News Report: First Organic Vegetable Garden at the White House!
According to reports on WCBS NewsRadio and ABC News, the Obama White House will plant the first organic vegetable garden ever at the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama is a major advocate. Perhaps the recent interview and campaign brought about by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse did the trick...The last time there was an edible garden at the White House was during the Roosevelt era and it was a 'Victory Garden' . What do you Serious Eaters think?
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16 Comments:
Love it, love it, love it! And what a great example for the rest of the country. I'm sure this was discussed, and probably even planned long before Alice Waters brought up the subject. Sounds like Michelle's got it gonna on!!
Karencooks at 2:47AM on 03/20/09
Michelle Obama continues to exhibit an enviable finesse and seemingly effortless skill at being an impressive first lady and steward of this country.
She's got a lot of class. I respect and admire her greatly. Grow, baby, grow!
smallkitchen at 7:49AM on 03/20/09
Yes!! :-)
hmw0029 at 7:58AM on 03/20/09
One would think that John Adams’ vegetable garden was “organic”.
dsquare at 8:33AM on 03/20/09
I think a 'Victory Garden' is appropriate in this day and age as well. This is right and beautiful on so many levels. Go Michelle! and I'll be happy to come over and weed for you anytime.
emilydev at 8:38AM on 03/20/09
I shouldn't comment when I'm up in the middle of the night with insomnia - I meant "Michelle has it GOING on"!!! See 1st comment.
Karencooks at 9:39AM on 03/20/09
WOOHOO!
veggieout at 11:11AM on 03/20/09
This is very exciting. I heard she (Michelle Obama) was having local children help out too. What a classy lady.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 11:39AM on 03/20/09
Yes, very exciting. I was actually somewhat dissappointed to read that the schoolchildren Michelle invited to help out already have a garden at their school. Come one, those kids must be one in a very small handful to have a garden- couldn't she share the experience with other kids who don't have the opportunity?
Ok, enough of being a negative Nellie, that just irked me though. Otherwise, bravo Michelle!
Embackus at 1:22PM on 03/20/09
Related to this, there was an interesting movement to get an official "white house farmer", in response to an article in the NYT soon after the elections. http://whitehousefarmer.com/ I thought that was a pretty good idea (the NYT article is really interesting, and linked from that website), but was surprised how many of the farmers lived nowhere near DC.
And dsquare, I imagine Adams' garden wasn't organic, if you are using the popular definition, since Bordeaux mixture was pretty common.
Phaeolus at 4:25PM on 03/20/09
now this is what having a position of power should accomplish:
inspiring people to do great things, hopefully other prominent people will use their position and knowledge to make the country and the world a better place.
thank you michelle! teach the children well.....
pooch at 4:58PM on 03/20/09
Watch the Washington Post video report here. In all fairness, Laura Bush insisted that organic products be served to her family. But neither she nor her husband ever shared that with the nation. Is anyone else as excited as I am about this change? Woo hoo!
GoodStuffNW at 10:04PM on 03/20/09
I saw a funny article that said President Obama didn't like beets and they weren't being planted in the White House Garden. Could today's beets be the broccoli of Bush-41? While the First Lady has my complete and unwaivering support, What about the poor beets and the beet farmers? Perhaps us SEers should consider suggesting ways to love beets and lobby for their inclusion in the White House Garden...After all the President has promised a policy of inclusion!
thegoch at 10:58PM on 03/20/09
@Pooch, right on!! You took the words right out of my mouth...good thing it wasn't food!!
Karencooks at 8:13AM on 03/21/09
@haha karencooks!!! i'd never take the food out of your mouth!!!!
pooch at 10:29AM on 03/21/09
I totally love the idea of an organic veggie garden at the White House - and that kids from nearby schools and others will be helping. Alice Waters must be dancing a jig - I love it when Foodies are happy.
As for the beets, yes, we should get on a mission and suggest wonderful recipes using beets. Obama must have gotten a hold of some nasty beets sometime in his childhood and it turned him against them. I'll bet the White House chefs can make him pro-beet!
therealchiffonade at 2:43PM on 03/21/09