Michelle Obama is planting a Victory Garden!

15 years ago

I saw this on the news this evening. It may be a first for the White House. Michelle Obama is planting a vegetable garden. Some of the produce is going to food banks, and some of it is going into the White House kitchen.

The news also had a segment about Irish Eyes. From 30,000 pounds of seed potatoes, to meet demand they're now up to 160,000 pounds of seed potatoes. (Which reminds me, I have to get some.)

We are part of a major trend. Next thing you know, Angelina Jolie will be photographed planting onion sets. ;-)

Gosh, I've never been trendy before.

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Comments (10)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
15 years ago
Careful: the organic forum thinks this is a conspiracy to distract away from Monsanto sponsoring HR 875...

Nonetheless, this was the main discussion this morning over breakfast. Good news.

Dan
eatsivy
15 years ago
We were stoked to hear this news too!
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1000 pounds is quite possible with 1100 square feet of veggies. With 1/4 that I harvested almost 500 lbs of squash, okra, eggplant and peppers in 6 months. We were hauling big baskets to work 3x a week. 1 - They start with transplants for almost everything, because they can get them going in the White house greenhouses (yes, they have them on site ... a backstairs tour of that place is amazing) 2 - They are both inter-cropping and succession cropping to maximize yield. And using trellises. 3 - She has STAFF and volunteers to harvest, replace plants, and install new plants. ********** As a "proof of concept" it's a fabulous garden. And it's really made home gardening fashionable again, rescuing it from the hippy-dippy tree-huggers.
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I, too enjoyed the video. As a gardener of sorts I am proud of the First Lady and her garden. Thanks again for sharing.
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What a smart, wonderful woman our first Lady is - - and now a gardener too! Thanks for sharing this. I love that she talks about the link between good wholesome food and reducing children's scary rate of obesity and diabetes. While I myself am a bit partial to chubby babies with rosy cheeks (smile)the sheer number of overweight young children I see out in the world every day is alarming. Food is part of the answer, but activity is too. "Sitting in front of a box - TV, computer, game systems, hand held games" is killing our kids. Get em outside to garden (and run and jump and climb and MOVE) Nancy
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#1- I never said she sits on her backside all day. I said or rather suggested that she should tend it during the shutdown. As I recall, the kitchen garden was started as an example that people should be growing their own organic gardens and eating healthy foods. This was Mrs. Obama's social policy issue. I support this issue. It's similar to Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden. Let the lawn grow or the roses black spot, but save the food. #2 I didn't say she should take care of it by herself. Since it is on the White House lawn it must look nearly perfect. It must function as a show garden for the tourists. She needs assistance to achieve that level of grooming. #3 I know that they occasionally harvest the garden during events while wearing nice clothes. I do not know the total extent of their actual involvement in the garden, but if Mrs. Obama and her children had worked in the garden during the shutdown, it would not have looked as bad as it did. If she truly viewed the garden as her own, she would have gone out there and tended it while the workers were furloughed. A photo op of them working in the garden during the furlough would have really been an inspiration. The source of this story is not "the extreme right wing." The blog that first reported it is devoted to following The White House social scene. The blogger covers the Presidential dinners, events, recipes, gardening, fashion, and stuff like that. I gather from her posts that she really likes the Obamas. According to the blog everything is perfect again in the garden. I don't want to get away from the gardening aspect of my post since this is gardening forum, but since you brought it up I'm not a right wing extremist or left wing extremist. I'm not much of a vanilla political moderate either. I like to make my own observations and form my own opinions about things. It doesn't really do anything for my popularity, but I have become fond of forming my own thoughts.
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billie_ladybug
15 years ago
The only thing it tells me is that they are worried about their approvial rating and trying to find inventive ways to help it.

As far as gardens, gardeners, and the White House, anyone ever hear of Thomas Jefferson?

Billie
lilacs_of_may
Original Author
15 years ago
Huh???

I really don't know where some of you people are getting this stuff. And I'm American. Yes, of course, I know who Thomas Jefferson is. We study American history in school. What would make you think that I didn't?

I was just pleased that gardening had made it to the highest level in the land. Amid all the bad news, I was happy to see something positive on the network news for a change. I've never seen anything underhanded or sneaky about planting vegetables. It surprises me that it's seen as a bad thing.

I thought it was a neat thing to hear about, but now I'm really sorry that I started this thread. It never occurred to me that it would make people angry.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
15 years ago
I thought it was a neat thing to hear about, but now I'm really sorry that I started this thread. It never occurred to me that it would make people angry.

Feh.

Whenever BHO comes on the teevee, the MIL walks out of the room. There are some people who just can't let it go and will find any excuse. Don't worry about it. The good news also is that the statement by Michelle also was explicit about diet and nutrition and obesity, which is what more people need to hear.

Dan
organicallygrown
15 years ago
Lilacs, I was thrilled to see this too! I wish EVERYONE would take a page out of her book and plant SOMETHING, anything. A tomato in a pot on a balcony. A small kitchen garden. We, as Americans, have got to take back responsibility for our health and quit feeding the Agro-Industrial machine (sorry, can't think of the real term for the beasts) which is so horribly undermining our health with their overly processed foods.

'The Omnivore's Delimma' should be required reading for anyone interested in learning where their food comes from.

And, Lilacs, ignore the naysayers. Obama will never be able to do anything right in their eyes. But, most of the country support him and what he is trying to do.

And, this response is not intended to start a political discussion here on the President. It was meant to keep Lilacs from feeling like she was getting jumped on.

Peace?
jnfr
15 years ago
This made me really happy too! Everything that brings gardening, and especially veggie gardening, to people's attention is good, in my opinion.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
15 years ago
IMHO my plan is to semiretire in 10-ish years and have a consultancy teaching people how to garden in their subdivision plot. Why? Peak Oil will be past and people will be looking for ways to save money and have something to do - a hobby that doesn't require driving from their single-use McSuburb area to a different area that has amenities and things to do.

So, Victory Gardens in the White House grounds - and tying them to good nutrition and childhood obesity - is the best outcome that can happen. And the Better Half is going to ensure that everybody will participate - what better role model than that?!?

Dan
jclepine
15 years ago
I read that Michelle was the first First to plant a veggie garden at the WH since Eleanor Roosevelt.

I'm ecstatic!

We went to a symposium Wed and Thurs about bringing "environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and spiritually fulfilling" action to the forefront of our lives, individually and globally.

At one point, we were supposed to imagine with eyes closed what we see for the future.

I gotta say, I imagined a whole dang lot! Some of that was a veggie garden in almost every home with people feeding others and sharing with others.

I know our new persons in office are politicians, but I have absolute faith that we are going to progress in a positive way.

I'm excited and happy to know that she is setting such a simple and grand example of what we can each do.

Victory to all!

Victory to life, love and peace!

J.
foxes_garden
15 years ago
I read recently that the occupants of the White House actually pay for any family (non-state) meals cooked by the kitchen staff. And since they have really good chefs in the kitchen staff, this winds up being a bit of a shock to the budget for each new first family.

Maybe that gave her the idea to start growing veggies... I'm happy to see it in any case!

Michelle Obama is planting a Victory Garden!

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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

eatsivy

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Michelle Obama is planting a Victory Garden!

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