(Credit: WJBK|myFOXDetroit.com) Greenhouse at Henry Ford West Bloomfield HospitalWEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) -
Doctors and Nurses have been there from the start and now a full-time farmer will be on staff at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.
Michelle Lutz has more than 16 years of growing experience and was hired to grow organic produce for patients in the hospital's greenhouse.
The hospital says crops that include spinach, lettuce and arugula are being grown to help reduce food costs while providing patients with healthy meals. The crops are growing in water instead of soil to help maximize the space. Lutz, who co-owned an organic vegetable farm in Yale says there are also 23 types of tomatoes, several different varieties of sweet peppers and eggplant.
Lutz says the idea for the greenhouse is from the hospital's CEO Gerard van Grinsven and was funded with philanthropic donations.
"We want to be able to showcase how food can be grown in a really healthy environment without the use of any toxic chemicals, and how you can prepare that food to live a healthy lifestyle," Lutz said.
