Michelle Obama's organic garden

"Almost the entire Obama family, including the president, will pull weeds, 'whether they like it or not,' Mrs. Obama said laughing." ~ New York Times

Did you know that one-third of Amercian kids (ages 2-19) are obese? That is scary -- and completely avoidable.

I think it's so cool that Michelle Obama is going to plant a big organic garden on the South Lawn. For only two hundred dollars in startup costs that include the seedlings and mulch, the garden will be a tad bit bigger than fifty feet long by fifty feet wide. It will include an impressive variety of food including herbs, veggies, and berries. There will be five varieties of lettuce, sugar snap peas, spinach, broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, shallots, onions, tomatillos, hot peppers, chard, shell peas, carrots, kale, and collards. Then there's the mint, cilanro, sorrel, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, chammomile, garlic chives, anise hyssop, and Thai basil. Oh and don't forget the bee hives for honey.

The Times reports,

Mrs. Obama, who said that she never had a vegetable garden before, said the idea
for it came from her experiences as a working mother trying to feed her
daughters, Malia and Sasha, a good diet. Eating out three times a week, ordering a pizza, having a sandwich for dinner took it’s toll. The children’s pediatrician told her she needed to be thinking about nutrition.

“He raised a flag for us,” she said, and within months the children lost weight.