Michelle Obama Shops At White House Farmers Market, Talks Healthy Eating

WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama bought cheese, fingerling potatoes, eggs, black kale and other items Thursday at the launch of a new farmers market blocks from the White House.

Before shopping, Mrs. Obama spoke about the importance of healthy eating to about 300 shoppers gathered in the drizzling rain.

"I have never seen so many people so excited about fruits and vegetables," she told the cheering crowd.

The first lady said she wasn't always so invested in healthy foods.

"I was a working mother trying to put it all together," she said. "Takeout food was a primary part of our diet."

But Mrs. Obama explained that she gradually saw the effect eating better had on the health and habits of her children.

"The kind of food that we put into our body gives us the energy to get through the day," she said.

Mrs. Obama praised farmers markets as places where Americans can learn more about how their food is produced.

"You get to know the people who grow your food, how they do it, you know, who they are as people," she said.

These markets play an especially important in neighborhoods where access to healthy options are limited, she added.

The first lady has been promoting locally grown food and healthy eating with a popular vegetable garden at the White House.

Comments

[thetruthmustbetold]

OMG! Her carbon footprint was simular to a midsize American city.
All those cars for protection, the press, etc. Terrible. All this for
a photo opt.

[SuzyQuzyMuzy]

Thank you, Michelle, for your commitment to clean food. But doesn't it contradict with the adminstration choice for food safety czar Michael Taylor? Better get this one straight or health care won't matter because we'll all be dead from toxic food.

[organicthemepark]

Way to go Michelle !! Thanks for your support and being a locavore !! More Americans will discover the benefits of naturally grown and organic certified produce - powerful flavor and super antioxidants in green kale (just steam it for 2 mins!!).

[BradSmith]

It was an expensive photo op however it wasn't even close to what it cost the country to have Hillary in charge of health insurance with Bill?

On a seperate note there is a real need for inner city grocery stores. In some places it's very hard to get to a store and back without a car. Imagine taking the bus for two or three hours to get to a supermarket? Believe it or not it happens all the time.

I doubt if expensive organic foods are the answer to this problem. She did point out that if you use foodstamps you will get a 50% discount at this one, however as that still leaves it about twice the price of what it is at wallmart it probably won't do much good.

[ResidualSelfImage]

What the bottom third will eat;

Obama appoints Monsanto fox to guard food safety hen house

Former Monsanto vice president Michael Taylor may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history. Yet he has recently been appointed by Obama to be the U.S. food safety czar. It looks like we have yet another case of the fox guarding the hen house.

The safety of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in the public food supply has been hotly debated in Europe. As a result, labeling laws have been enacted there to allow consumers choice in the matter. Yet in the U.S., the powerful agriculture lobby, which is dominated by Monsanto and a few other mega-corporations, has managed to keep the GMO debate out of the media spotlight and thus out of public awareness.

Respected researcher Jeffrey Smith has worked tirelessly on this vital topic to report what the media has failed to cover. Below are excerpts of his comments regarding the recent appointment of the FDA's new food czar.
http://www.examiner.com/x-6495-US-Intelligence-Examiner~y2009m8d23-Obama-appoints-Monsanto-fox-to-guard-food-safety-hen-house

[Tim303]

Yay.

[skippyB]

This is such good news - and I wonder if the White House garden will be a tad larger next year. Gardening - it's great for the arms!

[Ankur Moulik]

Healthy foods are always preferred first.Great to hear this thing.

[Brute]

Barack and Michelle Antoinette: Let Them Eat Kobe Steak!

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/04/barack-and-michelle-antoinette-let-them-eat-kobe-steak.html

[Brute]

Several Tons Of Carbon Emitted............

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/17/AR2009091703679_pf.html

[Glenora]

What did her trip to the farmers market cost the taxpayers?

[Actongue]

Lets see.

A trip to Crawford Texas by good ol' Bush (77 times and that is not even including Camp David), or a going a few hundred feet down the road to a Farmers Market.

I would have to say that Bush cost the Taxpayers alot more for his junkets to Crawford alot more then the current 1st lady did by buying produce and other items from the market.

Yea I know its logic and thats why Republcian's can't comprehend it.

[uncomplicatedlife]

Bush? Who said anything about him. The question was about the First Lady's shopping trip.

Stop being so defensive. Regardless of your politcal leanings, the reported 3 dozen vehicles, blocking off the streets and sidewalks seems a bit excessive for a run to the market. She has people for this stuff.

[vkobaya]

In addition to which Michelle brought back fresh organic vegetables where as Bush zipped down to Crawford for a gourmet feast of barbecued chicken or turkey hot dogs with Budweister or even Brew 102.

[Blimpius]

I'm so relieved that the First Lady needs to tell us how to shop and how to eat while spending likely 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars to have a THIRTY SIX CAR PARADE whisk her a couple of blocks down the street to the market. Maybe she purchased some carbon offsets beforehand to help fight non-existent global warming. That way she can feel better about herself.

Once again the hypocrisy from the left is stunning. Had Laura Bush pulled such a stunt she would be being vilified on the HP today.

[burtmckinly]

A thirty-six car parade? So, assuming they were all extra-large sport's utility vehicles containing seven secret service agents apiece, that would mean around 250 of the reported 300 cheering attendees at the market were members of the Obama White House Entourage. The other fifty were probably vendors and their helpers indicating that it is likely the market was off limits to the general public. Thanks for helping me answer three of the questions I posted below.

[Tim303]

I'd rather be a hypocrite than a cynic.

Cynics are disguised hypocrites.

[burtmckinly]

I think it's great the the Obamas are promoting healthy eating, especially in the midst of the current morbid obesity pandemic.

But the article left me wondering about a few things:

First of all, why are they bothering to shop at a White House Farmers Market if the White House already has an organic farm? Or does the White House Farmers Market produce come from the White House Farm?

I'm curious what kinds of vegetables, if any, the secret service entourage bought. They must eat well to ensure that they stay so strong and alert.

I'm also curious if Michelle and her entourage took public transport to the market, or if they walked, or rode bikes, or traveled in a fleet of armored Escalades.

Another thing I was curious about is weather or not anyone else (from the general public) is allowed to shop at the White House Farmer's Market, or is it an exclusive facility, like Air Force One.

Is the produce local and organic? Does Michelle handle money transactions or is she accompanied by a money handler?

I was also curious if Michelle brings her own reusable cloth bags? If so, does she actually carry them, or does she have someone else to do it?

And last but not least, how rigorous is the screening process for farmer/vendors? Whose to say they're not foe of the administration? And do the food tasters taste the fresh produce before the Obamas eat it to ensure its not poisoned?

[warsaw]

"a new farmers market blocks from the White House."

"new farmers' market on Vermont Avenue near the White House in Washington"

It's near the white house. Not on the property.

http://www.freshfarmmarkets.org/default.html

I think that answered 3 or 4 of your questions. As to the others...

[burtmckinly]

Well yeah, I did understand that the farmers market was located at some distance from the actual White House, which is why I inquired as to the mode of transport used to travel from point A to B. (See below.)

"I'm also curious if Michelle and her entourage took public transport to the market, or if they walked, or rode bikes, or traveled in a fleet of armored Escalades."

[plantguy]

Wonder if those tomatoes were grown in the US or imports, since the farmers in CA have no water due to the water being turned off. Fish are more important than human life I guess.

[sasidechick]

It is truly amazing to me the amount of hatred that is directed toward anything or anyone Obama.

Dear Lord, this woman bought food at the farmers market. That's it. I am waiting for Rush/Beck/Sean to come up with their problems with it. I don't know what they could be but I am sure we will be hearing about them sometime this afternoon. Like only elites go to the farmer's market.

Yikes.

[trebor0927]

I have a problem with someone who says that there should be local markets to cut down on Carbon foot prints and then traveling to that market with a dozen vehicles. That is the definition of a hypocrite. Also, as far as I know modern day grocery stores have fruits and vegetables.

"These markets play an especially important in neighborhoods where access to healthy options are limited, she added."

[warsaw]

And buying fruit that is shipped from Chili and Argentina is really carbon neutral.

Many of those same fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ripe for shipping purposes. They lose nutritional value when they are picked before they ripe and they taste like cardboard. And most are produced by corporate farms owned by US corporations.

[klo]

Your comment re: Mrs. O traveling to a local market with a dozen vehicles is a valid point. However, it isn't exactly her fault that she is unable to travel without a security detail.
For some, it would be best if she were to never venture past the gates and walls of the white house. But since many of our nations' citizens may be encouraged to eat healthier as a result of her comments and her adventure into a local famers market, the fossil fuel burned in this instance might not be as hypocritical an act as you portray it.
And though modern day grocery stores do have fruits and vegetables, in many cities, especially highly populated inner cities the variety, quantity and quality of fruits and vegetables is often not only limited but questionable. Those grocery stores often are small and carry only staples like onions and potatoes. Some of the items do travel great distances and are covered in pesticides to maintain their visual appeal. Being encouraged to purchase locally grown seasonal foods is not only a commercial help to local farmers but it also has a significant health benefit to those who might add these items to their tables.
Seems like a winning effort to me.

[burtmckinly]

"Dear Lord, this woman bought food at the farmers market. That's it."

Unfortunately, I'm afraid it wasn't all that simple. See detailed description of the extravaganza in artical below:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/17/AR2009091703679_pf.html