Obama to set up a White House farmer's market
WHITE HOUSE: Michelle Obama holds a food and nutrition event at the White House's organic garden. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) 
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Digg"When it comes to food, one of the things that we are doing is working with school districts ... Let's figure out how can we get some fresh fruits and vegetables in the mix. Because sometimes you go into schools and, you know what the menu is, you know? It's French fries, tater tots, hot dogs, pizza and -- let's face it, that's what kids want to eat anyway. (Laughter.) So it's not just the schools' fault.A.)That's what kids may want to eat. B.) it turns out that that food's a lot cheaper, because of the distributions that we've set up. And so what we've got to do is to change how we think about, for example, getting local farmers connected to school districts, because that would benefit the farmers, delivering fresh produce, but right now they just don't have the distribution mechanisms set up.One of the things that we're trying to do now is to figure out, can we get a little farmers market outside of the White House? It suddenly gives D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue-maker for local farmers in the area."
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Comments(18)
Posted By Theresa - Sun, Aug 23 2009 at 3:33 PM ESTGood Thought
I think farmers markets are great, so if the Obamas want to set up a farmers market outside the White House go for it. It is a good thought.
The thing is as others have mentioned is the food already being distributed to schools and the way parents are teaching children about food. It really starts at home.
Posted By David Adams - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 4:01 PM ESTLead in veggies
You do know that lead was found in the soil samples of the white house garden,
don't you? 'Feeling Good' is no substitute for research.
Posted By hannah - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 6:31 PM ESTprobably from the coalfired power plant near the capitol!
lead is sometimes associated with coal power
http://www.inteldaily.com/news/144/ARTICLE/9251/2009-01-12.html
Posted By Jo Anne - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 12:02 PM ESTWashington Post, can we have some editing here please?
I'm all for free speech, and I believe to the core of my being that everyone has a right to his or her opinion. But I find the tone of some of these comments disturbing. These pages and comments are being read by people around the globe. I feel that the Post has a responsibility to exclude from publication those comments which lack civility. You can disagree with the President's plans and policies using intelligent, civilized language. Reading these comments I feel like I'm watching the.... More
Posted By Theron - Sun, Aug 23 2009 at 6:41 PM ESTOn censorship of posts...
Gee, good idea... Let's arbitrarily censor free sppech and thought. That'll show the rest of the world how a free and democratic country should operate.
Posted By Anonymous - Mon, Aug 24 2009 at 10:53 AM ESTTheron:
The president is encouraging us to introduce healthier foods into the lives of children and adults in order to better our eating habits and therefore our long term health.
This is not censorship. This does not even resemble the definition of censorship.
Way to generalize.
Posted By Jo Anne - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 12:05 PM ESTCORRECTION TO PREVIOUS POST:
I meant Mother Nature Network....NOT Washington Post. I am replying to two different message boards at the same time and got them mixed up. Apologies!
Posted By Anonymous - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 11:27 AM ESTSymoblic Gesture
The Obamas' idea to create an organic garden and set up a farmer's market at the White House are good ideas, but they of course will only benefit a small handful of kids. There are already many great farmer's markets in DC, MD, and VA - and around the country. If Obama really wanted to make an impact on getting healthy, local food in schools he would work on connecting the existing markets to school lunch programs. But the bigger issue beyond that is that the government subsidizes big.... More
Posted By tomb - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 6:10 AM ESTdistribute what?
One major flaw in this assumption is that we have no "food distribution system" hell we do and it woks fine. The problemis that USDA has made school lunches an industrial venture esigned to put money into agriculture. Fine point here, most of the healthly food people think of is not agriculture, but horticulture, fruits and veggies. Make USDA school lunches accountable for the content, then you don't need to re invent the wheel.
Posted By BabySinister - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 9:34 AM ESTlet me spell it out for you
offcourse by saying we have no "food distribution system" he obviously means that we have no large scale distribution system that would make it possible for every school in the USA to get its food from local producers. furthermore part of a "distribution system" is making deals with schools, being able to compete (be it on quality or prize) with "regular" foodsources, and offcourse to educate not only the schools and children, but most importantly the parents.
because, and we tend to.... More
Posted By Anonymous - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 4:54 AM ESTour culture needs change
I'm so into this! go obamas!
Posted By James - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 4:50 AM ESTThe best joke about Anonymous
haha, you called Administration is a joke? Why are you exist until today then in any country there is administration? You should go just stay in mountain.
Posted By T Rogers - Sat, Aug 22 2009 at 10:45 AM ESTRE: Why do Republicans hate Farmers?
They don't. Most of the Republican-supporting States produce food. Heck, they even give Federal money to subsidize tobacco farmers because the Gubberment is spending so much on anti-smoking campaigns.
Posted By Obama Girl - Fri, Aug 21 2009 at 11:21 PM ESTGet Your Facts Straight
The President announced a project to create better school lunches, AND a White House Farmers Market. Two different projects. The Farmers Market is for local produce to be sold to increase access to fresh food and stimulate the local economy, and getting Farm to School programs going is a way to get more produce into school lunch programs, AND stimulate local economies. The Farmers Market has nothing to do with the Farm to School project...other than that they both involve fresh produce..... More
why not?
I think that this shows that President Obama is in tune with what is going on in the local food movement and that he is encouraging healthier eating for school children. It's great that it has his backing and I don't see why this could be a bad idea at all. Even if it doesn't pan out, I think the intentions are honorable.