About Us

Sheboygan Community Garden was started in 1981 on property of the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), on the mound created from construction of the current Hill Farms Office Building on Sheboygan Avenue. We have our own governing board, but work under the umbrella of the Community Action Coalition (CAC).

Until the late 1990's the Garden had 30 families using single or double 400 square foot plots. We now have 85 families, in 75 plots ranging from 200 to nearly 800 square feet.

In early years the entire garden was plowed twice a year, but in 2006 we voted to become "no-till". This means that tilling takes place only where needed, and boundaries remain constant, allowing gardeners to include perennial plants. It also extends the season by more than two months, since plants like Brussels sprouts and kale continue producing through November, and salad crops can go in by the middle of April or earlier. In contrast, a plowed garden is available only from mid-May through mid-October, or even less time if rain prevents working the soil.

Water has always been difficult to manage. Heavy hoses had to be dragged down the hill to a DOA hydrant, then returned to the top of the hill after watering one's garden. Water barrels were, and still are, kept full so that at least a bucket or two could always be available. Last year a buried hose system was installed; veterans of the Garden hail this as a huge improvement!

The people who garden at Sheboygan Community Garden have always been a diverse group. We range in age from one to 95; more than a dozen languages are spoken, and economic diversity also reflects a wide range. Most of us live in the neighborhood; more than 30% regularly walk or come by wheelchair.

Annual fees are apportioned on a sliding scale as directed by Community Action Coalition, or CAC. The CAC is the support group for us as well as for 30 other community gardens in the City.

Periodically there have been threats to the Garden's existence, as in the 1990's when the DOA wanted to enlarge the already-huge parking lots. That plan failed to win approval, but a new threat is much more severe.

The DOA has decided to redevelop the 20-acre site as an employment center, and there will be no place for the Garden at this site for at least the first few years of construction. A Preservation of the Garden Committee was formed in January, which has been actively negotiating with the plan design team.

The Committee approves the rezoning adopted on August 7 by the Madison Common Council, especially in that it will improve on-site storm water management, require constructed parking in all parts of the development, and provide an attractive permanent place for the West Side Farmer's Market. Also, community gardens are listed as approved uses in each of the six parcels, and (most important for us), the State has pledged to find and fund a new garden site before any construction can begin. We will be able to stay where we are at least through 2008.

We share in maintaining the grounds, with each gardener contributing at least four hours of work on common areas. We also share in sociability, having a spring and a fall potluck indoors, and monthly picnics at the garden through summer. These dinners are like an international festival, with families bringing favorite ethnic foods. The sharing of culture, recipes, and garden knowledge make Sheboygan Community Garden a unique and very special place.