By Vanessa Richins

We’ve been talking about it for months as we followed Eat The View’s campaign.

They, along with many others, saw their dream finally come true: the ground for the White House victory garden has been broken.

On March 20th, 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama and students from Bancroft Elementary School (District of Columbia) started working on the new vegetable garden.

Mrs. Obama told reporters that this was the first vegetable garden she had ever had.

She decided to do the garden to help show children that vegetables can be tasty as well as healthy.

As her interview with the NY Times shows,  “A real delicious heirloom tomato is one of the sweetest Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

The community garden movement has reached the global level.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that a community garden will be planted at every USDA facility in the world.

The announcement was made on February 12th, 2009, in honor of President Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

Lincoln was instrumental in changing the science of agriculture and gardening forever. In 1862 he created the Department of Agriculture, and also signed the Morrill Land Grant Act, which created the state university system to teach and study agriculture and the extension service to bring this information to the public.

The first community garden to be planted will be the “USDA The People’s Garden,” located near Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

There has been no official position announced.

However, that hasn’t stopped one site from conducting a search for a “White House Farmer”.

The website was begun in response to Michael Pollan saying that the White House needed to hire a farmer.

“Pollan suggested the farmer be charged with transforming “five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant[ing] in their place an organic fruit and vegetable garden” whose produce will be used by the White House Chef, and given to area food banks.”

From November 2008 – January 2009, the site accepted nominations for the White House Farmer. 111 people were nominated for the position. A poll was Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

A campaign called “Eat the View” wants President-Elect Barack Obama to bring horticultural changes to the White House.

As they explain on their website, “Eat the View” is a campaign to urge President-elect Obama to replant a large organic victory garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.”

They will present Obama with heirloom seeds and a petition about the victory garden.

If you are interested in helping, here are some of the ways they suggest joining the effort:

1. Start in your own community. Find a place nearby and start an edible garden.

2. Sign the petition on their website.

3. Participate in Read the rest of this entry »