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Tom Wagstaff, Healthy Food in Health Care ambassador, builds gardens at High Point Treatment Center in Massachusetts (High Point Treatment Center).
Four facilities will grow produce on-site for Nourished by New England
It was a warm spring day in May. The birds were singing and the smell of flowers was in the air. Tom Wagstaff, High Point Treatment Center director of dietary and Healthy Food in Health Care ambassador, put away his paperwork and picked up a trowel and gardening gloves. He was on his way to meet colleagues to plant High Point’s first on-site gardens. Four High Point facilities in Massachusetts are utilizing raised beds this season to grow herbs and produce for the facilities’ kitchens, a portion of which will be “Nourished by New England” featured items. However, the gardens won’t just serve as a food supply, they will also be used in their clinical programming and as staff team building opportunities.
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Arnie Soucie, Cathy O’Brien, and John Mitchell, garden club members, getting their hands dirty at High Point's Plymouth facility( High Point Treatment Center).
The beds will be maintained by patients, staff, or a combination of both, depending on each site’s goals. High Point’s Plymouth facility has created a multi-departmental garden club to guide the program and coordinate the participation of patients in the gardening activities. The maintenance manager designed and built the planters. Planting has begun by patients who assist staff with the activities. The garden club, with oversight by Wagstaff, have chosen basil, dill, tarragon, and mint as herbs of choice, and assorted lettuces, mixed greens, and radishes as their choice of vegetables. All of these items are anticipated to be incorporated into the upcoming spring and summer menus.
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Tom Wagstaff and Jolanda DeSouza plant seeds in early May (High Point Treatment Center).
High Point Brockton’s adolescent program will utilize the gardens to foster a sense of caring and personal responsibility among its clients. Their group has chosen basil, tarragon, mint, leaf lettuce, radish, and cherry tomatoes for their plantings. The Middleboro and New Bedford campuses are planning similar programs. The on-site gardens support High Point’s healthy eating initiative, aligning with the goal of increased local food on the menu.