November 21st, 2008 · 1 Comment

By John DeFore

The world is scrutinizing every shred of news from the Obama camp these days, trying to guess who’ll have an office in the West Wing. But a group of gardeners based in Maine are more focused on what’s going to happen just outside the White House — on the lawn, in fact.

Eat the View is the name of a petition encouraging the Obamas to plant an organic garden on the White House lawn, using the produce both for the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and to feed the hungry at area food pantries.

Organizers at Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI) realize that the idea isn’t new. They’re careful to use the word “replant” in their message to the President-elect, noting that “the White House has had fruit and vegetable gardens before”; they’ve dug up the photo above to show just how farm-friendly the seat of power once was.

So just as Eleanor Roosevelt led by example during wartime, KGI hopes the Obamas will use a plot of highly symbolic soil to demonstrate a commitment to healthy eating, show how easily financially-strapped Americans can help support themselves, and chip away at the pollution that comes with shipping food hundreds of miles from farm to store to dining table. It may not be as dramatic as the prospect of a former foe becoming Secretary of State, but it would cost practically nothing while sending a clear, positive message to the nation’s potential locavores.

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