Newark Hospital’s Famed Greenhouse Gets Visit From NJ Devils

NEWARK, NJ — Some of Newark’s healthiest, locally grown veggies are coming from a source that may come as a surprise: a hospital.

A sustainable, hydroponic greenhouse at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has seen high praise from a growing list of celebrities, including the New Jersey Devils and NBA legend Magic Johnson. Read More: Magic Johnson, Newark Hospital Team Up To Fight Food Desert

According to RWJBarnabas Health, the Beth Greenhouse produces more 5,000 pounds of healthy veggies every year, including kale, string beans, strawberries, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, parsley, romaine lettuce, spring mix lettuce and tomatoes.

It’s a welcome sight in Newark, where large swaths of the city are considered “food deserts” that lack healthy eating options. Read More: NJ Has 1.5 Million People Living In 'Food Deserts,' Officials Say

In addition to this green bounty – some of which is used in the employee cafeteria and some of which is donated to the community – the greenhouse also provides a unique way to educate community residents and offer job training opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities. Produce grown at the greenhouse is sold at the weekly Beth Farmer's Market, which sets up in the hospital lobby and accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The latest group to cheer the urban farming endeavor included several top prospects with the New Jersey Devils hockey team, including Simon Nemec, the #2 overall pick in the recent NHL draft.

Recently, Nemec and several other players attending the New Jersey Devils Development Camp dropped in for a hardhat tour of the greenhouse, which is located at the corner of Osborne Terrace and Lehigh Avenue. Watch a video of their visit here.

The Beth Greenhouse has been making an impact on the local community, literally putting food on the table of families across the city’s South Ward.

Last month, the hospital helped Clinton Hill Community Action celebrate the launch of their Food Hub initiative by making the first donation to the hub through the hospital’s partnership with the Common Market: 50, ten-pound boxes of “farm-fresh” produce.

The event also featured a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the opening of The Hub, a walk-in refrigeration unit and storage space established to help provide food pantries in the Clinton Hill section and its over 15,000 residents of the South Ward with wider access to locally grown, fresh and healthy foods for the communities they serve.

• See related article: 'World's Largest Indoor Vertical Farm' Keeps Growing In Newark

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