Common Lands, Common Harvest
Village Homes has a philosophy of communal land
use. Residents hold an undivided common interest in three types of common land:
- Household Commons - These common areas are located between houses
along the community's east-west pedestrian/bike paths. While each household
has primary responsibility for the area immediately adjacent to its lot,
clustersof neighbors (typically eight households) meet once or twice a year
to discuss how the common area will be used and landscaped.
- Greenbelt Commons - Greenbelt areas are the formally landscaped
parks and ornamental areas maintained by the gardeners. These lands are
located along the major north-south pedestrian/bike paths that run along
the east and west sides of the community.
- Agricultural Lands - We have two types of ag lands: the gardens
bordering thecommunity on the west pedestrian/bikepath and the orchards
and vineyards found throughout the community. The garden ag lands are for
the private use of residents; the orchards and vineyards are maintained
primarily by the gardeners and can be harvested by all residents.
Uses of Common Lands
The common lands are used for three purposes:
- Enjoyment - A beautiful landscape invites us to stroll through
it and exercise on the open greens and pedestrian/bike paths. The many fruit
and nut trees in the community also provide wildlife habitat.
- Food and Flowers - Residents can growfruits, vegetables, and flowers
on assigned plots in the ag lands or in their household commons. They can
also harvest fruits and nuts from the orchards and vineyards.
- Profit - The almond orchard bordering Arlington Boulevard is harvested
by residents for their own consumption; excess almonds are sold.
Horticulture Committee
The Village Homes Horticulture Committee (formerly called the Agricultural
Board) sets policy for maintaining the green growing things in the village.
The activities of the Committee contribute significantly to our quality of
life - the beautiful edible landscaping in Village Homes helps make our community
unique.
The Committee works closely with the Village Homes gardeners, whose expertise
and participation in Committee decisions is highly valued. Residents who have
questions about agriculture and landscaping in Village Homes can consult with
the experienced gardeners.
Work Parties
The Committee occasionally organizes parties of volunteers to work on projects
that are too big for our staff of paid gardeners to handle. Such projects in
the past have involved building fences, replanting orchards, and installing
drip watering systems in the vineyards. Work parties are advertised by postings
around the village and by notices in the monthly newsletter.
Many hands truly make light work on these projects. The larger the turnout,
the more emphasis is placed on "party" and the less on "work."
Work parties help to reduce homeowners' dues by substituting volunteer labor
for paid labor. They also encourage community building by letting us share experience
with our neighbors.
Garden Plot Assignments
One responsibility of the Ag Board is to assign to residents garden plots
in the ag lands along the western edge of the development. Residents who are
into gardening and who don't have a big enough area around their house can
sign up for a plot in the ag lands by contacting the chairperson of the Committee.
Resident gardeners are provided irrigation water for their crops and biannual
tilling (performed by a volunteer and the Village Homes tractor). In return,
resident gardeners are asked to contribute at least eight hours per year of
service on work parties or in self-directed activities assigned by the gardening
staff.
How We Harvest
When the crops in orchards and vineyards are ready to harvest, the gardeners
put up signs inviting residents to pick. All fruit except almonds is free.
Picking supplies, including buckets, tubs, and ladders, are available from
the gardening staff.
Harvesting in common areas is on the honor system; residents are asked to
be fair about the amount of fruit they pick in ag lands, since it is shared
with over 200 households.
In household commons, residents follow a few simple rules when picking fruit.
Some residents will put a sign out inviting others to pick from trees with
an overabundance of fruit. Others will put out signs requesting that others
not pick from their trees with limited or especially prized fruit. It's always
appropriate to pick up fallen fruit, but residents of common areas who've
taken responsibility for planting, pruning, and tending their fruit trees
are entitled to harvest the fruit. The stricture against stripping trees in
common areas applies doubly to trees in household commons.
Almond Harvest
Almonds are an important cash crop. We harvest almonds in early autumn with
a mechanical shaker hired for the job. Everyone comes out to rake, run tarps,
bag almonds and generally have a good time. When the nuts have dried and been
shelled, they're available for purchase by residents. Residents who participated
in the harvest have the first opportunity to buy, at a 50 percent discount.
Remaining almonds are sold to other residents, and any excess is sold to commercial
almond processors.
Harvest Times
This table lists the typical harvest times for the most popular crops:
| |
Almonds |
|
August-September |
| |
Apricots |
|
June |
| |
Citrus |
|
November-May |
| |
Cherries |
|
May - July |
| |
Feijoa |
|
Autumn |
| |
Figs |
|
July - September |
| |
Grapes |
|
June - October |
| |
Jujube |
|
September - October |
| |
Kumquat |
|
December - March |
| |
Loquat |
|
Summer |
| |
Mulberries |
|
July - September |
| |
Peaches |
|
Summer |
| |
Pears |
|
July - September |
| |
Persimmons |
|
October - November |
| |
Plums |
|
Summer |
| |
Pomegranates |
|
Autumn |
