The White House is getting a vegetable garden!!

[rvablue]

:woohoo:

The First Lady is asking one be dug in the south garden.

Just heard this on ABC News, so no link, but I know this is going to make a lot of DUers happy!


:woohoo: :patriot:

edited to add:

First Family To Plant White House Veggie Garden


ABC News' Brian Hartman Reports: President Obama's latest shovel-ready project is close to home -- in fact, right in his own yard. In an effort to promote healthy eating, the first family will be planting a vegetable garden right on the White House grounds.

ABC News' Ann Compton and Sunlen Miller report that the new White House vegetable garden will be dug up and planted on the South grounds of the White House -- near the fountain but out of view of the main house.

Though the 16-acre complex is maintained by the National Park Service, one worker who preferred to remain anonymous assured ABC News that National Park Service staff won't do the sowing and planting. The White House residence staff will handle that.

As first reported online by food writer Eddie Gehman Kohan, who reports on food issues related to the Obamas, First Lady Michelle Obama told Oprah Winfrey's "O" magazine, "We're … working on a wonderful new garden project."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/03/first-family-to.html

[tekisui]

That's great. There was a campaign going on to get this to happen!

[rwheeler31]

1. That is great news.

[ret5hd]

2. What ever happened to the solar panels Pres. Carter had installed and Raygun removed?

[rvablue]

9. Oh geez..........

:banghead:

can you focus on a postive note rather than finding something to complain about?

I'll bet you two ponies and a piece of pie that there will be solar panels on top of the WH before Obama leaves office.

[alsame]

3. Excellent news! The First Family continues to set a good

example for the rest of the country.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. What a great idea!

It'll be great for their girls to see things growing...

And to get their hands dirty!

Good for them!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. Rockin' the Veggies!!!

Woo hoo!!

:bounce: :toast:

I'm diggin in my back acre this afternoon. 6 feet by 12 feet.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Nice.

[Xipe Totec]

7. Finding fertilizer in D.C. will not be a problem

:evilgrin:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. My dear Xipe Totec!

What a naughty thought!

:spank:

:rofl: :rofl:

[FailureToCommunicate]

42. Yes, but would YOU want to eat any veggies grown in THAT stuff? (PS: lead check also!)

[Xipe Totec]

70. I was speaking metaphorically... n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

73. Odds are, the WH staff will compost the vegetable wastes

from the kitchens there and use that to fertilize the garden.

Plus a couple of beehives to attract the little buzzers to pollinate the place and make honey. Kewl!

:9:9:9

[Callalily]

8. Wow! The White House is going

green! Hopefully it's an organic garden!

[rvablue]

11. Shoud've, of course, detailed that in the OP. Yes indeed! They said ORGANIC! n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. There was actually controversy over this in another thread.

Some shitheads were upset because the WH didn't need to tear up the lawn to plant a garden, and a garden would be a waste of the WH gardener's time.

emphasis mine.

[Lilith Velkor]

13. They had no idea how big the lawn actually is

Some of them didn't appear to know the White House even has gardeners.

Fucking hilarious thread. I wonder where all those shitheads have wandered off to?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Oh, probably blaming the Obama WH for AIG.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3778957

[Cha]

20. They evidently don't understand the

importance of food, how it's grown, and connecting to the people who are trying to cut food costs from denatured junk.

The Obamas have brought their chef from Chicago, Sam Kass, who's reported to be into cooking local fresh food from the garden.

<snip>

"Mr. Kass’s appointment should please chefs like Alice Waters, who have lobbied the Obamas to set an example for the rest of the country by emphasizing food that is healthy, local and sustainable. It further suggests that a vegetable garden on the White House grounds, another of Ms. Waters’s dreams, could be on the horizon."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29Cook.html

Can't get any fresher than out in your garden.

And we need all the ways we can get to connect to the people with the corporatemedia making up shit as they go along.

[4lbs]

14. Fresh off that 60 Minutes piece on Sunday regarding the lady championing Organic foods.

:D

[WorseBeforeBetter]

64. I'm pushing this... Alice Waters of the Slow Food movement.

I really enjoyed that 60 Minutes segment, in spite of Leslie Stahl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Waters

[cali]

15. Rumor around here for the last couple of weeks is that they've

ordered organic seeds from High Mowing.

http://www.highmowingseeds.com/

[rvablue]

19. If that's the case, they are about to have a very, very good year!

:)

[SpiralHawk]

39. Seed sales this year are skyrocketing - some companies selling out

"Never seen anything like it" - Burpee Seeds

The story on this blog starts out talking about Peak Oil, but soon gets into the seed part of it...buy open-pollinated seeds and SAVE THEM. Things are going to get, um, different...

http://thecalloftheland.wordpress.com/

[democrank]

17. YAY!

Gobamas!

[Cha]

18. Rec'd~ We were hoping this would happen!

I work in natural food co-op and I've been giving them updates of the progress of having a garden on the White House Lawn..thank you!

[mix]

21. Alice Waters

suggested this a few years back, if I remember correctly. A great idea and a great example.

[Brother Buzz]

30. Alice Waters is still promoting it...

and hinted the garden was really going to happen just a week or two ago.

[femrap]

47. I just saw Alice on a TV

recently and the WH Garden was discussed....she said she has been trying to get one for years.

This sets a good example.

[RamboLiberal]

22. Here's story on - Yay Mrs. Obama

Following a 60 Minutes interview with Chez Panisse chef, renowned slow foodist and activist for improved national eating habits in the US, Alice Waters, on Sunday March 15th, wherein she called with continued clarion for an organic garden at the White House, First lady Michelle Obama talked of her plans for the garden in an interview for Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine that will feature in its April issue.

Mrs. Obama spoke, also, about the importance of healthy eating in that article, and what she hopes the garden will do to send that message to the nation:

We want to use it as a point of education, to talk about health and how delicious it is to eat fresh food, and how you can take that food and make it part of a healthy diet. You know, the tomato that’s from your garden tastes very different from one that isn’t. And peas - what is it like to eat peas in seasons? So we want the White House to be a place of education and awareness. And hopefully kids will be interested because there are kids living here.

The expected garden represents a victory for sustainable food and agriculture activists, such as the White House Organic Farm Project (WHO Farm), which have campaigned publicly for this outcome for months. WHO Farm traveled across the country in a biofuel-powered school bus last fall to raise awareness of the cause and focus attention on their request to the White House. Looks like grass roots - or plant roots, in this case - activism still works.

The White House has been decidedly less rustic since 1945, after Franklin D Roosevelt left office and the first lady’s “victory garden” was replaced with inedible plants. However, during Woodrow Wilson’s term in office, during World War I, the South lawn looked like a scene from farms in the president’s home state of Virginia, with sheep brought in to freely graze as a gesture of support for the troops overseas. No animal husbandry activists have yet matched the garden campaign efforts by pushing the Obamas to bring back farm animals to the White House.

http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/18/white-house-to-plant-organic-vegetable-garden/

[rvablue]

23. Thanks for the addition! The last sentence is LOL...

maybe the girls will get a pony after all.....or a lamb!

[IDemo]

31. I can see the GOPedia headlines:

Obama Family Practices Animal Husbandry at the White House

[OswegoAtheist]

32. If they get a lamb...

...does that mean they should plant some mint?:9

Oswego "and George W. Bush must be tried for war crimes" Atheist

[rvablue]

33. I need a translation. Your comment went way over my head. n/t

[roguevalley]

34. lamb chops, mint sauce

[GrannyK]

57. I think it was it the WHO group

who held a contest to elect an official White House Gardener.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/434201

Local gardener could become White House farmer
Anita Weier — 1/22/2009 1:14 pm

A local gardener who runs the Troy Community Farm at Troy Gardens in Madison is one of 20 people from around the nation who has been nominated to be the White House farmer, who would start an organic garden on the famous grounds.

But there is a catch.

The position does not yet exist, nor does the garden, though petitions have been signed by thousands of people in response to drives by various organizations, online and in person.

Still, Claire Strader, who started working at Troy Gardens eight years ago and developed the community farm, is excited by the idea and the opportunity.

"I would be incredibly honored to be offered this position," said Strader. "But this is a great idea, whether or not there is an official White House farmer. Whatever happens will bring attention to the local farm community."

[Kajsa]

24. Fantastic News!

This is great news.

Thanks for posting this.

:woohoo:

[rockedthevoteinMA]

25. Yay!! n/t

[jillan]

26. This vegie gardener is so happy to have a President that represents her.

Wonder if they will compost too.

[lib2DaBone]

27. I Love you Mrs. Obama!....

She is so cool. The "Victory Garden" is making a comeback.....

Let's get all the kids off their fat ass in front of video games and get them out into the garden and helping. Less ADD, Less Diabetes, less hyper syndrome. No more "Grand Theft Auto" and no more "Air Guitar Hero" until they do their chores and help their family.(whoever that family may be)

I know, very opinionated.. but I love Victory Gardens.

--------------------------------------------------------

A related story:

We recently sent over 2 large freezer bags of snap beans and tomato's to a young lady who lives to the rear of our house.

She is 24, has 2 small children and is not working.

We gave her the produce,(all fresh from our garden). She looked at me and said, "What do I do with these?" .

I was taken back by her comment. I'm not offended... I would give her more if she wanted it. But I was confused by the lack of cooking knowledge among some people these days?

I think many folks will be learning to cook again...from scratch. Like it or not. Can you bake a cherry pie from scratch? Maybe not important in the land of "Grand theft Auto" , but definitely important in a land where people are hungry.

We may not be able to get Chicken McNuggets 7 days a week... but we can cook a pot of rice and beans and they taste darn good when you are starving.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

29. She probably needs instructions.

You know there are beans you cook in the pod (like Chinese snow peas), and some that you shell first that need to be soaked.

My grandma tried to teach me how to peel tomatoes. I was not interested. I hate tomatoes anyway, I'm allergic to them. She thought I was supposed to KNOW how to peel stuff, because I have two XX chromosomes. I'm a girl. I told her "They don't have any courses in peeling vegetables at Trinity University!" (where I was going to college at the time).

She was not smart enough to BLANCH them (dunk 'em in hot water for a minute or two) to let the skins slip off easily.

:banghead:



Most people nowadays know absolutely NOTHING about cooking from scratch, even making simple things.

[Autumn]

28. That is wonderful, and

inspirational. I am doing a garden this year, the first time in over twenty some odd years.

[FrenchieCat]

35. Yes!

I love this!

[Kaleko]

36. Setting an example - one of the most important aspects of being President.

I love this family - and I never thought I'd be able to say that about a politician.

[RushIsRot]

37. Couldn't occur at a more auspicious time or more auspicious location.

Go First Family! What a grand example you set.

[Olney Blue]

38. Fresh garden tomatoes, baby lettuce, grilled squash... yummmmmm

[niceypoo]

45. Salad is murder...

....save a tomato, kill and eat vegans

[Undercurrent]

40. Good decision.

Yummy fresh veggies!

Great statement to make to the American people about good health, and a dash of self reliance.

[rasputin1952]

41. It's been years since I've had a garden...

just no place w/the sun at the location where I'm at...:(

There is nothing quite like going out and getting the veggies for a meal right out of the yard!

I can recall when I could "pick a salad" in 15 minutes, everything I needed was right there, (except the mushrooms and cheese)...super fresh, crispy and delicious...

[Blue_Tires]

43. time to grow some hemp?

and set a true example?? :silly: :hide:

[ensho]

44. past time - hemp would really start the economy going

nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

46. Awesome.

Maybe suburbia will follow suit.

[smalll]

48. Two potential issues:

1) If the "White House residence staff" is going to take care of the garden for the First Family, the Obamas will eventually take a hit in the press about it. If they want a garden, surely that's something they could tend to as a family project. Who knows, there may even be legal issues -- the way it looks now, you will have government employees working to produce goods for the President's personal use. People will talk about "plantations" and whatnot. Again, I don't see why it can't be something that Michelle and the girls could tend to on their own (plus the President himself, if he can find the time to do it.)

2) It WILL get out and they WILL take a hit if they grow arugula in the garden. Please, Mr. President, no arugula!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

50. ...

"1) If the "White House residence staff" is going to take care of the garden for the First Family, the Obamas will eventually take a hit in the press about it. If they want a garden, surely that's something they could tend to as a family project. Who knows, there may even be legal issues -- the way it looks now, you will have government employees working to produce goods for the President's personal use. People will talk about "plantations" and whatnot. Again, I don't see why it can't be something that Michelle and the girls could tend to on their own (plus the President himself, if he can find the time to do it.)"

Would you rather the White House garderners were writing tax code?

"2) It WILL get out and they WILL take a hit if they grow arugula in the garden. Please, Mr. President, no arugula!"

Ah, but it's a cunning trap. Anybody complaining about arugula would look really really dumb. They should grow arugula, bok choy, florence fennel, and wasabi. Just to fuck with the dumbasses.

[smalll]

52. It would not be at all wise to grow rich-people veggies in today's economic environment.

Wow. Arugula, bok choy, florence fennel and wasabi. That would be a real let them eat cake moment. I trust the Obamas are smart enough not to make those kind of mistakes.

(Florence fennel? Never heard of that one before. Wasabi? I always thought that was some expensive, nasty-tasting Japanese sauce. I guess it comes from a plant. Who knew?)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

53. Rich-people veggies? You can buy seeds for pennies in the grocery store.

"Wow. Arugula, bok choy, florence fennel and wasabi. That would be a real let them eat cake moment. I trust the Obamas are smart enough not to make those kind of mistakes."

Perhaps you miss my point.

Anybody making an issue of these vegetables would look like a first class buffoon.

[rvablue]

54. Your rational explanation will fall on deaf ears. That one doesn't seem to have a single positive

thing to say today, even about the most innocuous and innocent threads.

The "rich people vegetables" says it all......:eyes:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

61. You know what? Real men grow beef in their gardens. Everybody knows that. nt

[SemiCharmedQuark]

58. What the hell. Let's just grow ketchup there

A REAL American Vegetable :)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

66. The wingnuts will use it to attack John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry.

This garden is just a horrible idea!

[appal_jack]

51. no garden is complete without arugula

Claims of elitism by primped-up 'news' commentators (or is that common-taters?) be damned. Arugula is delicious, good for you, and easy to grow (in spring, fall, and winter only in DC - summers there probably get too hot).

Regarding the staff helping to keep the garden, your concern is perhaps well-founded, but really, what does a first family do completely on their own? Given that President Obama is tasked with providing leadership to and over-seeing the whole US government, Mrs. Obama must be an excellent mother and White House hostess, etc., I don't think that they need to be 100% own-labor gardeners any more than they need to be cooks, carpenters, plumbers, or interior decorators. At the level of the White House, all of these tasks involve support staff, and I hope that the Obama family can get the message out that their organic garden is setting a good example for the country, whomever helps with it.

-app

[Undercurrent]

55. Huh?

It's OK for the White House staff to cook it, but not grow it?

The White House staff will tend the gardens, as opposed to the Parks Department who historically tended the herb garden along with all the other gardens. So it's OK for the Parks Department to grow food eaten by the First Family, but not the White House staff who cook the food?




The White House sous-chef clips rosemary to use in an upcoming dinner in 2007 (Time | Brooks Kraft)


The First Lady’s Garden

The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, like the Rose Garden, is based on a traditional 18th century American garden. Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson continued the garden's restoration plans approved by President and Mrs. Kennedy and the National Park Service. The East Garden was dedicated by Mrs. Johnson as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden on April 22, 1965, although it has been called the "First Lady's Garden" by some later administrations.

The garden has a large fescue grass panel in the center and is framed on the north and south sides by a holly hedge. The East Colonnade, located on the garden's north side, is lined by a row of linden trees. Planting beds, bordered by boxwoods, are filled with tulips, pansies and grape hyacinth. Rosemary, thyme, and other herbs, planted under the eight American holly trees, are regularly used by the White House chefs.

The previous garden had a large reflecting pool in the center and was first created by Beatrix Farrand for President and Mrs. Wilson, although Mrs. Wilson died before seeing it completed.
http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/grounds/kennedy-garden.htm

[Beaverhausen]

56. Are you nuts? The Obamas live at the White House. There is staff there that works for the family

I'm fairly certain the Obama's don't pay the cook out of their own pockets.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

63. The First Family is not mowing the lawn or pruning the shrubs...

why would you expect them to fully maintain the garden?

The White House could go the route of Alice Water's Edible Schoolyards and get local students involved:

http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/

She and some of her students were featured on 60 Minutes last Sunday and the kids were thrilled to be digging in the dirt then dining on the fruits of their labor.

If the Governors of Maine, North Carolina and New York are eating from gardens planted at their official residences, I'm sure the White House can figure out the legality of it:

Eat the View!
http://www.eattheview.org/

Let the racists say what they will about "plantations," it will only make them look smaller. And just to make you happy, they can plant a variety of "hick" food and "snob" food, whatever that may be.

This is a fabulous idea. Maybe next there will be a push to get the Carter solar panels up and running again.

[Dappleganger]

49. So which one of ya'll is gonna post...

the first thread telling the First Lady what she should and should not plant in the garden because it's the 'People's Garden'??

:sarcasm:

[demokatgurrl]

69. Never mind that- what should she WEAR in the garden?

tank tops???

[asdjrocky]

59. I'm very happy to hear this.

I was so hoping this would happen and I really hope the word gets out there and it starts a real trend. Here's a one day harvest from my garden last year...

[rvablue]

65. Delicious and nutritous....you're making me hungry! n/t

[politicasista]

60. Awesome! n/t

[Fleshdancer]

62. Great idea! I hope the girls get involved

Kids have a lot of fun doing stuff like this. My kid is more willing to eat the veggies when she helps plant and water them.

[1776Forever]

67. Fantastic! I know the kids will love it! My Granddaughter grows prize winning pumpkins every year.

Along with the pumpkins she and her Dad have a great garden. I remember when my kids were small and the fun it was to grow the seeds and harvest the wonderful veggies. There is nothing better then food right from your own garden! I cannot wait to see pictures!

:loveya:

[Tx4obama]

68. Other articles

regarding the new White House Veggie Garden

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?_r=1&ref=dining

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/white-house-kitchen-garde_n_177121.html

[Peacetrain]

71. Vegetable gardening, one of the great joys of my life

[LynneSin]

72. A garden is also a wonderful project for the girls to be a part of

My niece worked with her grandfather (my stepfather) and they won a local gardening award. I realize that it's tough for Barack & Michelle to work the garden but perhaps this is something that the girls can do with their grandmother. And it will be an inspiration for other girls & boys to help out with a local garden.

I might even plant one this year.

And edit note:

What's crazy is when our country was at war decades ago - families made sacrifices and turned to local gardening to help make ends meet when foods were rationed. Everyone helped with the war with their 'victory gardens'.

I think now is a great time to promote gardening to those who might have a tough time making ends meet. Even if you can't plant a full garden you can start with a large pot and put in it a Tomato Plant or Strawberry's.

[DinahMoeHum]

74. Odds are, they will fertilize the garden by composting the vegetable wastes

generated from the WH kitchens.

Plus a beehive or two in the area. Attract the little buzzers to pollinate the garden AND make honey. How kewl is that ?!?!?

:9:9:9