The Obamas' kitchen garden, the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt's World War II Victory Garden, has gotten a lot of press this summer —both good and bad. But this video is the first behind-the-scenes look at all the work that has gone into it, both by White House staffers (and the First Lady herself) but also by Bancroft Elementary School students. The video was released by the White House yesterday, the first day of school for many D.C. area kids. (Thanks to Obamafoodarama for the tip.)
It's a heart-warming video, during which you'll see the transformation of the garden over the course of the summer, from March when Assistant Chef (and Food Initiative Coordinator) Sam Kass and his crew amended the soil with sulfated pot ash and crabmeal ("Our crabs are sourced from the Chesapeake," Kass proudly tells the camera) to June, when the garden is lush and ready to harvest (the garden supplies the salad course for a dinner of 20 of the nation's top economic advisers. Nice!). Throughout First Lady Michelle Obama gets the students involved: they till, they plant, they harvest, and they eat. One kid told Kass that she now eats all of her vegetables at dinner, proving that it's not impossible to instill healthy eating habits in your kids. (I didn't think it was, but some people have their doubts.)
We get a little bit of history on Thomas Jefferson (Kass is using seeds from Monticello), a little how-to info (the crabmeal gives nitrogen and calcium to the soil, increasing its fertility), and some honest talk from First Lady Michelle Obama about her goal of feeding her family "in a healthy way yet quickly." Despite all the work that goes into backyard farming, it's true that once the fruits and veggies mature, there's nothing "faster" than picking them and eating them.
The 1100-square foot garden has produced over 200 pounds of food (as of July) and is still going strong.
One thing I wish the First Lady and Kass had mentioned in the video is how little it cost to produce this abundance: less than $200, according to this transcript from an April garden planting with the students. (Tellingly, one of the students guesses that it cost $100,000.)
Granted, this figure does not include the cost of labor, but as we continue our nationwide conversations on the importance of eating regionally and healthily, it's vital that we also focus on the issue of affordability. Unlike Whole Foods (aka "Whole Paycheck"), which is off limits to much of this country, backyard gardening is not an elitist endeavor. Nor is it solely a rural or suburban endeavor, as you know from my past posts on urban gardening. (And here and here.)
So get out there and get your hands dirty! It's too late this season to start your own vegetable garden but you can still volunteer at community gardens (or rooftop gardens such as Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn or one of these eight around the world). Or simply help out a neighbor by offering to eat his or her produce. (It's harder to eat it all than you think!)
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