Hospital Grows Own Organics
July 21, 2009
Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, CA, is serving organic produce grown in its own garden, reports the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Originally confined to some planters on a patio that grew fresh herbs, the idea expanded when an unused plot on the hospital grounds was secured for a full-fledged garden six years ago. Though it is less than a fifth of an acre, the plot supplied some 2,300 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables to the hospital’s dining operations last year, saving the department some $5,000. The garden is fertilized in part by compost generated from kitchen scraps that are fed into a vermicomposting bin. The garden is tended by hospital staff, senior volunteers and interns from the nearby University of California-Santa Cruz.