Bee hives at the White House!

Mar 22, 2009 by The Tasty Buzz

According to Bee Culture, a beekeeping magazine, and an article in the KansasCity.com, Michelle Obama has recently announced that not only will there be an organic garden at the White House, there will also be two bee hives! Apparently the bee hives belong to a White House employee who lives nearby and will tend the hives. The crops and will be used by the White House kitchen staff for the family and for official functions, while some will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House. Some of the produce will include lettuces, fennel, rhubarb, cucumbers, sweet and hot peppers, as well as berries and some herbs.

The 1,100 square foot garden will be the first of its kind since Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden during World War II. Mrs. Obama broke ground on the first day of spring with a group of fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington. The students will be brought back next month for the planting and will continue to be involved during harvesting as well. Mrs. Obama said that she thinks it will encourage her children to eat their vegetables, especially if they're involved in planting and growing them.

I just think we're so blessed to have a first family taking such bold steps towards a more ecological lifestyle, setting a good example for a key part of our lives that we have to change here in this country. A Brazilian friend of mine commented the other day, "I just don't get it, Americans are the richest people in the world, but their food is so terrible and the people are so fat!" Well, maybe it's time to change that, eh? Hopefully the inspiration that the Obama's have inspired can trickle down into these other, very important parts of our lives.