How Green Spaces Are Changing Workplace Culture

Chris Franklin, Management Analyst at the Nevada Department of Corrections, understands the complexity of the environment he serves. Corrections work is demanding. The days are long. The stress is real. Moments of connection, care, and gratitude can be hard to create.

So when Chris began exploring the idea of bringing hydroponic gardens into NDOC staff offices, he was honest about the challenge. 

This might not work. Would staff members want to take on the responsibility of growing food? Would they have the time? Would a hydroponic garden feel meaningful in a corrections environment?

Chris was willing to find out. With support from the Las Vegas Raiders and Green Our Planet, 25 hydroponic garden units were initially introduced but due to an overwhelming staff response to the project that 25 grew to 50 units across the Nevada Department of Corrections. The goal was to give staff a hands-on wellness experience — something living they could care for, harvest from, and share.

Within one week, Chris had his answer. Not only was every single unit in the excited hands of a fellow staff member but there was also a waiting list should the project grow.

What Chris Saw Before Others Did

The success of the program did not happen by accident. It happened because Chris understood something important: workplace culture is shaped by small, human moments.

A garden in an office may seem simple. But in the right hands, it can become a reason to pause, to gather, to ask a coworker, “How are your plants doing?” or “What are you growing?”

Chris saw that possibility. He saw that hydroponics could do more than grow lettuce, herbs, and vegetables. It could create pride and connection. It could spark curiosity. It could offer staff a daily reminder that care, patience, and growth still belong in difficult environments.

Each staff member received training on how to plant, maintain, harvest, and use the food grown in their hydroponic systems. As the gardens took root, so did something else: ownership.

The systems were not just equipment. They became personal. They became shared. They became something staff members were proud of.

Nevada Department of Corrections employees 3D-print garden gnomes to watch over their desktop gardens.

The Moment That Said Everything

The impact of a program like this doesn’t always show up first in a formal report. Sometimes, it shows up in an email.

During Nevada Employee Appreciation Week, a request shared an idea that had come from the staff themselves: a Garden of Gratitude day featuring veggie cups, fruit kabobs, mini herb plants, and seed packets with the message: “Thanks for helping NDOC grow.”

The idea was joyful, generous, and completely staff-driven.

For Chris, that moment mattered.

As he put it, “Never ever has this option been considered before. Now that is HUGE for us.” That sentence captures the heart of the story.

Because this was no longer just a hydroponics program. It became a new way for staff to express appreciation, build connection, and bring something positive into the workplace.

That is what culture change can look like.

Not always a major announcement. Not always a formal initiative. Sometimes it begins with people choosing to grow something together — and then finding new ways to care for one another.

A Pilot With Bigger Possibilities

Chris is already thinking beyond the first phase. The early response has opened the door to a larger vision: exploring how hydroponics could one day support not only staff wellness, but also learning opportunities inside correctional facilities.

The idea is powerful. Staff could continue growing food and connection in their workplaces. And, over time, hydroponic growing could potentially help individuals in custody learn practical skills connected to food production, sustainability, nutrition, and workforce readiness.

It is a big vision, and Chris is approaching it the right way: start with a strong pilot, learn from the experience, prove the model, and build from there. That combination of vision and practicality is what makes this work so promising.

Why This Matters

When Chris first introduced the idea, there was no guarantee it would be embraced. But leadership often begins exactly there — with someone willing to try something new because they believe people are capable of responding.

Chris gave his team an opportunity to participate in something living. His team said yes. They claimed every unit, and learned how to grow. They began to harvest and then started imagining what else might be possible. That’s more than participation; that’s ownership.

And in a workplace as demanding as corrections, ownership, pride, and connection matter deeply.

Thank You to the Partners Making This Possible

Green Our Planet is honored to support Chris Franklin and the Nevada Department of Corrections as this work continues to grow.

We are deeply grateful to Chris for his vision, openness, and leadership, and to the NDOC staff members who embraced the program with such enthusiasm.

We are also grateful to the Las Vegas Raiders for providing the generous support that helped make this pilot possible. Their willingness to invest in an innovative workplace wellness idea helped spark something meaningful inside NDOC.

The Program Keeps Growing

Across workplaces, schools, and communities, one truth continues to emerge: when people grow food together, something shifts. They connect with each other and remember that growth can happen anywhere.

Thanks to Chris Franklin’s leadership, that truth is now taking root inside the Nevada Department of Corrections.

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