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Michelle Obama
would like her legacy to be as well rooted at the White House as that of her
president husband. And a big part of that is the White House kitchen garden
where the first lady was joined by students from across the country Thursday
for the last harvest of the Obama era.
“This little
garden will live on as a symbol of the hopes that we all hold of growing a
healthier nation for our children,”' Obama told a crowd gathered at the garden.
“I am hopeful that future first families will cherish this garden like we have,
and that it will become one of our enduring White House traditions.”
Looks like the
first lady will get her wish.
The W. Atlee
Burpee home gardening company and The Burpee Foundation have contributed $2.5
million to the National Park Foundation to maintain the garden for at least 17
years. The garden’s size has grown from
an original 1,100 square feet to 2,800 square feet. It has a new wooden arbor
for an entrance, wider bluestone walkways, and wooden tables and benches. There’s
also an inscribed stone 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.”
“What if we just
got a few sad little tomatoes and a bunch of weeds?” she recalled Thursday. But
the garden thrived from the beginning, with help from White House chefs and
National Park groundskeepers. Fresh greens from the backyard would soon find
their way to china plates at state dinners as well as local soup kitchens.
Over time, the
first lady added beehives, a compost system, and a pollinators’ garden to
attract birds and butterflies. The garden has been a powerful symbol of her
efforts to promote healthy eating and lifestyles for America's children,
formalized as the Let’s Move initiative in 2010.