Liberation Garden

Ya'll may have heard that the Obamas have sent foodie hearts afluttering all across America with their decision to plant an organic garden on the white house lawn. And it's no joke:

The Obamas will feed their love of Mexican food with cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale. For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White House carpenter, Charlie Brandts, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey

Today, Michelle Obama helped plant the first seedlings, along with some local schoolchildren (err, some local schoolchildren helped to plant the seeds; Michelle wasn't planting any children). I have my doubts as to how often either Michelle or Barack will be getting their hands dirty (especially if there aren't any cameras around) but I love the idea anyway.

James Wimberly makes the point, though, that this garden is more than a statement about eating local, organic, and healthy. It revives the tradition of the founders, who kept gardens (and livestock) on white house grounds, but also recalls the practice of slaves being allowed an off day, one day a week to tend their own personal plots. Now the descendant of slaves will have others to help her produce food close to home:

So the White House kitchen garden marks a full stop at the end of a long line of gardens of slaves and gerdens tended by slaves. Eleanor Roosevelt launched victory gardens. Michelle's is a liberation garden.

PS - viv and i just received our seeds in the mail, and we're looking forward to our own garden once it stops freezing around here! (Assuming of course, that us novice gardeners kill less than 100% of the plants)