White House to break ground on 'kitchen garden'

Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden

WASHINGTON — On Friday, Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets (the president doesn’t like them) but arugula will make the cut.

While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern.

In an interview in her office, Mrs. Obama said, “My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

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Edible Gardens & Mini-Farms

Edible Gardens & Mini-Farms
Many schools around the world have planted edible gardens that they use to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. The students plant the gardens and then raise, harvest, and eat the crops, improving their nutrition, their knowledge about plant growth, and their patience.

Some schools have created urban or suburban "mini-farms" that house farm animals such as goats, sheep, chickens, and rabbits on the school grounds. Students practice animal husbandry, collect eggs, make manure compost, and learn skills that are typically rural while living in non-rural settings.