According to Marian Burros of the New York Times, Michelle Obama will be digging up a patch of the South Lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. And no one, including the president, will escape being conscripted to pull weeds.
The organic garden will not only provide food for the first family but will also play an important role in educating children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.
55 varieties of vegetables will be planted to cater to the Obamas’ love of Mexican food including cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Even White House staff are getting in on the act… a carpenter, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey.
