The Obamas began planting a garden on the White House lawn, the first such victory garden to be created since the one Eleanor Roosevelt planted during World War II.
“We’re going to have a beehive,” Michelle Obama announced Friday to “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from Washington-area school children wielding shovels and rakes and hoes to help with the garden groundbreaking. “I’m glad you’re excited, but because my kids aren’t very excited about the beehive. But we’re going to try to make our own honey.”
The garden, which will be overseen by Sam Kass, the Obamas’ former private chef from Chicago, will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners. White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford will write menus based on what’s available in the garden.
In leggings and flat black boots, Mrs. Obama turned soil with a shovel and pitchfork, saying plants will go in the ground – mint, lettuces, berries and perennial herbs – in the next several weeks, with the harvest to be used in both the White House kitchen and a nearby soup kitchen.
According to First Lady Michelle Obama, the biggest reason for growing a garden is to educate children about the benefits of growing fresh produce locally.
“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”.
The First Lady hopes the farming will get her daughters, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, more interested in eating vegetables. “With my kids, especially if they were involved in planting it and picking it, they were much more curious about giving it a try.”
