I have to quote a friend (Victoria) on this one:
“Woooo hooo!!!! The first vegetable garden on the White House lawn since Eleanor Roosevelt! Score a big one for the local food movement! Michele ROCKS!”
New York Times
Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden
By MARIAN BURROS
Published: March 19, 2009
WASHINGTON — On Friday, Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets (the president doesn’t like them) but arugula will make the cut.
While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern.
In an interview in her office, Mrs. Obama said, “My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”
Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington will help her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot in a spot visible to passers-by on E Street. (It’s just below the Obama girls’ swing set.) Students from the school, which has had a garden since 2001, will also help plant, harvest and cook the vegetables, berries and herbs.
Almost the entire Obama family, including the president, will pull weeds, “whether they like it or not,” Mrs. Obama said laughing. “Now Grandma, my mom, I don’t know.” Her mother, she said, would probably sit back and say: “Isn’t that lovely. You missed a spot.”
Whether there would be a White House garden has been more than a matter of landscaping. It’s taken on political and environmental symbolism as the Obamas have been lobbied for months by advocates who believe that growing more food locally could lead to healthier eating and lessen reliance on huge industrial farms that use more oil for transportation and chemicals for fertilizer.
In the meantime, promoting healthful eating has become an important part of Mrs. Obama’s agenda.
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Here’s the link:
New Vegetable Garden for White House Lawn
White House veggie garden proposal
15 Comments. Leave new
Maybe we should change that old catch phrase to
Michelle SOWS! or
Michelle DIGS! or
Michelle HARVESTS!
Whichever, it’s amazingly great!
I think this is a fantastic idea!! I love it.
How exciting! I signed that petition asking them to do it, and it’s wonderful to feel that someone’s listening.
In so many ways, Michelle rocks.
Thank you for this Kathy!! This is incredible.. are the sails of change actually in motion? Now if only we could get Mr.Harper up here to plant a veggie garden at 24 Sussex Drive… not likely!
Super!
Such welcome news on the first day of Spring!
great news!
I bet the guy who made the “This Land is Your Land” video you posted last summer or fall feels pretty good right now.
(I’d include a link to it, but I’m at a public library that blocks youtube.)
I love your site! I couldn’t stand it anymore, I just picked up some onions and potatoes and I had to get them into the ground. It felt so good!
There’s nothing like seeing the garden through kids’ eyes. It’s nice to see her considering that side of this as well, along with eating locally and sustainably.
I think it’s great as well. I do however think it’s funny to see the article when all was said and done and it noted the children ate “cookies” in the shape of a shovel. Hmm, that’s not helping with the obesity problem I don’t think.
The Obama’s ROCK!
Did you know……….that Presidents pay for their own groceries while they’re president ?
Great blog
Hallelujah!