Eat the View

be the idea you want to see happen

I think the idea of a White House vegetable garden is great! One of my favorite gardening books is "Gardens for Victory." Published in 1942. It's not a new idea, but it is timely. Thomas Jefferson planted a great garden at Montecello. It is time to bring this idea back.

Great idea! You got a mention in a blog post for it, and deservedly so. We should move toward a carbon-free White House, then let that spread to the rest of the government. I'd love to see the government lead in this cause, and hopefully the people would follow.

Really, this is an excellent, unique idea and a great example of what this site is meant to be.

This idea has my vote. So does the candidate who comes out in favor of small farmers, better access to locally grown, seasonal foods, and less government intervention in citizens providing food for themselves. The British Royal Family farms, The Pope in Rome has an organic farm which feeds Vatican City, why has the White House drifted so far away from our agricultural heritage? This needs to be fixed. And sorry, a playtime ranch in Texas doesn't count. . . .

Excellent idea! Unfortunately, it's just the opposite of what they are doing in my community. We're in a severe drought. Pepsi can continue bottling our water from the public reservoir as long as it wants, but we are forbidden to water our vegetable gardens unless we put in rain barrels. Using gray water of any kind is currently illegal. Thanks, Barbara!

What a beautiful and symbolic idea! I can so easily imagine the garden becoming a teaching and tourist spot. Of course, it should be managed for maximum biodiversity, which would tend to mean organic methods. They probably wouldn't have to fence it against predators, but what about vandals, etc.?

This is an idea that is long overdue! It would set a great example -- grow food, not grass.

Yes! Great idea. Victory through gardening.

Return OUR house to the right path and help Our nation's CHILDREN.

Our diseased food economy is such an important topic to me and I am often frustrated that presidential candidates largely ignore it because if they come out against the farm bill they'll lose in Iowa. It's time for someone to step up and find a way to fix a policy that doesn't work - find a way to help those farmers transition to a different way of life so our taxes aren't wasted on a program that makes us all unhealthy and perpetuates the global, petroleum-guzzling food industry. I think if more people knew more about this issue and how backwards our food economy is, it would trump most all of the hot issues right now. A vegetable garden at the White House is a fantastic idea; I just hope they go a little further than that and make some changes outside the White House lawn as well.

Great idea! With climate change on the verge of causing very serious disruptions, we need to reduce emissions now. Some estimates are that our wasteful and toxic food system cause 33% of all emissions. We must move rapidly towards local, organic food, and this would be a highly visible model- A TOP VOTE FROM folks at ClimateToday.org!

Wonderful idea. Does anyone know how many, if any, governor's mansions have food gardens? I plan on suggesting this to our governor in OR. He has already highlighted the food security problem by eating a Food Stamps diet for one week. This could be another way of showing his interest in this problem.

A White House garden could generate articles about gardening in magazines that not-yet-gardeners read! This is an excellent idea.

I support this idea 100%. Our citizens need to be reminded of the value of home grown organic food. While they're at it they can replay the solar panels on the roof of the White House that Reagan removed.

Yes, we must get back to basics, or we'll raise a generation who doesn't know how to fend for itself. The White House should be a model for best practices. Paul Tukey and his SafeLawn effort has hit Washington, DC; now it's time to add practical gardens that demonstrate how we Americans can be self-sufficient ... and healthy!

Yes, we must get back to basics, or we'll raise a generation who doesn't know how to fend for itself. The White House should be a model for best practices. Paul Tukey and his SafeLawn effort has hit Washington, DC; now it's time to add practical gardens that demonstrate how we Americans can be self-sufficient ... and healthy!

This a terrific idea. By the way, Hillary Clinton has done a lot for agriculture in New York and the northeast and is very supportive of the small family farm. She is the family farmers' best hope of the choices we have. She'd probably like getting out in the White House garden every so often, too!

Great post ! Added it to my blog. My wife and I are kitchen gardeners. We do outdoor hydroponic, garden boxes, indoor seed starting, use primarily heirloom and organic varieties, and also do our own vermiculture as a way to speed up our compost. It provides worm castings, compost tea, and we can offer or sell our excess red wigglers or spread them in our yard or outdoor composter. They're also a great way to use up our coffee grounds, so one less thing in the landfill (dude, they eat paper, tea bags and cardboard too).

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Fantastic idea! But I have doubts if this idea wil ever be considered seriously by white house staff, let alone the President. I can see him having a belly full of laughs about this. If he will give it some thought, it will only serve as a PR stunt. He is more interested in feeding the Iraq war with his solders than feeding the folk at home.

In Australia the new Federal Government is taking the bull by the horns and really getting on with planning a secure future for all of us. By doing this they are going to be a big influence in our region. Our local State Government has put solar panels on all its building and allocated funds to have all state schools running on solar power in the next few years. As well they are investing in carbon credits for politicians' travel. The next US government must also take responsibility for leading the world off the precipice we are on. Food production and biodiversity go hand in hand and if the White House gardens produced food from heritage American seeds, it would be sending many strong messages about the importance of these and other issues in a visual and meaningful way to the whole world, that they mean business. We need leadership with a backbone , not a wishbone.

What a truly revolutionary concept.......the President of the United States leading his country along the way to a healthier world! The importance of this proposal cannot be understated.

More than anything, gardens can make people happy and solve problems! I fully support this.

Awesome idea! As a college student and a passionate member of the "food fight" I feel that this would be an effective and inspiring action to take!

I think it is about time our Government adresses the unhealthy food situation in the United States.It's also a shame that many do not know how to feed themselves.A garden on the White House lawn could start a new national passtime: Gardening! One way to get fit in a hurry is turning compost.Keep Kids off the streets,and in the garden.

Shout for joy!! a nation alive again and in the garden...planting seeds of wisdom for all. Remember to start local.... your own backyard example can speak volumes to those neighbors whom you never meet...I was inspired by a neighbors front flower beds that were loaded with strawberries!! I've started to plant lettuces, strawberries, & other edible landscaping...Remember what beautiful & yummy world!

Essentially our nation needs... can be returned to the people leading the political jardgon...it is our nation under GOD! Let God's will lead us in victory & unity.

Great idea, but it probably needs a larger vehicle than this to get it off the ground. Interesting to see some trying to make sure their own particular vegetable (like Hillary or Organic) makes it in to the garden. Those that just took your thought and ran with it seem the most sincere.

Not only is this an idea whose time has come, but it's imperative that people across the country begin growing their own food again. During the depression in the 30's, the one thing that helped mitigate the impact was that a majority of the country still grew most of their own food - at a point in time where we're watching the economy spiral downward and the possibility of a depression is quite real, now less than 5% of the people in this country are growing their own food... One of the most revolutionary things one might do these days is to re-acquire the skills necessary to feed oneself and family - and the impact of having a President who modeled that behavior would be a profound contribution to beginning to do right by ourselves and all the rest of the world again. Growing food naturally leads to sharing with others, builds community, leads to understanding, diminishes differences, celebrates life!

Incredible and yet so simple it's almost laughable! It's amazing to me how difficult it is to get something as important to our well-being as a small vegetable garden up and running. We've been trying to do one at our local (small) elementary school. There's resistance at every level. I can't understand it.

Where can I sign up to help with the weeding?

Gardening is good for the soul, the body, and the community...if it is done without fossil-fuel based fertilizers and nasty poisons.

It would be great if the White House garden was the topic of an educational website, and it tied into lesson plans of a program like Ag in the Classroomm. It is my hope that that the website would inspire people to "act locally" so it should have links identified by state to community resources like CSA's, farners' markets' and buy local food programs.

What a great idea! We'd be happy to send the Whitehouse some of our extra seedlings.

This is a terrific, timely, and necessary plan.

This is an idea that could make a huge difference in the way people see food production and the possibilities of their own homes and yards. It is time to give food production back to the people and out of the hands of big business.

I'd be thrilled: a stunning, edible landscape settting replacing soem very boring grass. A great example for the rest of the country! Add it to the tour!

Gardening is an excellent way to get kids outside, help older adults stay active, produce scrumptious food, and help a little bit with air quality in one of our smoggy metro cities. A few fruit trees, plenty of greens, herbs, and maybe that symbolic three-sisters. Could you imagine adding in an immigrant and food culture section? Fascinating chance to teach history along with nutrition, conservation, and basic science.

I think this is a CAPITAL idea

My parents always told me they hardly knew a depression was happening because they were raised on farms and grew most of their own food. I know most people can't grow food to that degree of self-sufficiency, but seeing a nice little plot on the White House Lawn would inspire a lot of folks to at least grow a patio tomato! My prediction is that agri-business would HATE this idea, however, and the lobbyists would work overtime to stop it. Bring it on, I love a food fight!

A GREAT IDEA! America the Beautiful Fund would gladly provide all the seeds they could plant! Get a grant of vegetable, flower and herb seed for your community at www.freeseeds.us

I think this a wonderful idea! An organic garden would be even better.

Setting an example for our nation through your own actions can be the smartest (and simplest) vehicle for change in our nation. I love the idea of a White House garden!

This is a great idea! Lawns are an outdated and frankly irresponsible concept. They are a huge waste of money and water and a major source of pollution. Gardens, on the other hand, especially organic ones, are what the world needs right now.

Awesome, don't forget about USA during WW2 "Victory Gardens"!

Great idea Roger! With obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure etc., we could all benefit from home grown herbs, vegetables, and/or fruit. It only takes one planter, or could be the whole yard!

Wonderful idea! I also like the idea of encouraging the Governor's mansions to do the same!

We need to speak out for lcalizing food everywhere!

Yes yes YES!! This is a fantastic idea. It is about time world leaders woke up the the problems of food security and how they are linked to climate change and the end of oil. A food garden on a Whitehouse lawn would be a powerful statement. I would also like to see the idea extended to other heads of state throughout the world!

this is a great idea. we need a president who will be setting a good example for this latest "be seen" generation! a president who is growing food on America's house grounds will spark interest in the wealthy people who can afford to have a gardener do all the work and reap benefits. I am tired of all the skeptics out there who don't think a move towards local organic food in our country is very important. becoming more sustainable is a valuable lesson that many americans need to be in touch with. we all have an impact!!! positive or negative, there is no such thing as doing nothing! a kitchen garden on the white house lawn would be exemplary!

I read a story from the depression about how a family living in the big city were very hungry, and quite skinny. Their parents constantly looked for jobs -- any kind: part-time, day-labor -- but eventually their money dwindled down to just enough to send the mother and children back to her parents' farm, and the father to travel to a mining job far away.

When the kids arrived at their grandparents' farm, they were amazed at the veggie garden, and even more so at the large amounts of foods stored in the basement (without electricity). She wrote that they ate like ravenous animals for a few days.

I went through some hard times a few years back, and started my first ever veggie garden. It is NOT easy for newbies, and my results were very limited (hard gumbo soil). I've planted more things at least once a year (we have two seasons), and I have learned a lot (and amended the soil a lot). I'd recommend not waiting to learn to garden until you can't afford to feed your family!

While having a gardening president would be lovely symbolism, I don't see it happening with big businesses having their hooks in most of the politicians. If it happens, it would be a photo-op. But if that's what it takes to get people to start raising their own food, I'll talk it up all day long.

What a wonderful idea. Don't just preach - do something !!

I was just in DC and the White House lawn could really use a vegetable garden, to offset the eerie feeling one gets by the sniper on the roof...

YES! (might as well start now before the end of fossil fuels make it a neccessity)