Northern Indiana VA’s Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) department in Marion, Indiana, provides fresh produce from its garden and greenhouse to Veterans. This initiative benefits those living in long-term care units, the Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program and acute mental health units.
The effort is part of the facility’s Green Environmental Management System and sustainability practices, which aim to promote healthy living. With the support of VA Whole Health and the Center for Development and Civic Engagement, the garden donates fresh produce to the Veteran food pantry. Plants are given to outpatient Veterans to start their own gardens at home, encouraging self-sufficiency and a connection to nature.
Ensuring Veterans receive fresh and nutritious food
During the summer months, the department grows a variety of traditional vegetables in the garden and several citrus fruits in the greenhouses. This seasonal produce is incorporated into the meals served to Veterans ensuring they receive fresh and nutritious food.
Most recently, the hospital added a 10-tower vertical aeroponic garden that has significantly enhanced its growing capabilities. This innovative system allows 360 plants to grow at a time and incorporate summer produce into menus year round. The vertical garden provides a controlled growing environment, mitigating issues such as heavy rain, bad weather and droughts that are common challenges in traditional gardening.
“We have learned that vertical growing systems are beneficial for decreasing grow time, using less space to grow and being used year-round which is very important to growing in Indiana,” said Lindsay Bartrom, chief of NFS. “Our gardener planted a tomato plant in a boxed garden and a tomato plant in the aeroponic tower, and the one in the tower is at least three times larger.”
The towers can be grown without lights in the greenhouse, outdoors in good weather, or with electricity to deliver nutrients indoors with a light system. They are equipped with a nutrient dosing system that is easy to learn and requires less maintenance than traditional outdoor gardens. This flexibility allows the NFS team to continue growing fresh produce regardless of the season or weather conditions.
Using the aeroponics system year round
The NFS team will continue growing a garden in the soil during the summer but will use the aeroponics system year round. This dual approach ensures a steady supply of fresh produce for the Veterans, enhancing their meals and overall well-being.
“An easy way to start with a tower if you don’t have much space or staff to care for them is by putting one in your kitchen with herbs that cooks could use daily,” Bartrom added.
The NFS department’s commitment to sustainability and innovation is making a tangible difference in the lives of Veterans. By providing fresh, home-grown produce, they are not only improving the quality of meals but also fostering a sense of community and well-being among the Veterans they serve.
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When posting stories like this, it would be nice to see resources that can help us achieve similar results as individual gardeners. Many of us are not near such facilities, or can’t get transportation, or our local agencies aren’t engaged in these practices. The cost of seeds, as is the case with other commodities, have risen in price drastically. Therefore, it would be nice if there were places that could share seeds or seedlings at affordable prices long with information on alternative planting methods. Help us to solve and remedy some of our own food insecurities.
Do you have plans, drawings, or instructions available to build one of these towers. I live in a 4th floor apartment with no available growing space to have a garden. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Where can I get one? I live in North Central Florida. This would be very helpful for me to get more vegetables and nutrients in my diet. Who would I ask at my VA Malcolm Randall?
Any chance of getting a handout to develop a similar progect in Alaska. For example how to make the towers, which food grows best in the towers, how to recruit vets to grow the food for other vets, who can we write to for assistance, and have you encouraged high school students to also participate.
Great idea; I was wondering the same about FL or various growing regions. My raised bed garden space in Riverview is doing fair but, I tend to think it can be better. Researching different techniques and chatting with neighbors has been helpful
I would love to try doing this can I get any information on how to get started. I am in a garden club and sharing this to help others is valuable information. It would be wonderful to have my own fresh vegetables and fruit year round. I love to garden. Thank you!
Cheryl, I have found Mother Earth News to be very informative. Their magazine is available at most stores and online. And certainly if one of these methods hasn’t been written about or in their archives, I’m sure they would research it since they have a vast resource network.
Any chance to get a sort of hand book to get started. I live in S Fl with an East ocean exposure.
I would be interested in using this idea at home, might there be assistance available from the VA?