I have been working over the past two months to figure out whether my organization, The Green Institute, can provide leases and liability insurance for community gardens as a stop-gap measure until a more sustainable plan can be developed. At this time, it seems that we can insure these sites for approximately $125 per garden per year. With an administrative fee, this would mean something like $200 for the gardeners, still a very large jump from $35. In order to demonstrate that The Green Institute has an insurable interest in the garden, we will lease the lot from the property owner for a minimal fee. Gardens are owned by a variety of entities, including the city, the county, churches, schools, non-profits, and a railroad.
I'm really intrigued how you are doing this since my CSA is on LEASED LAND and I found it impossible to get liability on it. Since the landlord insisted on having liability, I finally had to have HIM procure it and the sell it back to me (at cost, unlike your plan). This arrangement was approved of by the insurance company.
Your arrangement seems to be moving the opposite way: you have to least to insure. Who is your carrier? I'd like to know more about this since, of course, I'd like to lease more land!!
-Allan Balliett
