As April, recognized as Earth Month, draws to a close, we continue to recognize the many sustainable ways our organization supports healthy environments and communities. One of those efforts is the vegetable garden started by the UPMC Mercy Sustainability Committee to provide their campus with fresh produce and an accessible green space for employees.
Planting a Seed for Change
What began as an effort to add a small garden has now blossomed into a widely utilized resource helping to enhance UPMC Mercy’s sustainable footprint. One of the primary aims was to supply the UPMC Mercy community with fresh produce from the garden. Surplus vegetables are regularly collected and placed in the cafeteria for employees and patients to take home and enjoy.
Tomatoes from the UPMC Mercy garden.
“We started as a small garden over by the Ermire Building this year and it did really well. We put a basket with the veggies we picked down in the cafeteria for people to grab and they were gone quickly,” Mike Carlson, director of environmental services, UPMC Mercy shared.
The project has also created an accessible green space for employees to enjoy, as well as an area that supports the health of native insects. While the initiative required the collaboration of several teams, including leadership from maintenance, environmental services, facilities, and more, the garden is now cared for by sustainability and dietary team members through regular watering, planting, weeding, and harvesting. Part of their routine involves planting seeds, starting in early spring, that are grown indoors before transplanting them into designated garden beds. This step will also help to expand the garden in the future.
“We start everything from seeds, so we will be able to provide starter plants for other potential gardens,” Mike explained, “The hope is we can get a larger green space in the future to expand the initiative even further.” As the committee looks to grow the project, the garden at UPMC Mercy stands as a valued space that exemplifies how sustainable efforts can support our hospital communities.
Expanding Across UPMC
The committee has partnered with the UPMC Center for Sustainability to create an implementation sheet for other UPMC locations to follow if they want to create their own sustainable garden. This is a part of the Center’s sustainable unit recognition program, which recognizes departments and employees for their efforts to reduce UPMC’s environmental impact.
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