Let's Sign Up & Ask our Leaders to Eat the View!
There's a fresh-hatched online initiative to put edible gardens full of delicious, nutritious food back in high-profile places, including The White House lawn. This lens will help you learn about the movement and how you, too, can participate!
About the photo at left: During WWI, sheep grazed the First lawn, promoting the concept of self-sufficiency during tough times. Later, in WWII, Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden generated interest in homegrown food. It's been a looong time since there's been a veg bed at the WH...but, boy, the concept sure sounds good.
Read on...
About the photo at left: During WWI, sheep grazed the First lawn, promoting the concept of self-sufficiency during tough times. Later, in WWII, Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden generated interest in homegrown food. It's been a looong time since there's been a veg bed at the WH...but, boy, the concept sure sounds good.
Read on...
The Eat the View Icon
The White House Lawn Is OUR Lawn
This Lawn is Your Lawn (pre-election version)
This video is part of Kitchen Gardeners International's "Eat the View" campaign to convert part of the White House lawn into an edible landscape. It features KGI founder, Roger Doiron, digging a new garden on his "white house" lawn.
Runtime: 4:52
47515 views
10 Comments:
In a Nutshell: How ETV Came to Be
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?)
"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?)
Eat the View Explained Beautifully...on YouTube
A Kitchen Garden on the White House Lawn?
This report by New England Cable News features "Eat the View", KGI's campaign to encourage the next President to grow a garden on the White House lawn. For more info, see EatTheView.org
Runtime: 2:45
7004 views
5 Comments:
How You, Too, Can Promote Eat the View
- 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!
- 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 Most Important Thing
Just as great arts, music and literature tell us about a culture and its fundamental values, what we put out on our lawns and public spaces tells a lot about who we are right now and what we hold dear.
In reintroducing veggie plants into our public sphere--from schoolyards to The White House lawn, we move crucial issues like food security, nutrition/wellness and environmental concerns top of mind in a potentially transformative way, renewing our commitment to the greater good.
Beyond the First Lawn: Suggested Spots for Edible Plots!
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
- schoolyards and faith centers
- city halls and convention centers (San Francisco's doin' this already!)
- fire and police stations
- public parks
Relevant Links
- Eat the View!
- Eat View campaign plant healthy, edible landscapes high-impact, high-visibility places.
- Kitchen Gardeners International
- KGI is a nonprofit network of organic kitchen gardeners and home cooks from over 80 countries who are working to build a more healthful, sustainable, secure, and better tasting food system.
- On Day One
- Set the next President's agenda by submitting your ideas for a better world.
Tell Us...Do You Support the Eat the View Concept?
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When the First Lawn Gets a Garden, Go See It!
Speaking of The White House
Celebrating Sustainability on the Homefront!
The White House Women's T-Shirt
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The White House 2.25" Button (10 pack)
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The Sustainable Mug
Price: 12.99
Garden Stuff at Ebay
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How Do You Plan to Promote Edible Landscapes?
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by redwhiteandgrew
P.Price is a journalist and former regional magazine editor specializing in cultural reporting. These days she devotes far too much of her spare time... (more)
