Please eat the view, Mr President
photo: Library of Congress archives
Earlier this year, Kitchen Gardeners International launched a campaign to plant edible landscapes in high-visibility locations. At the forefront of the campaign is a petition to ask the next US president to convert part of the White House lawn into a large organic food garden that would supply the White House kitchen and local food banks with fresh produce.
Roger Doiron, founder of KGI, explains that there is a well-established precedent for ‘eating the view‘:
“The White House lawn has been a sustainable and edible landscape in the past, notably at times of national emergency. In 1918, for example, Woodrow and Edith Wilson did away with gas-powered mowers, replacing them with a hungry herd of sheep. Later, in 1943, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a Victory Garden on the White House lawn inspiring millions of citizens to follow suit. For the really obstinate opponents who say “that was then, this is now,” you can point them to the governors of Maine, New York, and North Carolina who are already happily eating their view and saving tax-payers money along the way.”
In his victory speech last night, President-elect Obama declared the importance of embracing a spirit of service and sacrifice “where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.” I think taking responsibility for feeding himself and his neighbours would be a terrific way to start. Vote for the Eat the View proposal at the On Day One web site or “buy” a parcel of the lawn to fund kitchen garden projects!
This Lawn is Your Lawn from roger doiron on Vimeo.
