The New York Times reports that the Obamas are planting an organic garden on the White House lawn. Well, they're not doing it themselves, but members of the kitchen staff are.

That should be like organic music to the ears of local gardeners and locavores in Brooklyn and elsewhere.The last time there was a garden at the White House was in the 1930's when Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden.

The Obamas are heeding the call of many, including Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and thousands on Facebook who joined an online group in support of this idea, to plant a garden on the White house lawn to provide food for the family and formal dinners.

The planting of this garden sends out a strong message to the nation and the world about the importance of healthy and locally grown food. It will also be an important educational tool for school children and those who get a chance to visit the White House.

The New York Times reports that the Obama's will be planting 55 varieties of vegetable on the 1,100-square-foot plot of lawn. There will also be a large assortment of lettuce, including red
romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic; spinach, chard, collards and black kale; fruits and a patch of berries.

“My hope is that
through children, they will begin to educate their families and that
will, in turn, begin to educate our communities," Michele Obama told a New York Times interviewer.