National Garden Month is a yearly event celebrated in April to recognize the significance of gardens, promote the enjoyment of the outdoors and to motivate individuals to take advantage of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Gardens have sprouted across Aramark’s businesses, playing a vital role in supporting communities and sustainability initiatives.
From onsite micro-farms and bountiful gardens that produce fresh ingredients incorporated into our menus, to providing community members with gardening resources and education, Aramark is planting seeds of change.
Revere Public Schools
Revere High School in Massachusetts recently installed a Babylon Micro-Farm, an indoor vertical farming tool. Starting their garden in September, the Revere High School team reaped their first crop in October. The farm is positioned for all to see, so there is naturally a lot of "buzz" and excitement from students.
“Everyone is interested in the process, the technology, the crops, and ultimately the fruits of our labor," said Maria Davis, Aramark Executive Chef at Revere Public Schools.
In conjunction with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) curriculum, students will be participating in the planting process and the final harvest this spring.
“We celebrate each new harvest with fresh culinary offerings for the students and staff at Revere High School to enjoy,” said Davis.
There are so many benefits to the farm including its elimination of food waste. Every leaf is viable, microgreens are harvested when needed, herbs don't wilt, and the edible flowers are picked at the precise time of perfection.
“We are thrilled to highlight farm to fork meals each time we harvest,” said Davis.
Coors Field
In 2013, the Aramark Sports + Entertainment team and the Colorado Rockies introduced a sustainable garden at Coors Field, the first of its kind in baseball and imitated at other sports venues in the years since.
Located behind the center field wall of Coors Field, the 600-square foot space is designed to mimic a baseball field with beetle-kill pinewood raised beds terracing upwards from the garden's "infield" to the “outfield stands.”
The garden produces assorted vegetables and herbs, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, purple kale, chives, parsley, thyme, and rosemary, providing Aramark chefs with herbs and produce for use on the ballpark’s menus.
The garden also features organic soil and irrigation drip lines made from recycled materials.
University of Hartford
It all started in 2019, when an Aramark Collegiate Hospitality chef manager at the University of Hartford shared their horticultural passion with the campus community by building a garden.
Tended by Aramark Collegiate Hospitality employees, the "Commons” dining hall garden is vibrant, offering a variety of produce including cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and squash.
Once harvested, the produce is enjoyed by students and local food pantries.
One Aramark employee, Donald Elson, is the garden’s champion. After gardening for years in Jamaica, Donald now shares his knowledge of gardening with students, faculty, and Aramark staff.
“The University of Hartford dining team is proud of the success of our community garden and its impact on addressing food insecurity in our local community,” said Aramark Food Service Director, Katharine O’Donnell. “We are especially grateful for Donald’s guidance and passion for gardening. Without him, the garden would not be possible.”
Putting the “Community” in Community Gardens
Aramark Building Community is committed to finding ways to improve the wellbeing of people around the country. That includes inspiring individuals to support community gardens.
“Community gardens embody so much of what Aramark believes in,” said Jami Leveen, Vice President of Community Partnerships at Aramark. “We have spent years investing significant grant funding and hundreds of volunteer hours toward healthy and sustainable initiatives, as part of our goal to build community and address food insecurity.”
Over the years, Aramark Building Community has supported multiple community gardens in cities across the United States. In 2023 alone, Aramark volunteers planted 15 gardens.
