Michelle Obama to create an organic 'victory' garden at the White House

Not sure if this should be in Fragile Earth, but it seemed to fit, please change it if necessary. Also did a search and did not find another thread on this. Sorry if someone else has posted this.

www.guardian.co.uk...

Just beyond the new swings the Obamas have installed for Sasha and Malia in the grounds of the White House, the first lady yesterday [Friday] and 26 Washington schoolchildren began digging a 1,100-square-foot organic kitchen garden on the South Lawn.

This is excellent, especially with the recent Monsanto issues coming up. YAY.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Looks like they will have up to 55 different veges, berries and herbs that their kitchen staff is helping to choose.

www.nytimes.com...

Looks as if they will also have two bee hives the will be taken care of.

The plots will be in raised beds fertilized with White House compost, crab meal from the Chesapeake Bay, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying mantises will help control harmful bugs.

Which is some of what I do as it's much easier to take care of.

My neighbor is constantly spraying poison in his yard, so keeping lady bugs and praying mantises alive and well is an issue. Every year a buy live ones and release into my yard. If my neighbors would stop poisoning all the time, I would not have to keep replacing them.

Peace

***************Disclaimer**************

The following post is by no means intended to be disrespectful to anyone, including white folks, rednecks, blacks, good ole boys or the occasional Yankee that fits in.

Nor is it intended to be racist, elitist or any other kind of bad thing. It is strictly the weird wanderings of my sick and abused brain.

*************************************************************

The Presidents Garden

I knew this was going to happen. With my attitude for forecasting the future I should be the resident fortune teller for ATS. I called it right again.

The day after our president was elected I predicted that the rose garden at the white house would be dug up and watermelon and greens would be planted.

So, what greets me as my first topic on ATS this morning? The white house garden plans.

Well shut my mouth and pass the biscuits. I knew it. White house watermelons. Thankfully they didn't dig up the rose bushes. Those buggers take years to mature and present their best buds.

Now I like my collards and corn bread just as much as any southerner and I'll cut a watermelon in pieces right there where it lays in the Field and munch down. Grandaddy was a gentleman farmer so I had all my youth to hone in on being the best at watermelon seed, spitting.

I would like our president to know that I did not vote for him. But I could be persuaded to vote for him if he still wants the job next term.

If his watermelons and vegetables are as good as mine that I planted last week I will certainly entertain his position in a more hospitable way.

Now may I implore all others not to make any derogatory remarks concerning us rednecks and our black brothers and sisters because we do love our watermelon and greens.

Please check with the Surgeon General of the USA and you will see that both garden beauties are chock full of healthy nutrients.

Good luck Mr. President. May we all have lots of sunshine and plenty of rain on our gardens.

[edit on 22-3-2009 by dizziedame]

[edit on 22-3-2009 by dizziedame]

This is pretty awesome, I think everyone should try to grow food for themselves if at all possible. Even if you just start out "container" growing, which is something everyone can do, even in an apartment.

A site that discusses container gardening.

If you search "container gardening" organic you will find a lot of really good sites.

If you find yourself interested in organic gardening, the internet is full of great sites that will assist you in getting started. Remember, no poisons are used in organic gardening, and no genetically altered seeds.

My favorite place to get seeds from As well as having a lot of good information to get you started.

Peace

reply to post by dizziedame


No they did not dig up a rose garden, they dug up some grass in the same area as their children's play set. I love flowers, and roses. But truthfully, if this garden feeds people and the only place to plant a garden happened to be a rose garden, I would say go for it. BUT, remember that beneficial flowers etc need to be placed in and around an organic garden, so this would just NOT make any real sense.

Your posting seems pretty derogatory as well as racist and uninformed about organic gardening. I wonder why you would be upset at someone ANYONE looking at growing their own food.

Peace

The New Farm Bill could make this garden illegal, unless she uses Monsanto GM seeds, Monsanto insecticides, and Monsanto fertilizers.
Your Backyard Garden could be Next

Corporate Agro has waged war against organic gardening and local farmers markets. I am all for a White House Garden, and a garden for every homeowner. It is healthy and good for the economy, but the Agro powerhouses are against it.

reply to post by amazed


*thumbs up* There had been a Facebook group and petition to try and see this done. I'm impressed that it pulled through. And proud. And happy.

This is beyond silly.

She does the 'play for the press thing' by having a veggie garden planted at the White House (is she out digging in it everyday? Doubt it) but then she throws the uber-expensive Wednesday Night cocktail parties .

The 100$ an OZ Kobe beef that is served isn't grown in that veggie garden.
Neither is the champagne. Or the rest of what is served EVERY Wednesday evening.

It's a publicity stunt. Nothing more.

reply to post by FlyersFan


They all pull publicity stunts, and this is by far one of the best I've seen. If it encourages anyone to plant their own garden, GOOD!

Nancy Reagan: Just say no
hillary: It takes a village
laura Bush: Um somebody help me out here..."try Paxil"??

reply to post by FlyersFan


Of course it is a publicity stunt. If it gets others so start a home garden, then it has worked just like the victory garden the White House had during WWII. Eleanor Roosevelt started a victory garden for the very same purpose and it worked. Nothing wrong with this kind of publicity "stunt." When you consider that there has been a very vocal campaign by the public for the White House to restart the garden, it is highly understandable. No one is expecting the garden to feed all the dignitaries that visit Washington. It is a symbolic garden, not a commercial one, but the idea has merit.

Okay so maybe it's a publicity stunt but...
apps.facebook.com...

If you have Facebook you can probably view that. But really, there was a definite movement for it, which I took part in along with thousands of other people.

So it didn't just come out of nowhere.

To: President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama
We petition that…
you instruct the White House's 13-person grounds crew to plant an organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and local food pantries. The White House is "America's House" and should serve as a model at a time of economic and environmental crisis. In setting aside even a small part of the White House's 18 acres for this garden and eating from it, you would not be breaking with tradition, but returning to it (the White House has had organic food gardens before) and leading by personal example on global challenges such as economic security, food security, climate change, health care, and energy independence.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Has 84827 signatures right now and growing still (not sure why, since it has been fulfilled)

I cannot celebrate this garden until Mrs. Prez -
takes a stand for the world -

by demanding the end to Monsanto's GMO foods
laden with their poisonous pesticides -

that the rest of the good folks on this planet
are UNKNOWINGLY putting everyday on their tables
for themselves and their children to eat.

It should not be organic non-GMO's for some and not for others.

Originally posted by Terapin
The New Farm Bill could make this garden illegal, unless she uses Monsanto GM seeds, Monsanto insecticides, and Monsanto fertilizers.
Your Backyard Garden could be Next

Corporate Agro has waged war against organic gardening and local farmers markets. I am all for a White House Garden, and a garden for every homeowner. It is healthy and good for the economy, but the Agro powerhouses are against it.

Being that they are trying to grow organic, they could not use GMO seeds, it would not be considered organic then.

I am frustrated at this new farm bill that I have read about as well.

Peace

Originally posted by amazed

Originally posted by Terapin
The New Farm Bill could make this garden illegal, unless she uses Monsanto GM seeds, Monsanto insecticides, and Monsanto fertilizers.
Your Backyard Garden could be Next

Corporate Agro has waged war against organic gardening and local farmers markets. I am all for a White House Garden, and a garden for every homeowner. It is healthy and good for the economy, but the Agro powerhouses are against it.

Being that they are trying to grow organic, they could not use GMO seeds, it would not be considered organic then.

I am frustrated at this new farm bill that I have read about as well.

Peace

Exactly! No victory for anyone until everyone is safe from the Monsanto death trap.
How dare they even suggest that this is alright for them - but not alright for the rest of the farmers whose land these pesticides have virtually turned into a waste land.
Come on Obama's - do the right thing. Get rid of the folks in your cabinet that are promoting the continuation of "bad food" for everyone.

Public stunt, nothing else... At the same time the PR is doing that, they are trying to pass laws to make illegal growing a garden at home, and forcing Monsanto down our throats while the agricultural department is run by Monsanto.

Come on. It's just PR. That's the thing with Obama, he's just good with PR, he's still the same as Bush.

Then some MSM reporter needs to get off his or her butt and do a story about the bill and use the new victory garden in contrast to it. That is the story that needs attention.

Isn't this the kind of story Rush Limpthang loves to wallow in? Hypocrisy?? Is he a friend of Monsanto?? I wonder, all the Obama-hatin-Rush-fans out there ought to insist he do this story. If he won't touch it, it just proves he's a shill for the corporations just like the rest of them and you can fork lift his fat butt off the pedestal.

reply to post by Pilot


Nice job.

I agree that Monsanto needs to be brought down. So I don't understand the Obama haters being negative about this issue. You would think they would be supporting anything that might help point out the negative aspects of this company. Growing non GMO foods, and going organic does just that.

I don't care if this is a publicity stunt, would Obama haters have been complaining if Bush had put in an Organic garden? NO, they would not be crying "publicity stunt". Though Bush would NEVER have done such a thing that was environmentally friendly.

As far as I am concerned, anything that promotes living green, growing your own food and eating healthy is a good thing. The Obama's putting in a garden that is organic is saying "This is a positive thing for people to do", it is also saying in a way that GMO foods are not a good thing.

This year I am trying something new in MY organic garden, I am adding pole beans to my corn garden. Pole beans and corn grow at different depths in the ground, and pole beans add nutrients to the soil that corn needs to grow well. They are complimentary plants, the beans grow up the corn as well and help to keep the corn from being blown over in the wind, and the corn gives the pole beans something to climb up.

Peace

reply to post by amazed


Just for the record. I am personally not an Obama hater. I'm not an anyone hater.
And - I am thrilled that they are putting in an organic garden -
This SHOULD result in GMO's being completely taken out of the food chain -

However, I won't celebrate yet - until that very deed has been done.
I DO think it is a great start in regards to having some leverage.

But the fact remains, that while the Obama's munch on organics - there will be farmers and regular folk who don't have gardens and /or can't afford organic - still struggling - still being poisoned by the corporations control.

Someone in the white house needs to talk about that -
while they talk about their organic garden.

As it stands -
It is still a case of the haves and the have nots.

Originally posted by spinkyboo
reply to post by amazed

 

Just for the record. I am personally not an Obama hater. I'm not an anyone hater.
And - I am thrilled that they are putting in an organic garden -
This SHOULD result in GMO's being completely taken out of the food chain -

However, I won't celebrate yet - until that very deed has been done.
I DO think it is a great start in regards to having some leverage.

But the fact remains, that while the Obama's munch on organics - there will be farmers and regular folk who don't have gardens and /or can't afford organic - still struggling - still being poisoned by the corporations control.

Someone in the white house needs to talk about that -
while they talk about their organic garden.

As it stands -
It is still a case of the haves and the have nots.

I agree that this should be discussed in the white house, have you sent them a letter and/or your reps a letter in regards to this? I have.

I can't afford to buy as much organic these day's as I would like to, so a couple of years ago my husband and I put a greenhouse in our back yard and we grow organically ourselves. It did cost us up front to put in the greenhouse, and to rework other areas in our yard for growing outside of the greenhouse. But it has been worth it. Not only in the foods we are getting, but in the enjoyment my family gets from growing our own foods.

This past Christmas, we had fresh tomatoes from our greenhouse with our dinner. And we had snow on the ground. Can't beat that. And all the fresh herbs I was able to dry myself? OH GOODNESS SOOOO YUMMY. I had so much I was able to give my mom, my sister and my niece herbs and veges as well, so it was not just my immediate family that was able to enjoy organic non GMO foods.

My children have been learning a lot, and I love it when I know they can run outside or to the greenhouse and grab vege's or fruits that I know I have not put poisons on, and that are not GMO.

Honestly, if I could afford it, we would buy a place with more land, so we could also raise our own meats and milk.

This year we are working with our home owners association on putting in a neighborhood organic garden. We have an area that would be perfect in the neighborhood that everyone can get too easily, right next to our park.

So I am trying to advocate healthy organic non GMO foods in my own neighborhood.

Peace

"Even at Monsanto, many in-the-know employees won't consume the company's own GM creations."
By Jeffrey Smith April 1, 2009

NewsWithViews.com

If President Obama's new Food Safety Working Group dedicates all their time and credentials to prevent future food recalls, they will have saved thousands of people--but forsaken millions. Over the last decade, our radically changing diet has ushered in the explosive growth of food-related ailments, such as allergies, asthma, obesity, diabetes, autism, infertility, gastro-intestinal disorders, and learning disabilities. Of all the changes in our food, the most dangerous transformation was the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops. When these gene-spliced concoctions, such as GM soy, corn, canola, and cottonseed, came on the scene in 1996, the proportion of Americans suffering from three or more chronic ailments. After just 9 years, that nearly doubled to 13%. GM foods are the prime suspect. Government policy at odds with science

Until now, the government has sidestepped the controversy by hiding behind FDA policy, which asserts that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are "substantially equivalent" to natural foods and therefore don't require any safety studies. But as Obama acknowledged, "many of the laws and regulations governing food safety in America" are outdated.

In truth, the FDA's GMO policy was not even up-to-date when it was implemented in May 1992. FDA documents made public from a lawsuit revealed that virtually all the agency scientists asked to comment voiced strong warnings that GMOs may cause serious health problems. But the FDA was under orders from the White House to fast track GM foods, and the person in charge of FDA policy was the former attorney of biotech giant Monsanto--and later become their vice president. The scientists and the science were ignored.

Now that animals fed GMOs--in labs and farms around the world--have exhibited symptoms related to the growing list of diseases in the US population, the President's Food Safety team, including Dr. Margaret Hamburg as FDA Commissioner, must update GMO regulation. A scientifically sound regulation would translate into an immediate ban of current GM crops, and the implementation of rigorous safety testing requirements before any GMO was put back into the food supply. And certainly mandatory labeling, as promised by President Obama during his campaign, must accompany any GM food approval.

Presidents and industry insiders avoid GMOs The Obama family has wisely opted out of exposing themselves to GM foods by requiring organic--and therefore non-GMO--foods served at the White House. They are even planting an organic garden on the south lawn of the White House, to feature 55 types of vegetables. The Bush family also had an organic kitchen policy. Laura Bush was "adamant" about it, but kept it all quiet.

Even at Monsanto, many in-the-know employees won't consume the company's own GM creations. Back in 1999, the management of the cafeteria at Monsanto's UK headquarters in High Wycombe, England wrote: "In response to concern raised by our customers . . . we have decided to remove, as far as possible, genetically modified soy and maize (corn) from all food products served in our restaurant. . . . We have taken the above steps to ensure that you, the customer, can feel confident in the food we serve." And one former Monsanto scientist told me that his colleagues, who were safety testing milk from cows injected with the company's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, decided to stop drinking milk--unless it was organic.

It's now time to let us all opt out of this dangerous and failed GM experiment. If Obama's team is serious about food safety and public health, they must take GMOs off our plates and put them back into the laboratory. © 2008 Jeffrey Smith - All Rights Reserved

The white house is well into voodoo today, probably has always been the religion of the white house.