Garden Fence Update

We’ve made lots of progress toward getting a year-round fence around the Hanover Community Gardens, but we aren’t there yet.

• The Garden Fence Committee, led by Doug Deaett, came up with a design of a year-round fence that would be supplied by Critterfence and installed by Critterfence Installation for a total of a bit over $6000, including installation.
• Joanna Whitcomb worked with Dartmouth College, on whose land the gardens are located, to get their approval for the erection of a year-round fence around the gardens.That approval was granted and the license allowing us the right to garden on the land is being updated.  The Town of Hanover has also given their approval.
• More than half of this year’s gardeners responded to our poll about a fence, and they unanimously voted to have a year-round fence instead of a seasonal fence.
• Many of the gardeners also pledged donations toward the fence purchase; a total of over $750 was pledged and those pledge payments are coming in.
• Proposals for funding were submitted to several organizations in the Hanover area.One of them, Hanover Improvement Society, has responded favorably by giving us a grant of $500.
• As of May 1 we had less than one-third of the funds required for purchase and installation of a year-round fence, so were unable to contract with Critterfence to get a new fence installed before Memorial Day.
• We have decided to reinstall our seasonal fence, at least temporarily, and plan to do so onMay 12 (see below).  This will allow the gardeners to start planting this month.
• Assuming sufficient funds for a year-round fence are obtained during the summer, the seasonal fence will be taken down later in the summer and the year-round fence will be installed at that time.