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Hennepin County Medical Center's new rooftop garden.

Rooftop garden opens at Hennepin County Medical Center 1 Comment UPDATED July 29, 2009, 12:49pm

By Elizabeth Sias

Hennepin County Medical Center’s rooftop organic garden officially opened Tuesday when Mayor R.T. Rybak participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m.

The garden, located on the hospital’s O3 Cafeteria balcony, provides herbs that are grown for use in recipes for patients, visitors and staff. Cilantro, Thai and Genovese basil, thyme, oregano, chives and mint are some of the herbs being grown.

”The main purpose was to provide the freshest ingredients possible for our recipes,” Food Service Operations Manager Lisa Nadeau said in a statement. “We also hope to set an example and encourage HCMC staff and even visitors to consider planting similar gardens at home.”

The medical center received funds from the City of Minneapolis Climate Change Grant in 2009 to create its rooftop organic garden.

“We’re excited about being able to use these fresh ingredients for our recipes,” Nadeau said. “The health of our patients, staff and visitors is why we’re here, and being able to serve the healthiest choices possible fits right in with our mission.”