White House Garden

[aceplace57]

I've been following news about the White House garden. It's a project of Michele Obama and the White House chefs.

White House chef Sam Kass seems the most involved. He's part of the farm to table strategy. Chefs like Dan Barber actually grow the food that is served in his award winning restaurants. Other chefs throughout the country are forming close alliances with local farmers. The food served in the restaurants comes directly from the local farms.

This video came out last year and documents the beginning of the garden. There's several more videos of them tending the garden and the harvest. search for white house garden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpEr3kfWjc

New News
Last years garden was quite a success and they are expanding it this year.
Mrs. Obama said that the 1,000 pounds of food harvested last year fed many people, both at the White House and at nearby homeless shelters. The work on the garden started a national conversation about healthy eating, she said.
http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Gardening/2010/0401/Michelle-Obama-expands-the-White-House-garden
The newly planted garden is 400 square feet larger than last year and will contain four new vegetables: bok choy, cauliflower, artichokes, and mustard greens.

I'm very impressed. My dads father was a farmer and bee keeper for 60 years. Most of my family members plant back yard gardens. It's great seeing the current generation turning back to their heritage.

[aceplace57]

I didn't realize they planted a winter garden. It was covered to hold in the heat. In spite of the massive January blizzard, it did pretty good.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/gardening/2010/04/white_house_vegetable_garden_u.html

[Equipoise]

I don't garden myself, but I love hearing about anything Michelle Obama is involved in, so thanks for the links! It's nice to know her garden is doing so well.

[Jackmannii]

I think it's great that there's increasing interest in the White House in edible as well as ornamental gardening.

I'd be interested to know how much time Ms. Obama and the kids actually spend gardening (apart from photo ops).

I'm sure she's out there constantly during the growing season, weeding, fertilizing and harvesting. :dubious:

[aceplace57]

Chefs like Dan Barber had been encouraging the White House to try a garden for a long time. There was resistance. The groundskeepers had put decades of work on the lawn. Once Michele Obama got interested, then it happened quickly.

I agree she is primarily the public face of the project. I get the impression White House chef Sam Kass is the one that really manages the garden. He's in nearly all the videos. The real work is done by hired labor. This garden is pretty large. This isn't your typical backyard family garden.

I hope the white house garden continues regardless of who happens to be president. It's a great project. A lot of the excess food goes to homeless shelters.

[elelle]

I'm a horticulturist by trade, and a longtime organic gardener, so am thrilled to see Michelle Obama give good voice and space to growing food on the White House grounds.It connects to her mission to help kids see where their food is coming from, and getting healthy food to kids in schools. It's crucial to having our next generation understanding the connection of growing food and thriving.

Jackmannii, why the skeptic eyes here? Ummm, look, I direct a garden, and that requires lots of people doing rather mundane work like weeding and mulching,etc, etc. Honestly, I'd sometimes rather be doing that than directing the work, but, such is life. Michelle Obama is the First Lady, and has a pretty full schedule of important events to attend to, so why denigrate the effort by wanting her to be pulling weeds?There are good White House gardeners to do that, surely. She's involved with this cause as is any First Lady in past causes .

[Equipoise]

I'm sure she's out there constantly during the growing season, weeding, fertilizing and harvesting. :dubious:Your teabags are showing. You might want to tuck them back in.

[gaffa]

Eleanor Roosevelt had a "Victory Garden" on the White House lawn during WWII. I wonder if Michelle's garden is in the same location?