America’s ‘Most Beloved Baseball Park’ is paving way for a new American dream by ‘going organic’ and serving fans more nutritious fare from its recently-opened rooftop garden.
As The Boston Globe reports, Fenway Farms will provide organically-grown food from its rooftop garden for menu items at the EMC Club, operated by Aramark Corp., which oversees the food concessions in the park. The patch of roof above Yawkey Way behind the Fenway Park sign has been transformed to a versatile growing area, which is primed to supply the EMC club with everything from spinach and arugula to organic herbs for its culinary preparations.
The rooftop garden installed on the 1912 building reportedly took a lot of planning. Structural engineers and the park manager had to discern if the roof could take the weight of the garden, where it would be best located so it could take advantage of optimum sunlight, and how to incorporate piping for the watering system.
Recover Green Roofs and Green City Growers were integral companies consulted for the project. Recover Green Roofs made oversaw the garden’s design and construction, and Green City Growers took charge of the planning and maintenance of the vegetables and herbs.
While Boston’s frigid winters wouldn’t seem to be able to support such a venture, it’s so far proven to be a success. Just weeks after the garden opened, some plant sprouts were shooting out of the soil. The executive chef of Fenway Park, Ron Abell, excitedly shared how he plans to use the season harvest to inform his EMC Club menu choices.
“I want to showcase the radishes, pea shoots, and young lettuces, and we’ll do kale salads and braised collard greens in the spring,” Abell commented. “The less miles [produce] has to travel, the less hands it has to go through, the better.”
While some fans travel to Fenway Park and expect a hot dog and large coke upon arrival, the EMC Club also serves upscale cuisine, most of which will now feature organic foods obtained from the rooftop garden. “I like to cook as if people are coming for the food and not the game,” says Abell.
So far, Red Fox fans seem to be responding very positively. Local schools have even contacted the park to ask for tours to teach kids about sustainability and healthy eating. Now that’s an American past time we can get behind.
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