FAHC Unveils Green Dining Facility

Fletcher Allen Health Care has unveiled a new place for hospital staff and visitors to eat. It's called the Harvest Café. It hopes to use recycling and composting programs to produce little to no waste. Customers use biodegradable cutlery and plates that are composted in Burlington's Intervale. The menu also features fresh, local foods.

"Something as simple as grilled cheese? It used to be white bread, processed American cheese, and french fries. Now it's Vermont Bread Company whole wheat bread, Vermont cheddar sliced, and perhaps some sort of salsa served with it," said Daria Holcomb of Fletcher Allen Health Care.

"All the decisions we make here, we keep the environment and the planet in mind, and think of all the ways to make it more environmentally friendly," said Real Pothier of Fletcher Allen Health Care.

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, announced a $143,000 federal grant to help Fletcher Allen develop a "center for nutrition and health food systems" to educate other Vermont hospitals on building sustainable food service programs.