Purists of the ballpark concessions can still secure their peanuts and Cracker Jack, yet there is a new component entering the lineup for the San Francisco Giants: an edible food garden starting behind center-field. The 3,000 square foot organic “Giants Garden” is slated to open next season at AT&T Park in San Francisco, the first of its kind at an American sports venue.
President Obama was on hand to announce the ballpark’s plans while honoring the 2012 World Series Championship team at the White House last month. “With rows of kale and strawberries and eggplant, the Giants are going to help encourage local youth to eat healthy—even at the ballpark,” he said during the ceremony, a befitting statement considering first lady Michelle Obama’s platform of tackling childhood obesity.
The project is a partnership between the Giants and Bon Appetit Management Co., which has operated the high-end concessions (think rock-cod tacos, grilled Dungeness crab sandwiches and Ghiradelli hot fudge sundaes) in the field, club levels, and suites since the ballpark opened in 2000.
Our Northern California versus Southern California baseball rivalry is here to stay, but we’ll always root for a commitment to providing high-grade, fresh produce—no matter the venue. Could the LA Dodger Stadium be next?
What’s interesting to note is Major League Baseball’s rule which dictates that the centerfield wall and backdrop must be kept a solid dark color, so as not to interfere with the batter’s sightline. The developing design is a collaboration between EDG Interior Architecture & Design and Blasen Landscape Architecture, the renderings of which you can see in L.A. At Home’s latest post.
