I can’t explain it, but I love the Queen. I loved her mum. I can live without her kids, and her grandkids. Anyway, all that’s beside the point — she’s planting an organic garden! Obama Foodorama opines that it was most likely inspired by Michelle’s own garden efforts. Long live Betty!
(Photo courtesy Wikimedia commons. It was taken by NASA. No, really.)
A New York Times staffer, Amanda Hesser, thinks it’s dandy that Michelle Obama planted an organic garden but she wants Michelle to get more savvy about cooking:
When The Washington Post asked Mrs. Obama for her favorite recipe, she replied, “You know, cooking isn’t one of my huge things.” And last month, when a boy who was visiting the White House asked her if she liked to cook, she replied: “I don’t miss cooking. I’m just fine with other people cooking.” Though delivered lightheartedly, and by someone with a very busy schedule, the message was unmistakable: everyday cooking is a chore.
Both times Mrs. Obama missed a great opportunity to get people talking about a crucial yet neglected aspect of the food discussion: cooking. Because terrific local ingredients aren’t much use if people are cooking less and less; cooking is to gardening what parenting is to childbirth. Research by the NPD Group showed that Americans ate takeout meals an average of 125 times a year in 2008, up from 72 a year in 1983. And a recent U.C.L.A. study of 32 working families found that the subjects viewed cooking from scratch as a kind of rarefied hobby.
This is unbelievable. The Obamas are planting an organic garden and some Big Ag folks are annoyed that they aren’t showing appropriate appreciation for the value of conventional farming practices (i.e. use of chemicals).
This was attached to copies of a lengthy letter mailed to Michelle Obama and circulated on the Internet:
Did you hear the news? The White House is planning to have an “organic” garden on the grounds to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for the Obama’s and their guests. While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made Janet Braun, CropLife Ambassador Coordinator and I [Bonnie McCarvel] shudder. As a result, we sent a letter encouraging them to consider using crop protection products and to recognize the importance of agriculture to the entire U.S. economy….
The Reluctant Eater summarizes the story and links to the full text of the letter.
(Hat tip to Broderick Smylie)
