Terms

Terms and community guidelines

Please be kind, be honest, and look after yourself. Here is what that means in practice.

Last updated October 22, 2026.

Using the site

You can read most of the site without an account. To post, sign up for something, or keep a journal, you create one. By creating an account you agree to these terms and to the privacy page.
You must be at least 13 to create an account. Younger people are welcome to read the public pages with a parent, guardian or teacher.
Keep your password to yourself. You are responsible for what happens under your account. Give us accurate information, and one account per person.
The site is run by volunteers as a community project. We try to keep it working, but it may be unavailable at times, and it may change.

About the advice

It is general information, not professional advice. The steps in your plan are written by a person from published sources, and they cannot know everything about your ground. Each says whether an expert has reviewed it.
Check before you act. For anything that matters, such as fertilizer, a soil test, lead or other contamination, livestock or chemicals, ask a lab and your local Extension office.
No promises. We cannot promise that following a step will improve your soil, your plants or your yield.
Links go to other people's sites. We do not control them.

Community guidelines

This is a shared space for neighbors. Please:

Be kind and respectful. No harassment, threats, hate or bullying.
Be honest. Describe what you are offering or asking for accurately, including where it came from and whether it was treated with anything.
Keep private things private. Never post your home address, phone number or email, or anyone else's. Use a neighborhood or cross streets and the site's messages.
No spam, scams or advertising. The Exchange is for sharing, not selling. Businesses and organizations belong in the Directory, and an admin approves each place before it appears.
Nothing illegal or unsafe. No dumping, no trash, and no materials you know to be contaminated, diseased, invasive or treated with chemicals that could harm gardens.
Do not post other people's work or personal information without their permission.

If you see something that breaks these guidelines, use the Report a problem link on the post, place, project or event. Only admins see reports. An admin may remove content, or close an account that repeatedly breaks these guidelines or the law. If you think we got it wrong, tell us through the site and we will look again.

The Exchange: meeting people and sharing materials

You deal directly with each other. We provide a board and messages. We do not inspect, test or guarantee anything offered, and we do not take part in an exchange.
Ask where it came from. Leaves, compost, mulch, wood chips and manure can carry herbicide residue, weed seeds or contaminants. Try a few bean or pea seedlings in a pot of it before you use a lot, as the post page explains.
Look after yourself. Meet in a public place if you can, in daylight, bring a friend, keep your address private, and trust your instincts. Lifting and loading materials can hurt, so take care.
Taking or giving something is at your own risk. We are not responsible for the condition of what changes hands or for what happens at a pickup.

Events and projects

Events and projects are organized by the people who post them, not by us. We do not supervise them or check the places they use.
Follow the organizer's instructions, wear suitable clothing and gloves, and tell the organizer about any health or safety needs. If you are bringing children, you are responsible for them.
"I plan to go" and "Count me in" are not a contract or a registration. Plans change, and organizers can cancel.

If you organize an event or project

Organizers can post events and projects. If you do, you are the organizer. We are not.

Keep it accurate. Give the real time, place, cost and what to bring. If plans change, edit the event or cancel it, so people are not left waiting.
Have permission. Make sure you may use the place, and that you follow any rules, permits or landowner conditions that apply to gatherings, tools, food or animals.
Plan for safety. Think about the activity, the tools and the weather, tell people about any risks, and give clear instructions. Consider whether you need insurance or a sponsoring organization, especially for larger groups or riskier work. Listing here does not make us your partner, your insurer or your employer.
Money is between you and the people who come. The cost shown is information only. This site does not take payments or handle refunds.
Protect the sign-up list. You can see who said they are going. Use it only to run your event. Do not share it or use it for anything else.
We may remove an event or project, or an organizer's ability to post, if it breaks these terms or the community guidelines.

What you post

What you write, such as posts, messages, journal entries and events, stays yours. Your journal and growing spaces are private to you.
By posting something public, you let us show it on the site for as long as it is there, and to the people it is meant for. Only post things you have the right to share.
You can delete your content or your whole account at any time from your account page. See the privacy page for what happens to it.

Responsibility

The site is provided as it is, without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent the law allows, the people who run it are not liable for loss or harm that comes from using it, from information or advice on it, from content posted by other people, or from meeting or dealing with other people. Nothing here limits a right you have by law that cannot be waived.

Changes and questions

We may update these terms. If a change matters, the date at the top will change, and we will say so on the site. If you keep using the site afterward, you accept the new version. Questions? See the About page.