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The number one story yesterday was the new White House garden. The Washington Post gets credit for the best pun, referring to the garden as a shovel-ready project. It will be an 1100 square foot garden on the south lawn with 55 kinds of vegetables. Best of all, school children (and all 4 members of the Obama family) will participate in gardening.
I can't help but get swept up in the excitement over the symbolism of the garden as well as the publicity it will bring to gardening and to eating fresh, local food. However, with Obama's position as the most powerful man in the world, I'd like to see him do more. Five years ago, Congress authorized a National Farm to School Program - but failed to fund it. Five years have gone by with no change. Now a major piece of child nutrition legislation is going through Congress so the timing is perfect. With his garden, Obama will bring change to the few lucky youngsters from Bancroft Elementary, but what about the rest of the nation?
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