A farm grows at Boston’s Fenway Park
“It’s like the third-hit spot on our Fenway Park tours,” Pacini told me. “Everyone is always just amazed when they see it.”
By Matt Monagan
MLB
May 23, 2021
Excerpt:
“It was actually Linda Henry’s [idea], John Henry’s wife,” Robyn Pacini, Facilities and Greening Initiatives Coordinator, told me during a recent phone call. “She noticed that we were underutilizing a roof in the ballpark and had this great idea to turn it into a farm.”
While not the only farm in Major League Baseball stadiums — Coors Field, Oracle Park and Petco Park (in the bullpen!) have one — Fenway Farms is the largest. It’s been around since 2014 and and produces nearly 6,000 pounds of produce per year. Herbs, tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, broccoli, eggplant, carrots and zucchini are all grown there, and fans can try them out at various places throughout the ballpark.
“Our head chef, Chef Ron, he takes the stuff from there and uses it in the main restaurants,” Pacini said. “The Dell Technologies Club, the State Street Pavilion, Royal Rooters, and it’s used a little bit in our suites.”
Some of the veggies are also used for salads in concessions, plant-based meals along the concourse or by clubhouse chefs for player pregame meals. Any leftover harvest at the end of the season is donated to local Boston food banks. Last year, during COVID, all of the harvest was sent to people in need.
