Michigan hospital builds a greenhouse and grows its own organic produce

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Michigan has launched an organic greenhouse and uses the resultant crops in patients' meals.

We’ve seen numerous examples of grocery stores building rooftop greenhouses and then selling the resulting produce, and we’ve even seen a company set up to help others do the same. What we hadn’t spotted until just recently, however, is a hospital taking similar steps. Enter Michigan’s Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, which launched an organic greenhouse of its own earlier this year. “At Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, we believe that small changes in what you eat can have a big impact on how you feel,” the hospital explains. “That’s why our new greenhouse – Michigan’s first hospital-based, organic greenhouse – is full of healthy fruits and vegetables, many of which are used in our café and in patient meals.” Featuring a self-sustaining design with solar, geothermal and wind power, the greenhouse was built with an attached education center as well. Not only does the hospital greenhouse grow and use its own produce on-site, but it also offers tours, cooking demonstrations and gardening classes to help educate consumers about the healing power of food. Patient therapy offered in the greenhouse, meanwhile, includes relaxation and yoga. Costing about USD 1 million to build, the greenhouse is expected to save the hospital more than USD 20,000 per year, according to a Modern Healthcare report. Similar efforts have reportedly been launched by other Michigan hospitals as well, including St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor and Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Healthcare and sustainability entrepreneurs around the globe: food for thought! Spotted by: Raymond Kollau