wait....but I thought I was in charge

I'm in a pickle, people and I don't know what to do.

Ben and I have a garden. It's not on our land, (since we don't have any land). It's on our friends' land. They have over 80 acres of land they never use. They are kind enough to allow us to use some land (which used to be garden space) as our garden. Ben built two small shelters (to keep tools dry) and, a couple of rain barrels to collect water, a fence of fallen trees to surround the garden and, of course, a bonfire pit.

Last year was the first year we had the garden. We told nearly everyone we know about it and invited everyone to share the space with us. In doing this, we (naively) believed that people would share in the work required to keep the space in shape. So, so wrong. It became a party space for some people who thought it was okay to leave beer bottles and cans and other trash around all the time. Poor Ben was always picking up after everyone.

Additionally, a couple people told us they wanted to share the soil and plant some food of their own. This wasn't a problem until they were missing-in-action until all the works was done. No one ever saw them, they just planted and harvested. They did not clean up or mow or weed-eat or care for the space in any other way. They simply used the soil that had been lovingly prepared and left.

Unfortunately, because we were trying to share our space, we left a lot of soil unused. We thought someone was going to use the space and they only used apart of it. Last year, we swore we were not going to share the garden with people who wouldn't help clean up and respect the space. It means a lot to us and we have a responsibility to our friends (who own the land) to treat it with respect.

So far this year, Ben has tilled and I've started putting seeds in the ground (peas, two types of beans, lettuce, rosemary, peppers, basil, garlic chives...). Ben was approached by a couple (who didn't use the garden last year) about sharing the space this year. Naturally, he invited them up. It's nice to share space. We can all learn from each other and learn to grow food together. Not only that; but what comes around goes around, right? It's the right thing to do.

The only thing is, they're not respecting our wishes to keep the soil completely organic. The soil was used for years and years before we came around. Everything was grown organically, so the soil is beautiful. Ben has put in a lot of work, tilling in manure and keeping the soil in good shape. When I told our friend that we wanted to keep organic, they told me that they wouldn't spray anything on their plants (and therefore also the soil), but that they were going to use fertilizer.....non-organic fertilizer. It means so much to me to learn to grow organically. It can be done and I want to learn how. I want all of us to be able to nourish our bodies with the bounty of the soil, free from poisonous additives. I want Harvey to be able to play in that dirt and pick his own food without having to worry about what is on the leaves and skin of the food.

I'm so disappointed that our wishes aren't being respected. It takes years to take pesticides out of the soil. It's not like it's going to be fresh and clean next year. Not only that, but in adding chemical fertilizer, they could mess up the good nutrient balance which already exists in the soil. They didn't ask us about our experience last year or test the soil. They simply poured on a bunch of fertilizer.

One day, we will have our own space. It's not that we don't like sharing space- we do. It's a great way to learn and enjoy the company of our friends. It's hard to feel disrespected in the process.