The benefits of growing and harvesting your own food does not have to only happen at home or at your community garden.

Have you thought about growing food at work?

Benefits of growing edibles in the office:

• Plants help purify the air by absorbing pollutants. They can also reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. High levels of CO2 can cause headaches, drowsiness and difficulty concentrating.
• Optimise unused spaces: balconies or otherwise unutilised indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Provides an incentive to staff to get up from their desks, to observe and interact with the plants.
• Good mood. Indoor plants and greenery lead to a significant reduction in anxiety, depression and fatigue, thereby increasing productivity, creativity and overall mental health of staff.
• Encourages staff to begin growing food at home as well as eating fresh seasonal produce.
• Fosters staff community connectedness and positive relationships.
• Consciousness. It feels so good to be able to create meals with what we’ve grown ourselves.

We know exactly what is involved, namely only nature. But we also know how much work and what resources we have spent to grow the vegetables

What conditions are needed:

• An indoor or outdoor area that receives at least 5-6 hours of natural sunlight per day.
• Ideally north-facing, floor to ceiling windows (or windowsills for smaller plant
• Raised garden beds or pots.
• A coordinator or designated team to ensure ongoing maintenance of the garden.

What to grow:

• Salad leaves and greens (lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, herbs) = ideal for beginners, suitable for indoor or outdoor with low light.
• Roots (carrot, parsnip, beetroot) = suitable for indoor or outdoor.
• Fruit trees = can be potted, ideal for balconies or deck areas.

Eco-friendly workplace practices

As many of us are heading back into the office, being intentional of your office practices can help reduce waste and energy. Such as reducing your use of printing, opening the blinds instead of turning a light on, and avoid heating/cooling as often as possible. You may also want to organise your office days with your colleague who lives nearby so you can carpool. Every effort to reducing your carbon footprint, no matter how small, is an effort worth giving. 

https://foodfromhome.org/2021/04/16/gardening-and-greenery-in-the-workplace-a-workers-retreat/ 

https://sustainableurbandelta.com/12-restaurants-growing-their-own-food/ 

When the basis of life, food, comes from our own garden, this not only gives an enormous appreciation and a direct reference to what lands on the plate, but also an unbelievable satisfaction. 

https://kraut-kopf.de/self-sufficiency-vegetable-garden/?lang=en