Hospital gets green thumb with new rooftop garden
FORT SMITH — Baptist Health unveiled a new, unique component of its program to address food insecurity in the River Valley earlier this month.
Baptist Health-Fort Smith held a ribbon cutting for its recently installed rooftop garden at its Marvin Altman Fitness Center on Nov. 17. Representatives for the Arvest Foundation also presented a $2,500 check for the garden to the Baptist Health Foundation.
Christian Gross, vice president of operations at Baptist Health-Fort Smith and Baptist Health-Van Buren, said the installation is the first health care fruit and vegetable producing rooftop garden in Arkansas. It’s also one of only 25 of its kind in the country, according to a Nov. 17 Baptist Health news release.
Gross said the crops produced in the garden will support the Baptist Health Food Rx program in Fort Smith, which provides emergency food supplies for admitted patients who are identified with food insecurity upon discharge from the hospital.
“This is a great opportunity for us to just meet the needs of our community as we begin to serve them beyond just the actual in-patient stay,” Gross said.
Alicia Agent, marketing and communications manager for Baptist Health-Fort Smith, said the hospital determined food insecurity in the River Valley is nearly 40 times greater than the national average — 17% compared to 12%. It defined food insecurity as the inability to maintain adequate food, get food when needed and keep enough food in the home to have a well-rounded diet.
“Food insecurity often leads individuals to choose less expensive and less nutritious food, often contributing to poor health,” Baptist Health stated in the release. “Baptist Health-Fort Smith strives to ensure these food-insecure patients have a healthier transition home with adequate food supplies to aid in the healing process
and to connect them to resources for continued stability.”
Food Rx — a pilot program at Baptist Health-Fort Smith — provides a threeday supply of shelf-stable food products for a family of four to patients health care professionals and pastoral care identify as often experiencing food insecurity, according to Baptist Health.
Patients also receive a resource card identifying area food banks and nutrition resources that can help them.
Baptist Health stated the rooftop garden will allow patients in the program to receive fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables as well.
“This is our effort to create better access to nutritious food options to help patients have food stability as soon as they return home, providing more time for patients to connect community resources,” the release stated.
Hannah Schultz, a graduate assistant at Baptist Health-Fort Smith, researched and planned the garden since July, according to the release. Baptist Health employees and the River Valley Master Gardeners volunteered time to plant winter crops at the end of October, including beets, Swiss chard and turnips.
Schultz said the garden will feature 27 crops. Planting will begin “vigorously” in February.
Schultz said in the news release volunteers will start planting spinach and potatoes that month, along with broccoli, asparagus, onions, kale and other fruits and vegetables later in the spring.
Roger Holroyd, president of Arvest Bank in the Fort Smith and River Valley region, said it’s “unfortunate” food insecurity is a problem in the country, particularly in the River Valley.
Holroyd also said it’s a challenge working with organizations trying to cover that issue. He argued those involved frequently have to decide whether to fill stomachs or provide nutrition for the number of people that need to be fed with the money available. The garden will allow for “really good, healthy, nutritious food” for families in need.
In addition to the $2,500 from the Arvest Foundation, multiple area businesses contributed in-kind donations of supplies for the garden, according to the release. This included Home Depot, Sutherlands, Atwoods, Yeager Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, Walrod’s and Farmers Co-Op in Fort Smith and Van Buren.
Baptist Health stated the River Valley Master Gardeners and various volunteer employees will manage the garden. Its installation was spread out over the previous few months, and was completed Oct. 30.