Emajõe Aed 2.0 is a permaculture community garden created and maintained by MTÜ Majakas (a non-profit organization) in cooperation with Tartu city government. The aim of the garden is to add to city biodiversity and introduce permaculture and the possibilities of urban gardening to people.
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The garden is open to visitors and organizes community work events and other happenings. It's also possible to become a community gardener. From 2023, it's also possible to have personal garden beds (up to 4 m2). It is a good place to grow food according to permaculture principles and meet people who share a vision of a biologically diverse Tartu.

Follow our Facebook page for information about upcoming events in the garden!

​Ways to participate

Read the NGO statutes here.
Read the garden guidelines here.
There are several ways to participate in Emajõe garden activities.
1. As a full member / community gardener, if you want to participate in the activities and development of the garden more regularly and for a longer period. Read more about this role and how to apply below (option nr 1).
2. As a partial member / personal garden bed member, if you want to grow plants in the garden for personal use. You can rent up to 4 m2 of garden space. Read more about this role and how to apply for a personal garden bed, below (option nr 2).
3. As a supporting member, if you want to be a part of our family and support our goals by paying the membership fee, but you don't have the opportunity to join the community events and you don't want a personal garden bed. Read more about this role and how to apply below (option nr 3).
4. As a volunteer, if you want to occasionally help out at the garden or take part of workshops and other events in the garden. Follow us on Facebook to see information about public events in the garden or join the FB group Emajõe garden's volunteers and friends.
5. As a visitor, if you want to
  • visit the garden on your own to look at the plants and permaculture-inspired solutions.
  • use the garden for meetings or events with prior permission. If you want to organize an event in the garden, contact us.
  • take a guided tour in the garden. Contact us for this.
  • take part of workshops or other educational events. Follow our FB page for information.

Option nr 1. Full member / community gardener

What is the role of a community gardener?
  • A community gardener is a full member of NGO Majakas (the non-profit organization that runs the garden) and takes part in the everyday running of the organization.
  • A community gardener regularly takes part of garden meetings and work events. We ask you to find time for the garden every week or couple of weeks during the gardening season.
  • A community gardener belongs to at least one team (gardening, building or communication). This allows every gardener to have a say in the development of the garden. Decisions and plans are made together.
    • Gardening team deals with the living, including questions of where and what to grow, how we maintain the garden beds, how we divide the harvest etc.
    • Building team deals with the non-living, including the physical development, building and maintenance of the garden, aquiring materials, organizing tools etc.
    • Communication team promotes the garden and its events, looks for new members, communicates with organizations and people etc.
  • A community gardener pays membership fee of 10 euros per year (MTÜ Majakas, EE962200221062092000).
  • A community gardener can attend all events and workshops at the garden for free. 
  • A community gardener helps with the maintenance of the garden (the aim is that from spring to autumn someone would regularly keep an eye on the garden). A community gardener helps to maintain the communal garden beds.
  • In exchange for the membership fee, a community gardener can have a personal garden bed (up to 4 m2).
  • Active members and community gardeners do not have to pay the membership fee for the next gardening year.
How to become a community gardener?
  1. Let us know of your wish to join and fill this form. This way we find out more about you and are aware of your interests.
  2. After filling the form, we will send you a written notice of admission. Membership fee of 10€ must be paid in 2 weeks from receiving the acceptance notice.​
Come and join our garden crew!
Read the NGO statutes here.
Read the garden guidelines here.

Option nr 2. Partial member / personal garden bed owner

Everyone interested can get a personal garden bed up to the size of 4 m2. In the case of a personal garden bed, the owner can grow plants according to their own wishes and all the harvest belongs only to the owner of the garden bed. To maintain your garden bed, you can use all the tools belonging to the garden, following the garden rules. The owner of a personal garden bed isn't obligated to take part of the communal work or other events at the garden, although they are always welcome to do so.

How to get a personal garden bed?
  • Let us know that you are interested in a personal garden bed and fill this form. This way we find out more about you and are aware of your interests.
  • After filling the form, we will send you a written notice of admission. Membership fee of 10€ must be paid in 2 weeks from receiving the acceptance notice.​

​How about the location of the garden bed, preparation of the bed and getting to know the garden?
Once the contract is signed, the location of your garden bed is agreed on during our communal work events. These take place once a week during the gardening season (April to September). The beds are prepared communally during the work events with other members. After the preparation, the garden bed is fully yours to use. Communal preparation work gives you the opportunity to get to know the other garden members. During the regular communal work events we also introduce the possibilities of the garden and how to visit the garden at a time suitable to you.

Information about the regular communal work events will be published on our FB site. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to write and ask, either by contacting us through FB or sending a message using the website contact form.
Read the NGO statutes here.
Read the garden guidelines here.

Option nr 3. Supporting member

How to become a supporting member?
  • Let us know that you are interested in joining and fill this form. This way we find out more about you and are aware of your interests.
  • After filling the form, we will send you a written notice of admission. Membership fee of 10€ must be paid in 2 weeks from receiving the acceptance notice.​
Read the NGO statutes here.
Read the garden guidelines here.

Would you like to help in some other way?

Support and donations of any size and type are welcome. Write to us at emajoeaed@gmail.com to let us know how you would like to support us. We will be in touch!
Please keep in mind:
  • Offer only materials and tools that are still in good enough shape to be used. Please don't offer tools that need a lot of fixing or materials that cannot be used purposefully. Please contact us with your offer first and don't bring things to the garden without prior agreement.
  • When donating plants, please contact us in advance to agree on a time for the plants to arrive. Don't bring plants to the garden without prior agreement, so that they would not be left without care. 

Pizza oven rental

Those interested can rent the pizza oven located in Emajõe garden. To do this, please contact us via the messaging system at the bottom of this page. Please be patient while waiting for a response, we operate with the help of volunteers.
  • Pizza oven rental costs €50 / 3 hours, each additional hour is €10.
  • You have to bring your own firewood to heat the pizza oven. Two bags of firewood are enough to heat the pizza oven for 3 hours.
  • There is a kitchen type area for preparing pizzas.
  • The garden has movable furniture that can be rearranged according to your wishes to create a suitable space for spending time.
  • An additional €50 deposit is payable, which is refundable if, after using the pizza oven, Emajõe garden is in the same condition as at the beginning of the rental. The security deposit is not refundable if you have not cleaned up after yourself or have used garden firewood or property for which there is no prior agreement.
  • In case of damage to the property of the garden (garden beds, garden elements, pizza oven or buildings), a fine of €1,000 applies.
  • All trash generated during the event must be taken with you. We can offer buckets suitable for temporary garbage collection.
NB!
  1. There is no connection to the water supply and no electricity in the garden. You must bring your own drinking water.
  2. Emajõe garden operates in the city's public green area, which means that the city's public area rules also apply to us. Therefore, we kindly ask you not to consume alcohol in our garden.​​
  3. ​The latest end time for pizza oven rental events is 10 p.m.

Contacts and location

Contact us: 
Emajõe Aed (Emajõe garden) on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube
​E-mail us or send a message using the following form:
Where are we?
Emajõe garden is located in Tartu, Estonia. We are close to Emajõgi and the city beach, just behind Lodjakoda.