Saturday, March 21, 2009

Yes!



I do wonder if you think (as I do) that this talking head (interviewer) is completely clueless? Wah! Would the Obama's actually eat food that they actually grew? Oh My! (Oy vey!)

Don't those kids look like they're having fun? I can't wait to get out in the yard and tromp around a bit. Soon.

I do have some garden-y questions, though. I wonder if they had a soil test done? I wonder if they know the number of their local Cooperative Extension Service for advice? And how does Michelle Obama manage to look so gosh darn elegant, even while digging a garden with a bunch of schoolchildren!

It looks like a lot of work - all of that sod removal is kind of old fashioned labor-intensive thinking. The really cool latest and greatest thing would have been to lay down some cardboard or newspapers and layered with some good compost. The "lasagna" method. The article does mention raised beds - no need to dig sod, if that's the case.

But no beets! I wonder if Mr. Obama has ever had a nice piece of chocolate beet cake, or beet greens wilted in a pan with a little olive oil and garlic? He is said to have an open mind!

This will be a positive and fun story to follow as it progresses. Hope they don't neglect to reign in that mint! Is there a compost pile? Will they be canning and sharing recipes?
How about baby beets cooked with honey, orange juice and orange peel?

The New York Times Dining section has a nice article about the Obama family's new White House veggie garden, and a garden layout (here's a link).

UPDATE:
Here (link) is an interesting discussion of the Obama White House vegetable garden.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know that the White House gardeners will be the ones really doing the growing and maintaining of the garden. Still, it's a good idea and a long time in coming.

Betsy said...

I love Michelle's mother's comment about "supervising' the effort. She sounds like a real person with a good attitude, for sure. Just wanted (with my understated humor) to give some props to the whole project, it being so grounded and basic to the way we as a nation and a community could/should be living our real lives, apart from overwhelming Wars for Empire and The Great Financial Mugging.