An Organic Farm On The White House Grounds

As Michael Pollan wrote in an Open Letter to the next president, "You, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact -- so easy to overlook these past few years -- that the health of a nation's food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention." This is because, as Pollan writes, unless the next president addresses the food system, "[He] will not be able to make significant progress on the health care crisis, energy independence or climate change."

It's crucial that as Obama takes office he begins to think about these issues and how to address them. One of the most important moves he can take is both practical and symbolic. Not only should Obama appoint a chef to the White House who understands good food and will serve meals made from local ingredients, he should appoint a White House Farmer. There is a group that has been touring the country this year promoting the idea of a White House organic farm.

Such a farm, built on the extensive White House grounds, would be a symbol of independence, freedom, and self-sufficiency. But it would also be a symbol of the community that local food production builds. As The White House Organic Farm project lays out in its plan, the farm should involve school children and Americans with disabilities to help grow the farm's produce. The farm should also be built with compost from the food waste of the three branches of government. Its produce, in addition to supplying the White House itself, should be delivered by bicycle to local food pantries and schools.
Read the full story here.

Related:
Graham Hill: 5 Things To Do Post-Vote (No Matter Who Is Winning)
Green Roofs: Practical Questions With Malcolm Gladwell

Comments

[gg3]

THE GREEN HOUSE!!!

[Mercy8 om]

Yes! Let's take the few minutes we on the left have to be constructive in government until a Reagan devotee returns and pulls the plants out and throws them on in the heap where the Jimmy Carter solar panels sit in heap. Besides we need to do our part to support the public discourse that the unthoughtful folks like Limbaugh and Hannity and Savage and Levin will engage in. Let's continue to make sure the American public sees how really destructive, negative and poisonous these death mongerers really are. Let the public see how much they lobby for glutonous wasteful consumption of oil, tobacco, junk food, booze, sex, power, spending, big governent etc by doing what's right for this country and the world in spite of the railing they do to justify their enormous and unbridled addictions.

[PT6]

Good Idea!

Hopefully, we can all benefit!

[Promise]

Jimmy Carter put solar collectors on the roof of the White House and Ronald Regan took them down. I hope Obama puts them back up. Also...how about a windmill? Well, maybe not that, but I do hope they do an organic garden. It would be great for the children and an inspiration for others. Also bird feeders.

[DragonFly]

I'm so for this!
I truly hope the proposal will come to 'fruition'. :)

Can you image proposing such a thing to Bush and Cheney!? Ha!!!

[Chaucea]

I'd love to see a Victory Garden on the White House grounds again. That would be fantastic! :-)

[Bitsko]

Your headline is misleading.

[HutchBev]

a good portion of HuffPost headlines are.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Our entire food chain is diseased and poisoned. The government only subsidises farmers who grow CHEMICALLY, while organic farmers, have to spend more to grow less. It's sad.

Recently, I noticed that there were chemicals and coloring in my oranges...unbelievable. Greens, plants, , are grown in Canada. Why? Less strict growing laws?

I try to buy from farms as much as I can, but they are few and far in between.