6 . In the Watertown offices of planning and design firm Sasaki Associates, there’s a wall that asks employees to respond to the question, “What makes you happy?” Standing out among a sea of sticky notes listing things like “yoga” and “my cat,” one post says “CHICKENS.”
At most companies it would sound like a joke, but not here. Sasaki, which has an on-site, employee-run garden featuring 30 different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, is soon adding a chicken coop (笼子) to the mix, and workers seem delighted.
In 2015, Sasaki partnered with Green City Growers, a Somerville —based company that installs (安装) and helps maintain urban farms and vegetable gardens, to give its employees a chance to grow their own produce and experience urban agriculture firsthand.
“It builds a culture of inclusion and community,” said James Miner, a managing principal at Sasaki, who brought the farming idea to the company’s parking lot. “It’s something people can get behind and enjoy. You can just take 10 to 12 minutes away from your screen, get your fingers dirty, talk to your neighbors, and hopefully harvest something.”
While Miner hoped a handful of employees would be excited to take part in the gardens, he was happily surprised when nearly 40 percent of the Watertown office’s employees jumped onboard.
Completely, funded by Sasaki, the company’s urban gardens are owned and tended by employees, who can sign up to manage crops by themselves or in groups. Workers bring home whatever produce they grow —cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and scallions are just a few of the foods they’ve had success with.
After the addition of the bright pink chicken coop — which will be designed and 3D —printed in Sasaki’s offices —the employees hope to add a garden and explore beekeeping on the building’s roof. Quite a few closet beekeepers, gardeners, and birdwatchers have emerged from the company’s woodwork to lead the charge on these plans.
“People are looking for a higher sense of meaning at work,” Miner said. “The gardens show what it means to be a part of Sasaki.”
1. What’s employers’ attitude to their workers raising chickens in most companies?
| A．Doubtful. | B．Interested. | C．Disapproving. | D．Uncertain. |
2. What have the gardens brought to the employees according to James Miner?
| A．A sense of community. |
| B．Environmental awareness. |
| C．Enough fruit and vegetables. |
| D．Increased work efficiency. |
3. How can the employees obtain their share of the gardens?
| A．By discussing. | B．By competing. | C．By renting. | D．By applying. |
4. What does Paragraph 7 mainly tell us?
| A．The employees are looking forward to more gardens. |
| B．The company will increase the use of 3D technology. |
| C．The company will change the employees’ work patterns. |
| D．The employees aren’t content with their working conditions. |
