Whether there would be a White House garden has been more than a matter of landscaping. It’s taken on political and environmental symbolism as the Obamas have been lobbied for months by advocates [not "leaderz"...] who believe that growing more food locally could lead to healthier eating and lessen reliance on huge industrial farms that use more oil for transportation and chemicals for fertilizer.
Again, pressure works. More like this, please.
The plots will be in raised beds [they'll learn ;-)] fertilized with White House compost, crab meal from the Chesapeake Bay, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying mantises will help control harmful bugs.
Reminds me that this year I have to think about an insectarium.
Cristeta Comerford, the White House’s executive chef, is eager to plan menus around the garden, and Bill Yosses, the pastry chef, is looking forward to berry season.
Sam Kass, an assistant White House chef who prepared healthful meals for the Obama family in Chicago and is an advocate of local food, will oversee the garden. The White House grounds crew and kitchen staff will do most of the work, but other White House staff members have volunteered.
“First of all,” Mrs. Obama said, “there’s nothing really cooler than coming to the White House and harvesting some of the vegetables and being in the kitchen with Cris and Sam and Bill, and cutting and cooking and actually experiencing the joys of your work.”
For children [not adults?!], she said, food is all about taste, and fresh and local taste better.
“A real delicious heirloom tomato is one of the sweetest things that you’ll ever eat,” [Yes!] she said. “And my children know the difference, and that’s how I’ve been able to get them to try different things.
Now, if this good thing translates into policy.....
NOTE Of course, it would be nice if growing their own food wasn't looking like a necessity for so many people. That would be a win. Via Susie
- lambert's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- 1+[CSE]+#b94+
Front page
Comments
Victory garden
Yeah, it's almost looking like people don't have to reach very far to compare this to the victory garden movement. lol
Maybe, it's naivete, but I'm not surprised he did this, given that it wasn't exactly a campaign promise (I don't believe). I'm glad, but I personally wouldn't call him doing this huge, though, him doing it has huge general applications and implications.
Speaking of small(er)-scaled agriculture, in general, there was just an article out in the Detroit News, up here, a few days back, detailing small-scale farming beginning to take root, again. This isn't specifically about "green" agriculture (though, I suspect most of these new smaller farms are applying some or most of green principles), but it's about a return to more sensibly-scaled agriculture, and I hope it continues. Given Michigan's economic halt, this will only become more prevelant.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
"The plots will be in raised beds [they'll learn ;-)]"
What the frak is wrong with raised beds?
I was hoping those would work while reducing gardening back strain.
Raised beds are great
I know a lot of people who are very happy with them.
However, they sound like work, so I want to experiment with sheet mulch. After all, a lot of the back problems are from the labor of weeding, and sheet mulch, so it is said, reduces weeds.
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Mahatma Gandhi