The Obama organic vegetable garden will provide food for White House kitchens and learning opportunities for local kids
In an effort to increase awareness of healthy and sustainable eating choices, First Lady Michelle Obama has decided to start an organic vegetable and fruit garden on the East Lawn of the White House (next to the Obama girls’ new swing set). This garden will provide locally grown, organic produce to the White House kitchens, but it will also be a learning opportunity for local students and families. According to an article by The New York Times, “Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington will help her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot in a spot visible to passers-by on E Street…. Students from the school, which has had a garden since 2001, will also help plant, harvest and cook the vegetables, berries and herbs.” The garden, according to Mrs. Obama, is a step towards encouraging healthier eating practices in homes across America that include eating more home-cooked meals containing local produce. “My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”
The idea for the First Lady’s first vegetable garden came from her time trying to raise two girls in the modern world of fast food and prepackaged meals. After living off of what is increasingly becoming an American staple of unhealthy commercialized foods, the Obama children’s doctor recommended new lifestyle choices be made. After switching to local, organic produce, Mrs. Obama found that her children, and she, found that organic produce tastes better. “A real delicious heirloom tomato is one of the sweetest things that you’ll ever eat. And my children know the difference [between organic and commercial produce], and that’s how I’ve been able to get them to try different things.”
This taste difference makes sense, too. According to the Weather Channel’s program Forecast Earth, Tomatoes grown commercially are genetically engineered to be sturdier during transportation, and to have a longer shelf life for the same reason. While these measures result in a better product after thousands of miles of transport, they reduce the quality of taste and texture. Locally grown products do not have to withstand such constraints, and the natural products almost always taste better, and are better for you.
In addition to the health and palatability benefits, locally grown, organic food is often much better for the environment, and the Obamas are aware of this as well. According to the New York Times article, the vegetable garden has “taken on political and environmental symbolism as the Obamas have been lobbied for months by advocates 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.” The spectre of hidden embodied energy in our food is increasingly becoming a big issue, especially when cattle produce more GHG emissions in California than cars, and when the vegetarian dish you eat to avoid this likely was grown in a Chilean ex-rainforest.
But some feel that the Obamas’ message of change can apply to local food as well. Dan Barber, an organic farmer and restaurant owner, believes “the power of Michelle Obama and the garden can create a very powerful message about eating healthy and more delicious food…. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it could translate into real change.” Indeed, Mrs. Obama has already stressed that while backyard gardens are a good idea, the one million-and-growing community gardens already operating in the US have a role to play in the adoption of local food production, and if this isn’t an appealing option, there are steps to be taken as well. “You can begin in your own cupboard by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Community Supported Agriculture provides a great alternative to both harmful commercial produce and expensive store-bought local & organic produce
According to Forecast Earth, some small organic farms are banding together to create coalitions capable of supplying supermarkets with a steady supply of organic produce. “Appalachian Harvest” accomplished this by uniting ex-tobacco farmers and convincing them to switch crops to organic produce. Other methods include “Community Supported Agriculture” farms in which costumers pay up-front for weekly baskets of fresh produce. Customers have the option of participating in “work-share” in which 2-3 hours of farm work per week is exchanged for discounted food prices.
Regardless of the success of the project at creating a nationwide movement, however, this farm is certainly a success at the White House. I don’t know how they accomplished this or if the New York Times simply went crazy, but the total cost for the seeds, mulch, and other materials is reported at $200. It probably helps that they have full-time carpenters and landscapers ready to pitch in work, but still, if the First Family can feed themselves even partially for a one-time payment of $200, that’s the shrewdest spending yet to come out of this administration!
Burros, Marian. “Obamas Prepare to Plant White House Vegetable Garden.” New York Times. March 19, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?_r=1&hp
“A Year of Food Life.” Forecast Earth. November 22, 2008. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155389201/bclid1232414644/bctid2973893001
“Organic Farmers.” Forecast Earth. November 22, 2008. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155389201/bclid1232414644/bctid2973894001
Application: In light of Sam’s work on land-to-student ratios, I don’t think we can have a garden at the green dorm (or R2D2 or whatever) that can support any meaningful fraction of the students. However, as we all travel out and influence the world, I think this can have a huge impact on how business is done. Imagine a huge company such as Google, Disney, IBM, etc, having a large farm on the outskirts of their campus (or resort) to which staff members could go to work in exchange for cheap, fresh, and local produce. It could even be incentivised or mandated (I don’t like that… but just throwing it out there) as part of work as part of a living wage initiative and a chance to promote physical and mental health (going out and working on a farm seems like a great way to burn off steam after a long day at the office!) Imagine a company that gives a ½ day off per week for employees to go work on a farm that produces all the food for the company. I think that would be great!
Tags: Community Garden, Community Supported Agriculture, farming, local, Michelle Obama, Obama, organic, organic farming, White House