C'mon, Eat the View!

In February 2008, when Kitchen Gardeners International founder Roger Doiron posted his idea at On Day One for what he thought the next president should do upon taking office, this is what he wrote:

"Announce plans for a food garden on the White House lawn, making one of the White House's eight gardeners responsible for it, with part of produce going to the White House kitchen and the rest to a local food pantry. The White House is "America's House" and should set an example. The new President would not be breaking with tradition, but returning to it (the White House has had vegetable gardens before) and showing how we can meet global challenges such as climate change and food security."

That idea sounded great to people...a lot of people. In fact, Doiron's idea became one of the most popular suggestions on the site.

And that got Doiron thinking...

Fast forward a few months...until mid-summer 2008 when he launched the Eat the View site (a Kitchen Gardeners International program!), promoting the addition of edible gardens in public spaces coast to coast. To spark interest nationwide, Doiron will see to it that the next President-elect receives a copy of this petition which reads:

"We, the undersigned, are petitioning the next President of the United States to plant an organic food garden on the White House lawn, with part of produce going to the White House kitchen and the rest to a local food pantry. The White House is "America's House" and should set a positive example for the country and the world. The new President would not be breaking with tradition, but returning to it (the White House has had vegetable gardens before) and showing how we can meet global challenges such as climate change, food security, and fossil fuel dependence."

In addition to the petition, the new President will also receive a packet of heirloom seeds, preserving our bio-diversity. But that's only the start...ETV supporters hope that the First Lawn's new veg bed will be replicated in other high profile spots. And we can only accomplish that by signing up more supporters who want to work in that direction!

So, how can you participate?

Thanks to the ETV web site, anyone who shares the ETV vision can log on, sign the petition, and connect with like-minded individuals...yup, smart folks like you! Since ETV is still new, you have the chance right now to be a part of a grassroots initiative. (How cool is that?)

- Visit the site, sign the petition and join the cause as a Supporter!
- Connect with ETV on Facebook.
- Email links to the site and this lens to your friends.
- Blog and Twitter about your support.
- Put an ETV widget on your site.
- Even though the initiative is bipartisan, feel free to chat ETV up in political chatrooms and candidate supporter sites, too!

The White House lawn, obviously, would be the highest profile public garden, it would be great to see gardens of all sizes and shapes producing edible food in America's:
- schoolyards and faith centers
- city halls and convention centers (San Francisco's doin' this already!)
- fire and police stations
- public parks