# Do you think they'll be able to keep the White House garden? (regardless of who is President)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 7, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824 "2015-10-07T16:11:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/1 "2015-10-07T16:11:21Z")
The best thing that Michelle has done is start the White House garden. Its grown to 1100 sq feet. Providing fresh food for the White House kitchen and the excess goes to local shelters/food banks. They even added a bee hive for fresh honey and to pollinate the garden.
Great idea. The actual work is done by National Park Service Rangers and some of the White House staff. I think the chef there has been very involved because he uses the fresh vegetables.
this years harvest. Michelle and school kids. They got some really big yams and tomatoes.
[http://news.yahoo.com/students-help-first-lady-harvest-white-house-garden-203547728.html#](http://news.yahoo.com/students-help-first-lady-harvest-white-house-garden-203547728.html#)
planting last Spring
[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/michelle-obama-garden-planting\_n\_7074040.html](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/michelle-obama-garden-planting_n_7074040.html)
you think theres any chance the garden can continue regardless of who is President? I guess maybe they could find a spokesperson to fill Michele’s role?
I really think its such a wonderful example. Show kids where our food comes from and that vegetables are good to eat.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/2 "2015-10-07T16:32:01Z")
“They” can probably get the U.S. House Committee on Wheys and Beans behind it for funding.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/3 "2015-10-07T16:37:44Z")
_throws a freshly picked, ripe tomato at **lieu** _
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/4 "2015-10-07T16:37:44Z")
A Republican president would probably have it torn up and paved over out of spite.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/5 "2015-10-07T16:43:00Z")
The White House chef is probably the only one that might be able to keep the garden running. If the new chef doesn’t support it then there’s no hope after Michelle leaves. Sam Kass was the chef and a big supporter of the garden. Not sure who the chef is now.
The farm-to-table movement is quite popular with modern chefs.
[http://news.yahoo.com/obama-personal-chef-hang-apron-6-years-082225857.html#](http://news.yahoo.com/obama-personal-chef-hang-apron-6-years-082225857.html#)
> [@](#):
>
> Kass’ relationship with the Obamas started when they hired him to cook healthier meals for the family in Chicago before the 2008 elections. Michelle Obama was a vice president at the University of Chicago Medical Center and caring for young daughters, while Obama was a U.S. senator spending most of his time in Washington
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/6 "2015-10-07T16:50:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> A Republican president would probably have it torn up and paved over out of spite.
No, A Republican president would plant three carrots and apply for Federal Crop Insurance, direct payments and every other subsidy possible. Then sign a bill cutting AFDC and SNAP.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/7 "2015-10-07T16:59:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> you think theres any chance the garden can continue regardless of who is President? I guess maybe they could find a spokesperson to fill Michele’s role?
Won’t really be a concern as Obama will declare himself Eternal President.
All the prisoners in the FEMA camps will be put to work in the Victory Gardens that will be planted throughout the land. Each one surrounding a 556 ft statue of Our Great Leader.
He will be holding aloft a great Torch to cast light and allow work to be done 24 hours a day and provide a reminder to those who would consider treason.
😃
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/8 "2015-10-07T17:02:35Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> A Republican president would probably have it torn up and paved over out of spite.
This.
Remember Carter put Solar panels up on the White House, one of the first things Reagan did was have them pulled down.
Screw those green hippies.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/9 "2015-10-07T17:05:00Z")
_Hey Paradise…_
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/10 "2015-10-07T17:33:08Z")
A Republican president would probably put up a statue of Reagan surrounded by pews with kneelers. Rick Perry would have converted it to growing hops for the White House brewery. Michele Bachmann would have planted Cheerios in hopes of harvesting donuts. Christie would plant his enemies.
It may survive in some form no matter who wins. Whoever is chef would prefer fresh grown herbs when possible, the garden also provides good photo ops.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/11 "2015-10-07T17:37:57Z")
Donald Trump is going to turn it into a better garden. He loves plants. It’s going to produce the best fruits and vegetables year round. You’ll love it. Enough to feed everyone in DC. Everybody loves plants. It’s going to be the best garden anyone has ever seen.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/12 "2015-10-07T17:56:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> A Republican president would probably put up a statue of Reagan surrounded by pews with kneelers. Rick Perry would have converted it to growing hops for the White House brewery. Michele Bachmann would have planted Cheerios in hopes of harvesting donuts. Christie would plant his enemies.
>
> It may survive in some form no matter who wins. Whoever is chef would prefer fresh grown herbs when possible, the garden also provides good photo ops.
The hard part was getting the garden started. Overcoming concerns about damaging the pretty lawn. Finding a suitable location. Testing the soil for chemicals. Allocating people to do the work. Finding charities that would accept the extra harvest.
Its been there now 8 years. I’d hope the chef and National parks employees can just continue running it after a new President moves in. Unless for some reason he or she objects to the cost of Federal employee labor in the garden.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/13 "2015-10-07T18:11:19Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#):
>
> This.
>
> Remember Carter put Solar panels up on the White House, one of the first things Reagan did was have them pulled down.
>
> Screw those green hippies.
Actually they took them down in [1986, while resurfacing the roof](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/carter-white-house-solar-panel-array/). 6 years into Ronnie’s term, and as part of required roof maintenance.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-theyll-be-able-to-keep-the-white-house-garden-regardless-of-who-is-president/733824/14 "2015-10-07T18:12:15Z")
A new administration can do whatever it wants – and often has.
Recall that Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the roof of the White House. Reagan had them taken down.
> **[Where Did the Carter White House's Solar Panels Go?](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/carter-white-house-solar-panel-array/)**
>
> One of the 32 solar-thermal panels that captured energy on the roof of the White House more than 30 years ago landed this week at a science museum in China
> [@](#):
>
> The White House itself once harvested the power of the sun. On June 20, 1979, the Carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun’s rays and use them to heat water.
>
> …
>
> And in 1986 the Reagan administration quietly dismantled the White House solar panel installation while resurfacing the roof. “Hey! That system is working. Why don’t you keep it?” recalls mechanical engineer Fred Morse, now of Abengoa Solar, who helped install the original solar panels as director of the solar energy program during the Carter years and then watched as they were dismantled during his tenure in the same job under Reagan. “Hey! This whole [renewable] R&D program is working, why don’t you keep it?”
>
> After they came down it took a soft-spoken administrator from a small environmental college in Maine to rescue the Carter panels from being a forgotten curiosity stored in the dark corner of a vast government warehouse.
I didn’t realize they had been saved from the waste dump. The linked article traces some of them to various museums. Half of them are actually in use in a college in Maine. One is in a museum in China!