I love when the garden makes “the wire”:
To Michelle Obama, her White House garden is more than a plot of land. It’s also a soapbox.
The South Lawn garden has given Mrs. Obama a platform to speak out about the country’s childhood obesity problem, extol the benefits of eating fresh food, and teach children early to appreciate vegetables.It also has offered Mrs. Obama another way to open the White House to people who don’t normally visit.
The garden now is ready for winter [link added by RW&G], fitted with protective coverings called “hoop houses,” a kind of temporary green house, to help keep various crops — spinach, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, cabbage and other greens — growing during the cold months.
In its first year, aides say the garden has ex-”seeded” expectations. It’s become so popular that even foreign dignitaries ask Mrs. Obama about it when they meet. Crops have been donated to a neighborhood soup kitchen, and the first lady’s green thumb has inspired others to start gardening, too. [More]
Oh, and I meant to mention this before, but Susan Reimer made a case a couple of weeks back for the garden to be “THE” news story of 2009. Not sure if everyone will agree with her op-ed, but I rather like it!
It’s just lovely that this story continues to get press. The more awareness we build about local foods, the better.
Meanwhile, I tagged you at my blog. But no pressures, please. Just another way to draw traffic to your interesting posts. Teresa