About us

 

The basics

The Marquette Community Gardens has two sites; between the Marquette Park Cemetery and Fit Strip, with access from 7th Street (drive west) and at Presque Isle Park behind the Moosewood Nature Center.

• The gardens are open to Marquette City residents only

• The season runs from May 1st to October 31st

• Annual rental fee ranges from $15 to $25

• The MCG uses and promotes organic gardening practices

• Members sign up for beds in the spring and may return the next
  year if they are in good standing at the end of the season. 

• Member work requirements help keep compost turned, paths weeded and special projects on track. Compost bins are provided.

• The use of chemical insecticides, herbicides and fungicides is strictly forbidden.
   

MCG history

The Marquette Community Gardens (MCG) was formed in 2003 with a generous donation from the Marquette Rotary Breakfast Club and the drive of a small group of Marquette gardeners and the support of the community.

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The original garden, located between the Marquette Fit Strip and the Park Cemetery, took over a defunct children’s garden. Members of the Breakfast Rotary and folks who later became the MCG board helped roto-till the beds and erect a fence around the perimeter. 

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The garden began with 33 beds, but an expansion in 2004 added 10 and in 2006 another 10. In 2008, the group received approval from the City of Marquette to appropriate the old shuffleboard court located behind the Shiras pool at Presque Isle Park. In the spring of 2009, a fence was constructed early enough to welcome 20 new community garden members. The MCG now has 75 beds for rent. 

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The MCG has designated space to grow veggies for local food pantries, a three-tiered raised bed for barrier-free gardening and a bed for children’s organizations.

 

Join us

If you are interested in becoming a member of the MCG and you live within the Marquette City limits, contact the MCG at marquettecommunitygardens@gmail.com. The annual fee varies from $15 to $25 depending on the size of the bed. Sign up for the general public begins in March. In the event of a full membership, interested parties are placed on a waiting list for the next season. For more details, click on the Membership tab above.

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