Steal this idea: Grow greens

We turned a courtyard that had formerly been a smokers lounge into an herb and vegetable garden, where we raise items that are used in our retail cafeteria, The Harvest Kitchen. Because the courtyard can be seen through two hallways, staff and visitors get to experience our garden firsthand while walking through the hospital. In addition, the initial garden soil was donated by a local commercial composting facility we partner with to compost our disposable products used in The Harvest Kitchen. Hospital staff love that we are actually showing the full circle of life through composting and gardening.

Steve Achord
Director of Nutritional Services
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Merriam, Kan.