When the third annual Coors Field GaRden was planted last week, a new crop joined the team: organic Purple Viking potatoes that will be used to make potato chips the shade of the Colorado Rockies’ primary color for fans to enjoy in the baseball stadium.
The Rockies and Aramark, the Rockies’ exclusive food and beverage partner, again joined with Colorado State University’s Institute for the Built Environment to plant the GaRden near Gate A at the ballpark on May 14. When it was launched three years ago it was baseball’s first on-site, sustainable garden producing food for use in the stadium.
The Rockies and Aramark staff and a CSU team planted a host of edible flowers and assorted vegetables this season in addition to the purple potatoes, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, turnips, chard, kale, beans and chives. Planted herbs include parsley, thyme, basil, cilantro, dill, oregano and sage.
The 600-square-foot GaRden mimics a baseball stadium, with raised beds terracing upwards from the GaRden’s “infield” to the outfield to the stands. It promotes beneficial garden ecosystem functions, and will provide Aramark with herbs and vegetables for use in Coors Field’s Mountain Ranch Club menu and build-your-own salad station. Sustainable features include raised beds built from beetle-kill pinewood, organic soil and irrigation drip lines made from recycled materials.
The Institute for the Built Environment is located in CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
CSU’s members of the planting team in the back row were, from left, Austin Good, Colin Day, Gary Gross and Brian Dunbar. In the front row are Eric Bialorucki, Ashley Samimi, Vincent Thayer and Mike Walker.
