by Brianna Crandall — May 21, 2014—The Grand Rapids, Michigan, entertainment venue The Big Old Building (or “B.O.B.”), part of the Gilmore Collection, is planning a huge wall-to-table food initiative using the “Back to Eden” vertical wall that placed in the Top 25 of the 2013 ArtPrize competition.
The 1,400-square-foot living wall, or LiveWall, was filled with hardy perennials that all survived one of the harshest winters in local memory. But half of the plants are being swapped for some 1500+ herb and vegetable plants, which the chefs within the B.O.B.’s four restaurants will use to create fresh, delicious dishes. The removed perennial plants will be returned for reuse to Hortech, Inc., the nursery that grew them and parent company of LiveWall, LLC.
“As far as I know, this will be the largest ‘food wall’ in North America, and I am ecstatic about this initiative,” said Dave MacKenzie, inventor of the LiveWall system and ArtPrize artist. The chefs at the various restaurants within the B.O.B. will have access to fresh, organically grown plants that range from peppers and tomatoes to an array of leafy greens and herbs.”
“Using the B.O.B.’s vertical garden as a food wall fits with our 30-year effort to source locally (from West Michigan farms) and our current practice of growing on-site at many of our restaurants,” says B.O.B. owner Greg Gilmore. “In this case, we’re taking locally grown freshness to the next level—to an urban setting. This is a way to optimize our space, control our budget, and to equip our chefs with the very best in flavor and nutritional value. Our chefs are like artists; artists that use food as their medium, and they take tremendous pride in their work. This is a way to support and empower them so they can do their very best work.”
Head Chef Jered Miller concurs, “When Greg presented me with the idea of growing food on site, I didn’t have to think twice. Herbs and certain vegetables make up a significant part of our budget, and we can save some money, but even more valuable is the freshness. There is nothing better than freshly harvested flavor, and to be able to harvest and use the product within minutes…well, I don’t know how you can top that. We will be growing a broad variety of herbs, some leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers, and even a few ‘surprise’ items that I envision using in all sorts of dishes and dressings, and perhaps even a few special menu items like a ‘LiveWall salad’ composed of fresh herbs and greens. It’s exciting, and has my creative juices flowing.”
The two, Gilmore and MacKenzie, have also collaborated on an indoor LiveWall system that will grow hops in the atrium leading from the second to third floor, near the Dr. Grins Comedy Club. The two acknowledge that growing this type of crop in an indoor green wall is experimental, but assert that even if it does not produce a bumper crop of hops for making beer in the onsite microbrewery, it will add to the décor, create some green space, and give off oxygen.
