New World Survival · Community Garden Field Manual

Annual Operating Calendar Workbook

Build the garden's year from hard deadlines, local season anchors, recurring cadences and trigger events. Assign each material obligation to a named owner and backup, with a source and completion record.

Do not copy months from another garden. First define the operating obligation and timing basis. Then place it into your actual local calendar.

1. Calendar ownership

Operating-calendar owner

Backup editor/owner

Shared calendar location

Annual review date/window

2. Controlling documents index

Document / authority	Authoritative location	What timing it controls	Owner	Next review

3. Local season anchors

Operating phase	Local month/window	What establishes it?	Source / local reference
Dormant planning
Preseason administration
Water/site startup
Garden opening
Main growing season
Midseason review
Late-season transition
Closing / winterization
Year-end close

4. Hard-deadline register

Due date	Obligation	Start-work date	Source	Owner	Backup	Completion evidence

5. Twelve-month operating view

Month	Governance / members	Money / deadlines	Site / water / tools	Workdays / community	Harvest / donation / other
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

6. Returning gardener / plot renewal cycle

Step	Target window	Owner	Backup	Evidence
Review prior-year standing / unresolved issues
Confirm return intent
Determine vacancies
Open applications / lottery if used
Process waitlist
Assign plots
Collect agreements / dues
Orient new gardeners
First plot compliance checkpoint

7. Meetings / elections / leadership cycle

Meeting / decision	Window	Preparation begins	Owner	Backup	Record/minutes location

8. Budget / finance / grant cycle

Obligation	Timing	Lead time	Owner	Reviewer / backup	Evidence

9. Land / insurance / permit / sponsor cycle

Record	Expiration / review	Begin renewal	Owner	Contact	Completion evidence

10. Water-system operating cycle

Task	Season anchor / cadence	Owner	Backup	Specialist record / evidence
Source / restriction status review
Startup / inspection / calibration
Leak / use review
Midseason performance review
Shutdown / freeze protection if relevant

11. Infrastructure / tool / accessibility inspections

System	Inspection cadence/window	Owner	Backup	Repair/backlog record
Paths / drainage
Beds / shared structures
Fences / gates
Shed / storage
Shared tools
Accessible routes / controls
Signs / contacts

12. Recurring common-area maintenance

Task	Cadence / active months	Owner group	Backup	Completion / escalation record

13. Workday / volunteer calendar

Likely workday	Maintenance need / outcome	Event window	Planning begins	Lead	Backup

14. Plot inspections / enforcement checkpoints

Checkpoint / trigger	Window / cadence	Owner	Notice / record	Carry-forward if unresolved

15. Communication / education / public calendar

Communication / event	Cadence / window	Audience	Owner	Content review date

16. Harvest / donation / institutional calendar

Commitment	Review / delivery window	Recipient / institution	Owner	Source / agreement	Year-end feedback?
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17. Trigger-event register

Trigger	Source to watch	Decision owner	Response guide / procedure	Who must be told
Drought / watering restriction
Flood / unsafe site
Water source outage / advisory
Abandoned / neglected plot
Incident / injury
Leadership vacancy
Soil / contamination concern
Major infrastructure failure

18. Closing / winterization checklist

☐ Plot cleanup rules applied and unresolved plots recorded

☐ Unclaimed stakes/structures/materials handled per policy

☐ Water system shut down / protected where required

☐ Tools inventoried, cleaned and repair tags opened

☐ Paths / gates / shed / signs inspected

☐ Donation / institutional commitments closed or transitioned

☐ Off-season access and contact information communicated

☐ Priority repairs moved into budget/backlog

19. Year-end close / annual health audit feed

Area	Year-end record	What changed?	Issue for Annual Garden Health Audit?
Land / authority			☐
Membership / plots			☐
Finances			☐
Water / infrastructure			☐
Tools / workdays			☐
Donation / partners			☐
Leadership / succession			☐
Safety / resilience			☐

20. Calendar handoff and next-year reset

☐ All hard deadlines reverified from current source documents

☐ Local season anchors reviewed against current Extension/site conditions

☐ Owners and backups current

☐ Missed obligations carried forward with an explicit disposition

☐ Trigger-event contacts/procedures current

☐ No raw credentials or unnecessary sensitive data in shared calendar

☐ Upcoming ninety days reviewed with owners

☐ Successor/backup can explain the year's operating cycle

☐ Annual Health Audit scheduled