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purchased 240 acres on St. Joseph Ridge. By 1898, the sisters had built Villa St. Joseph, as well as barns and outbuildings.
The Sisters purchased horses for transportation, cows, pigs, geese and chickens. Their fields, orchards and gardens produced alfalfa, oats, corn, potatoes, vegetables, apples, pears and plums. In 1940, the farm produced 6,265 dozen eggs, 12,780 pounds
of pork, and 5,000 pounds of potatoes. The Sisters, whose farm supplied fresh, local food to St. Rose and St. Francis for nearly 70 years, were pioneers in the sustainability movement.
Today, the FPSA champions ecological advocacy through the guidance of its Ecospirituality Commit- tee. Attention and energy have been funneled into long-term care for FSPA land on St. Joseph Ridge, including restoration of the windbreak/grove and development of a natural-burial cemetery—designed as a prairie area to enrich the diversity of habitats on the property. The Sisters collaborated with Mississip- pi Valley Conservancy to develop a long-range plan to sustain the property’s blufflands. Organic gardens at the site still feed the residents of St. Rose Convent and Villa St. Joseph retirement community.
THE MEDICAL CENTER
LEADS BY EXAMPLE
“Both Mayo Clinic’s mission and the Franciscan Sis- ters—our Franciscan heritage—stress the importance of providing whole-person care,” says Dr. Johnson. “Healthy eating, regular exercise and stress relief have a direct impact on the lives of our staff, as well as the patients and families we serve.”
In 2014, Franciscan Healthcare’s La Crosse campus began a multiyear initiative to incorporate edibles into its campus landscaping. Large concrete planters at the entrance of the hospital, typically planted in annual flowers, were instead planted with a com- bination of dwarf sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, purple cabbages, kale, sweet potato vines and salad greens, interspersed with annual flowers. The La Crosse Public Library’s Seed Library provided heir- loom tomato seedlings for the project.
The large perennial bed on the second floor patio at the hospital was also converted to a vegetable- and-flower combination that produces zucchini, tomatoes, Swiss chard, beans, salad greens and cucumbers. Flowers remain an integral part of the plantings to attract bees and other pollinators. “Both the planters at the entrance and at the patio garden are stunning visuals, proving that a beautiful land- scape and simple, healthy food production can be harmonious,” says Kathy Oslund, supervisor with Nutrition Services and Clinical Dietetics.
Dawn Vancraenenbroeck, Bobby Dorn, Ali Mueller and Romi Pattison model healthy, fun food choices at the Enchanted Forest.
The next phase of the patio project includes the addition of several raised planters, built as an Eagle Scout project. “One of the planters will be designed for wheelchair accessibility, further demonstrating how gardening can be adapted for a variety of needs,” adds Oslund.
The medical center has developed an ongoing program that enhances the healthy options available in the Market Place restaurant. Employee wellness challenges promote the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. The campus-grown vegetables are featured in the restaurant’s recipes.
Expansive recycling efforts at the medical center include the replacement of Styrofoam cups and con- tainers with more-sustainable paper products and re- usable mugs. In the summer months, vegetable scraps and used coffee grounds are collected three times weekly to feed the red wiggler worms that Hillview employs to produce vermicompost, a rich nutrient source used to fertilize soil. The Hillview program, developed in collaboration with UW-La Crosse, has diverted tons of pre- and post-consumer food materi- als out of the waste stream. The rich worm castings are sold at farmers markets and local retailers and donated to local schools and community gardens.
LIFT PROJECTS TRANSFORM
THE COMMUNITY
In 2013, Franciscan Healthcare introduced LIFT, an initiative that supports whole-body health for all members of our community. LIFT projects enhance living, make an impact, infuse Franciscan values and encourage teamwork. The Big Blue Boat Race against breast cancer, Enchanted Forest, Earth Fair, La Crosse Bike Festival, MS Walk, River-to-Ridge Run, and the World’s Biggest Baby Shower are all LIFT events.
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