Hospital Grows Own Organics

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.