5 things: School districts buy hydroponic gardening towers to grow their own produce

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

 1.    School districts use hydroponic towers to grow their own produce

The Concord and Hanover-Horton school districts in Michigan are growing their own produce, each suppling its cafeteria with 100 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each month after each district bought four hydroponic gardening towers, allowing their students to grow 2,000 square feet of fresh produce completely free of chemicals. Each gardening tower costs $5,000 but is expected to eventually pay for itself by providing free produce.

Read more: Growing their own cafeteria produce

 2.    Health system partners with organic farm to supply it with produce

Northwell Health in New York recently established a collaboration with the Center for Discovery, which operates a farm staffed by students and residents that spans over 300 certified organic and biodynamic acres. Northwell currently utilizes eight acres of the center's farmland to supply fresh produce to its Northern Westchester and Phelps Hospitals for their menus and intends to expand the partnership, cultivating more acres and delivering fresh organic produce to their other medical facilities.

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Read more: This is hospital food? Michelin-starred chefs transform perceptions of quality at health care facilities

 3.    Survey finds workplace dining prompts healthier eating habits than work-from-home

According to new research from global food services firm Compass Group and global market intelligence agency Mintel, UK employees who work from home are more likely to eat indulgent foods, snack between meals and work longer hours than their workplace-based colleagues. In contrast, two-thirds of UK hybrid workers said they make a concerted effort to eat more healthily on days when they go into the workplace, with 65% of employees with a staff restaurant expecting food outlets in the workplace to help them make healthier choices.

Read more: Research findings ask is working from home harming our health?

 4.    Delaware North names new COO

Delaware North has named Amy Latimer executive vice president and COO, effective Oct. 16. A 27-year veteran with the company who most recently had served as its chief growth officer and as president of the TD Garden arena in Boston will now be responsible for more than 200 locations across Delaware North’s footprint, including sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports travel hubs and gaming properties.

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Read more: Delaware North promotes Boston sports exec Amy Latimer to COO

 5.    Fast-growing pizza chain looks to nontraditional markets for low-cost expansion opportunities

Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, is capitalizing on franchise growth in the nontraditional sector, recently entering into an agreement for two additional locations with FM Top 50 firm AVI Foodsystems to build out nontraditional units along the Ohio Turnpike, as well as take two existing units under its corporate store portfolio.

"Expanding into nontraditional spaces fits nicely into our future development plans," said Gerardo Flores, Chief Development Officer of Marco's Pizza. "Nontraditional locations allow Marco's to expand its geographic footprint quickly because of the smaller square footage and lower startup costs than a traditional Marco's location. Pair this with a concentrated population and high-volume foot traffic, and we see why franchisees are interested in these opportunities."

Read more: Marco's Pizza announces impressive mid-year growth, 50 signed franchise agreements

Bonus: 2023 Hospital Power Players

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]