure all members of the CSA, including the property owners, receive an equal amount of anything harvested.

Due to variability of growing seasons, weather, and predation in our area we cannot guarantee specific CSA share amounts. Contractor aims for a CSA seasons beginning mid-to-late April and ending the week before Thanksgiving, with gaps during seasonal shifts. Full schedule will be published annually before start of CSA season. CSA share size changes during the growing season based on harvested size and crop availability, but should consist of 5-9 fruits, herbs, and vegetables, and other farm goods. Contractor will keep all members fully informed on any crop delays or losses.

Both the Client and Contractor agree to non-litigation situation, should there be an intractable dispute by either party neither will move to litigation, rather the relationship will simply be ended. Contractor will be given a minimum of 45 days to vacate the property of all materials and equipment. *If Client wishes to see yard returned to original state, Contractor will be allowed to finish out the growing season (On or about the end of November) and then given adequate time to vacate, re-establish grade, and overseed with turfgrass seed.