WASHINGTON — Buy me some peanuts, Cracker Jacks and — summer squash?
Chowing down at the ballpark isn’t generally associated with balanced diets, but this week, the Nationals put in a rooftop garden overlooking left field.
“We were kicking around some ideas with our chefs one day, and we said, ‘Hey, why don’t we just have a vegetable garden here at the ballpark?’” recalls Jonathan Stahl, the executive director of ballpark operations and guest experience.
During this pilot program, 180 plants have been put in to produce tomatoes, zucchini, squash and herbs.
“We’re going to be using that fresh produce in our premium areas,” he says. “Based on the success of it, we’d like to roll it out to other areas of the ballpark as well.”
The Nats want to see how well the vegetables grow this year. If all is a success, the garden will expand in future seasons.