(Image credit: Angela N., Flickr)
This month, as Michelle Obama is highlighted in Biography magazine, we couldn’t help but reminisce about the White House Kitchen Garden started by the former first lady in 2009. She received requests and some criticism at the time from “conventional” agricultural interests who thought modern, chemical pest and weed management should not be ignored. However, the south lawn garden remained an organic source of food for the White House kitchen, local schools, and organizations throughout the Obama White House years.
Find pictures of the White House Garden through the years on Instagram. They are still inspiring.
@whkitchengarden
Image Credit: National Park Service
The early, simple garden plan had been updated many times, as tends to happen with gardens over the seasons. The garden grew to include not only vegetables, but fruit, and a productive beehive.
in 2017, Melania Trump stated the garden would stay in place and any surplus will be donated to a charity organization.
A dedication in October of 2016 set a marker stone in the garden that reads, “WHITE HOUSE KITCHEN GARDEN, established in 2009 by First Lady Michelle Obama with the hope of growing a healthier nation for our children.” At this time it was determined the upkeep of the garden will be managed by the National Parks Department, as well a $2.5 million donation by the Burpee foundation.
Over many administrations there were new gardens, additions to gardens, and even a rooftop garden added during the Clinton administration. However none were so celebrated for the size and dedication to include community as the most recent model. The Michelle Obama White House Kitchen Garden was a lively attraction during the Obama years for local chefs, and for school children who learned about growing, tending and eating vegetables. Such visits and the inclusion of community remain unknown for the future, but the garden, for now, will remain in place.
