Public invited to view Kitchen Garden and grounds beginning on Saturday; a look back at Harvests past...First Lady Michelle Obama has invited local school children to her famous Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn for a public Fall Harvest celebration each October since 2009. But with President Obama's re-election campaign in high gear, and just 25 days until Election Day, for the first time in three years Mrs. Obama is putting aside her own tradition, and has no such event scheduled. Like her husband, the First Lady has been busy on the campaign trail, wooing voters in swing states. This week, Mrs. Obama traveled to Virginia, followed by two days in Colorado. Last week, she visited Ohio, Colorado, Washington state, and Nevada. (Above: Mrs. Obama at last October's Harvest event)
Mrs. Obama's annual Harvests have been high-profile events with loads of media coverage for the Let's Move! campaign. Despite the lack of a garden party, the Kitchen Garden and Let's Move! will still be in the spotlight: The White House has expanded the schedule for the annual Fall Garden Tours, offering these over two weekends this year, and the media has been invited, too. The public can tour the grounds beginning tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 13, and again on Sunday, with two more days scheduled next week. Visitors will have a nice view of the Kitchen Garden, lush with late bounty such as squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and early winter lettuces. CLICK HERE for full details about the free tickets, times and dates. (Above: Mrs. Obama at her 2010 Harvest)
A look back at the First Lady's past Fall Harvests....
Since Mrs. Obama first broke ground for the Kitchen Garden in March of 2009, it has produced more than 4,000 pounds of food, according to Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass. At the First Lady's three previous Fall Harvest events, she was of course joined by Kass, the mastermind behind the project, as well as by Executive Chef Cris Comerford and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and other kitchen staff. Members of the East Wing team always joined in, and, of course, there were the kids, who are the point of it all. Each Harvest was a little different, but all focused on the wonder of going from dirt to dining. Check the sidebar of the blog for all the Kitchen Garden-inspired recipes, such as Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples & Chilis and Garden Vegetable Pizza. (Above: Mrs. Obama and helpers harvesting sweet potatoes in 2009)
"Over 740 pounds of food have come out of this little piece of land!" Mrs. Obama exclaimed during her first Fall Harvest in 2009, held on Oct. 29. The Kitchen Garden was at the time its original size, 1,100 square feet, and Mrs. Obama was joined by kids from DC's Kimball and Bancroft elementary schools. Mrs. Obama and her helpers dug up giant sweet potatoes--including four pounders--competing with Kass and his helpers to see who could go faster. About a third of the crops that grow in the garden are donated to DC's Miriam's Kitchen, which offers daily meals to homeless citizens. The vegetables are also used for First Family meals, which are designed around the seasonal offerings, as well as for State Dinners and other ultra-important social events.
By the time Mrs. Obama hosted her Fall Harvest in 2010, on Oct. 20, the Kitchen Garden had been expanded to 1,500 square feet in order to grow even more vegetables. The First Lady was joined by kids from DC's Tubman and Bancroft elementary schools. Internationally acclaimed chef Daniel Boulud and chefs representing the US in the year's international Bocuse d'Or competition also joined Mrs. Obama and her young helpers. (Above: Mrs. Obama and her helpers sample baby white radishes with Boulud)
A highlight of the day was the first-ever Presidential pumpkins harvested from the garden. Some were still half green. (Above: Mrs. Obama and the kids display their bounty with Boulud, far left)“Very cool, isn't it?" Mrs. Obama said to her helpers. "You guys have witnessed the first White House pumpkins.”
During the Fall Harvest in 2011 on October 5th, Mrs. Obama was again joined by kids from Bancroft and Tubman elementary schools. The activity included a garden-side pizza party with the kids, which was subsequently included in the First Lady's book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, published in May of 2012. (Above: Mrs. Obama and helpers harvesting red chilis)
The bounty from the Harvest was used the following week for the State Dinner honoring the Republic of Korea's President Lee Myung-Bak. The 2011 Harvest also featured the first-ever Let's Move! Tweetup, with 17 adult social media users invited to the White House for meetings with Kass and other staffers. The White House in the ensuing months dramatically expanded its use of Twitter for Let's Move!, with Kass and the other chefs engaging in more Tweetups and using social media to spread the word about Mrs. Obama's message.
Above: Kass and a helper at the 2010 Fall Harvest, with sweet potatoes and the first-ever pumpkins.
*Photos by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama; top photo by Chuck Kennedy/White House
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