This rocks! Seriously.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?_r=1&em
White House vegetable garden
That is very cool. I signed some petition or other before he got elected, asking for a veggie garden on the White House lawn, for all those good reasons...... lol! Course, in this article none of that is mentioned*, the petition thingeroo, but still, it is way cool, thanks for posting!
Kyla
*Editing to say, I have to take it back, gave the story another read and yes they do mention the advocacy, so even more cool. ;-)
This message was edited Mar 19, 2009 6:38 PM
Wow! What a role model.
I can't believe she said that last paragraph. It needed saying but that's one gutsy lady. She just stepped on some big toes in a major way and I love it.
The folks at my local seed and feed said they're having the biggest sales ever in the 22 years they've been there. I wish all these new gardeners much success and certainly hope they stick with it.
I signed that petition too and it's great to see action.
Oh, you mean the "eliminating processed food" part? LOL!
I liked her description of her Mom, how she would oversee the weeding. hahahaha you missed a spot, tee hee.....
Yeah, that's the part I meant. I bet she knew exactly what she was doing and maybe it's a signal of things to come.
There is a large segment of the population that regards getting dirty and sweating in the act of growing food as menial and beneath their dignity. Maybe she can actually promote it as a healthy family activity. I liked that the cost for seeds and such was mentioned so people aren't thinking they're eating $64 tomatoes.
hopefully, that will mean we have her support to not enact HB875
=)
I signed the petition as well and even sent some money to a non-profit promoting the concept. I'm just stunned that it actually happened and in more than a token way. I hope it gets the media attention it deserves. With everything else going on to recognize this as an important element for the present and especially the future speaks volumes of the first lady and her advisers. Z
Let's see if I can post this, diagram of the plan of the garden, from the Kitchen Gardeners International mailing I just got.
No maters.
Interesting....
Here is their press release:
100,000 Applaud Announcement of a New White House Food Garden
Environment, Nation’s Food System and People's Health Stand to Benefit
by Roger Doiron
http://www.kitchengardeners.org
(Scarborough, Maine) –100,000 people signed a petition asking the Obamas to replant a Victory Garden at the White House, and recent news reports indicate that they are about to reap what they sowed.
For advocates of sustainable and healthy foods, this harvest of good news was as welcome as the summer’s first red-ripe tomato. “I’m thrilled for the Obama family and for all who will be inspired by their example to grow gardens of their own this year,” said Roger Doiron, founder of the nonprofit Kitchen Gardeners International and leader of the successful petition campaign, “Eat the View.”
Launched in February 2008, Eat the View proposed that the Obamas replant a White House Victory Garden while planting a few extra rows for the hungry. The campaign used viral videos and social networking technologies like Facebook to grow a large support base, attract international media attention and help inspire a larger grassroots effort. In January, 2009, Eat the View won the “On Day One” contest sponsored by the United Nations Foundation, beating out 4,000 other entries and resulting in thousands of messages being sent to the White House in support of its proposal.
Over the course of the past month, the Eat the View campaign has touted the economic benefits of home gardens as part of its pitch to White House staff members. As proof, Doiron and his wife spent nine months weighing and recording each vegetable they pulled from their 1,600-square-foot garden outside Portland, Maine. After counting the final winter leaves of salad, they found that they had saved about $2,150 by growing produce for their family of five instead of buying it. “If you consider that there are millions of American families who could be making similar, home-grown savings, those are no small potatoes,” Doiron said.
Although the White House garden campaign is now winding down, Doiron says the Eat the View campaign is just getting warmed up. “Now that the Obamas are on board, we’re going to be reaching out to other people and identifying other high-profile pieces of land that could be transformed into edible landscapes. Sprawling lawns around governors’ residences, schoolyards, vacant urban lots: those are all views that should be eaten.”
History of Harvest at the White House
While the Obamas’ garden and the online technologies that campaigned for it might be new, the idea of an edible landscape at the White House is not. Throughout its history, the White House has been home to food gardens of different shapes and sizes and even to a lawn-mowing herd of sheep in 1918. The appeal of the White House garden project, Doiron asserts, is that it serves as a bridge between the country’s past and its future. “The last time food was grown on the White House lawn was in 1943, when the country was at war, the economy was struggling and people were looking to the First Family for leadership. It made sense before and it makes sense again as we try to live within our own means and those of the planet.”
that must be the early or fall garden--no peppers or squash or pole beans or cukes either
cool plan though
For DC, that would be an early cool weather planting. Cukes and peppers would have to wait until May.
Check this out. It's a clip from a 60 Minutes program that I watched last week. She was talking about getting a Veggie Garden at the White House. Some of her ideas are a little unrealistic in today's dual working or single parent homes. But very interesting.
Alice Waters has been preaching the virtues of cultivating fresh food for decades. As Lesley Stahl reports, this world-renowned chef and restaurateur hopes a slower approach to the food we eat will keeps us healthier and greener.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4867014n
they need to figure out how to grow money trees....
DG Article
Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden!
By Darius Van d'Rhys
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2367/
Thank you angiegr
dmj1215 mentioned almost in passing that perhaps the First Lady might help in thwarting passage of H.R. 875/S 425. These resolutions are of very great importance to all home gardeners and organic farmers/farmers' markets, and present a possible threat to all organic growing (and seed banking!!!) efforts, as the sponsor is the wife of a Monsanto employee, under the guise of legislation for food safety. Please google these resolution numbers and you will find a lot of info.
I didn't mention it "in passing"--look at this thread (by me)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/961171/
Debbie
My husband ordered Alice Water's cookbook for me after seeing her on 60 Minutes. It's great, would be a really good one to give to a new gardener or a novice cook. Great all around cooking information. Deb
i just sent an e-mail to the white house for Mrs. Obama to congratulate her on starting the white house vegetable garden and also to invite her to join the daves garden website. i even offered to pay for her first years membership. LOL
Im just curious how much a couple heads of cabbage are going to cost us. I LOVE the idea of a garden. I just dont like the idea of paying for it in a climate that you cant grow much. I sure hope they are getting volunteers to tend it. I have a feeling the Mrs. isnt going to be out bending over weeding on E street.
That sounds more negative than I meant it, I hope they DO get something to eat out of there.
The president and his family are responsible for paying for the everyday food they consume in the white house. Curious who gets the bill for their garden.
quoted from above...
were looking to the First Family for leadership. It made sense before and it makes sense again as we try to live within our own means and those of the planet.”
Who exactly is trying to live whithin their means??? Crazy. I thought they just printed 2 trillion more.
Why can't you grow much in Washington, D.C.? I grow a ton of food three hours north of that. And what's especially important about this venture, of course, is the example it sets. Seed sellers are already experiencing greatly increased sales, and this should simply build on that trend.
The land where Washington DC was built was such productive farmland that it took a long time just to convince the owners that it should be used for the national capital--way off there thinking you can't grow much there.
edited to add--at least this might convince more people to eat healthy foods. As far as tax dollar spending goes--quite frankly, I'm tired of paying the medical bills of obese people.
This message was edited Mar 23, 2009 7:22 AM
the garden is about the only thing i agree on with this administration. LOL
I hope it encourages someone to plant their own. I was just stating that the most expensive veggies in the country will be grown there.
Growing veggies isnt that cheap anyway, I guess it could be. But I think there are so so many other benifits. The fresh fruit and veggies are so good for you....(altho I didnt realize 'thin' people got free health care and we were only paying for the obese). I think that gardening is good for ones slef esteem and emotional well being, you make lots of good friends and there is always something to learn, which is good for the brain. I grow them because I like to pick my veggies when small. Dont have that choice at the grocery. Not to mention, everyone and everything that have touched those store bought veggies.
Can you buy seeds with food stamps? Veggie seeds that is.
I think it's a great idea. One of the chef's is going to oversee the garden and most of the work is going to be done by the landscaping crew. It was stated that the family will spend sometime working in the garden and I think they will but not what you or I would. I expect it will be a good producer as it's a showcase garden to promote healthy eating. Love the way they have included such a wide variety and even the beehives.
A little off topic but talking about promoting Veggie Gardening. Do any of you watch HGTV? Have you noticed or do you think that they don't have as many Gardening Shows as they use to?
HGTV??? I think they should take the "G" out of the title. I'm getting a little tired of seeing how to clean up your own house to sell. Some people are sure ignorant about the mess they live in. I have seen on weekend mornings more landscaping shows but haven't seen a gardening show for a long time. You would think in the winter when all of us gardeners actually have time to learn and see something new they would program some gardening shows. Apparently there aren't many gardeners on the programming staff. We don't get DIY network. Is that channel any better? Just needed to vent. Happy gardening. Can't start here yet. Still under water - not like ND. Thank Goodness!
I echo your frustration concerning the cancelling of gardening shows on HGTV. I especially loved the ORIGINAL "Victory Garden" with Jim Crockett and then Bob Thomson. I would be happy to see reruns. Isn't there a "Classic This Old House"? Why not a "Classic Victory Garden"?
I guess that programming decisions are based solely on ratings and ad sales. A lot of people must have been watching the "house flipping" shows. Ironically, it has been said that the practice of depending on the increase in house resale value over time helped start the current ecomonic woes--and put the Obamas in the White House.
Concerning the White House garden, maybe someone should send Mrs. Obama some (open-pollinated!) tomato seeds. Or present her with a tomato seedling. That would be a nice photo op. And she'd have to plant it. What is a veggie garden without tomatoes?
It's too early for tomatoes in DC right now, another month to wait.
gardenglory, yes you can purchase vegetable seeds with food stamps.
Mrs. Obama has said elsewhere she likes heirloom tomatoes, so I'm sure they will plant some in the WH garden.
I used to watch HGTV a lot, not anymore. I can't remember when I last saw a gardening show on there when I was watching it. I've quit watching the Food Ntework channel as well, except occasionally catching late-night re-runs of Alton brown. I hate most of their shows anymore.
Im glad about that...you should be able to. I wonder if anyone in the 'system' ever pushes growing vegetables. Shoot, the county could even dontate recylcle bins as growing containers to help get you started.
Ditto on both of those channels. No gardening...no quilting anymore. Havent seen the food network in ages. Love Alton, just got my Shriley Courier 'cookwise' cookbook out the other day. I really miss Her with Alton.
gg, something that most folks overlook is the sales tax on vegetable seeds or seedlings. They are supposed to be taxed at the FOOD rate, not general sales tax rates. Of course, with food stamps, they are tax-free.
I sent a comment to HGTV a couple of weeks ago. I didn't expect an answer to the comment. They send answers to questions but if you just send a comment you are not likely to get a reply. Nice to know that many of you have also noticed. With today's renewed interest in Veggie gardening you would think that they would have picked up on that and maybe did some series on basic gardening and the more ornamental aspects of Veggie gardens. I would love a show on creating a practical and ornamental Veggie garden.
I really like the new WH garden and think it is a wonderful idea. I believe if you read the articles or see anything more than just a sound bite you see that all the people involved are getting the credit for the work and effort they are putting in. I think that sometimes the TV 2 min sound bites don't give that whole view.
Pennsylvania garden centers expect steady spring
Garden centers and florists in northern Pennsylvania are seeing strong sales in early spring, the Olean Times Herald reported. Pleasant Valley Greenhouse and Nursery and Stayer's Greenhouse did a steady business in Easter plant sales. Owners have received many inquiries from locals looking to start gardens—many motivated by the kitchen garden started at the White House.
White House garden could influence eating patterns
Interest in the White House's vegetable garden could counter declines in Americans eating homegrown vegetables, according to the market research firm NPD Group.
In 1984, Americans ate approximately 95 homegrown fruits and vegetables annually. By 2008 this had dropped to 28. “It's possible that the White House vegetable garden will renew the public's interest in homegrown fruits and vegetables,” said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at NPD and author of Eating Patterns in America. “There had been a steady decline in the consumption of homegrown produce, but it's leveled off the last few years.”
According to Balzer, married couples, ages 65 to 75, eat the most homegrown fruits and vegetables out of any household group. Next is the 75 and older age group, followed by affluent empty nesters and then dual-income couples with no children.
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090409005535&newsLang=en
There is this comic strip picking up the trend: http://www.gocomics.com/onaclaireday
Yeah and the responses are perfect! LOL!
Cute!
I wonder about the numbers in the accounting of how many homegrown fruits and veggies we eat... is "28" individual items, like 28 tomatoes? Or is it varieties? If it's varieties, I'm way below average... not many varieties in MY garden. Even when my newly-planted fruits mature, I doubt I'd reach 28.
However, IF the numbers are total individual units, I think we ALL are in trouble. Eating a mere 28 "pieces" of homegrown tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, cucumbers and the like, makes for a very poor, unbalanced diet.
dairus, Yep, that's us (not that old yet) but Ric and I retired, the kids are all grown and out of the house. Many, many years ago we had a veggie garden but with 4 children, full time jobs and a barn full of animals just didn't have the time. Fresh homegrown Veggies just wasn't a priority. The old Veggie garden mostly went to perennial weeds with just an old asparagus bed (we didn't even bother to harvest) and the occasional pumpkin growing. Then 3 years ago just before I retired we started to clean it up and put it back into production. This year should see it entirely cleared and hopefully the most productive.
First Lady's Organic Garden Concerns Chemical Firms
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/first-ladys-organic-garden-concerns-chemical-companies-2009-04-09.html
Golly, they don't want us to think before we use or eat chemicals? Tough nuts.