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An Open Letter to Michelle Obama

September 10th, 2009 · 9 Comments

Dear First Lady Obama:

michelle obama white house gardenI have been truly, deeply inspired by your commitment to bringing fresh, healthy foods to the nation’s children and your clear understanding that true health care reform begins with access to healthy foods. I cheered when you broke ground on the White House kitchen garden, applauded your decision to follow organic methods, and saluted your reaching out to the District’s school children to use the garden as a powerful hands-on teaching tool.

I too am a staunch advocate for farmers markets and local family farms, and a supporter of local child-hunger organizations and the new grassroots effort to bring the Farm-to-School movement to DC. I was intrigued when I heard the President suggest that the White House was interested in hosting a farmers market, but now that the plans are beginning to take shape I am sorry to say I am disappointed.

I’m sure you’ve been fully briefed on the important role FreshFarm Markets have played in bringing locally-grown produce to the Washington community. I am pleased that your office is reportedly working with this experienced organization. But I am disheartened to hear that the prospective new market will be held downtown, in a predominantly office building setting where the majority of customers will be suburban-dwelling commuters, and mere blocks from two existing weekday markets at Foggy Bottom and Penn Quarter. I realize that many support the idea of a White House Farmers Market as sending a powerful symbol about your and the President’s commitment to healthy, local foods. But I fear the wrong message will be sent by supporting yet another market that primarily serves affluent people in one of the city’s most affluent wards. Symbolism is not going to solve our nation’s food crisis. It is time for leadership.

And so I am writing today to urge you to reconsider the location and purpose of a potential White House farmers market. I would be elated to see the White House supporting a market in one of the Districts many under-served neighborhoods, such as Ward 8 which currently has just one fledgling market and few other sources of fresh fruits and vegetables.  By working with an existing market, less effort will be required to start up the project thus speeding up the delivery of farm-fresh produce to the hands of those who most need it. I am sure many of us in the District’s robust local foods movement would be willing to volunteer to help out such a worthwhile endeavor. I’ll be the first to sign up.

Sincerely,

C. Levine & the FoodieTots family

Photo (c) Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

Tags: food for thought

9 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Meaghin
    Twitter: meaghink
    // Sep 10, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    I’d be the second to sign up. Well-said. There are a few fledgling markets in our District that desperately need extra help–and the distribution of our city’s markets needs to be vastly expanded.

  • 2 Twitter Trackbacks for FoodieTots.com » Blog Archive » An Open Letter to Michelle Obama [foodietots.com] on Topsy.com // Sep 10, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    […] FoodieTots.com » Blog Archive » An Open Letter to Michelle Obama foodietots.com/2009/09/10/an-open-letter-to-michelle-obama – view page – cached I have been truly, deeply inspired by your commitment to bringing fresh, healthy foods to the nation’s children and your clear understanding that true health care reform begins with access to healthy foods. I cheered when you broke ground on the White House kitchen garden, applauded your decision to follow organic methods, and saluted your reaching out to the District’s school children to use the garden as a powerful hands-on teaching tool. — From the page […]

  • 3 jenna // Sep 10, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    I hope your letter is read and seriously considered. there is a reason why low income kids have higher obesity rates than their affluent counterparts. when your parents work 2 jobs to pay the bills, taking buses to work, and the only store that sells fresh produce is 4 bus stops away, it’s not wonder that kids snack on convenience foods offered by street vendors in the neighborhood. they eat what is available.

  • 4 FoodieTots.com » Blog Archive » A Market by the White House (and a wish for more to come) // Sep 11, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    […] An Open Letter to Michelle Obama 11 Sep A Market by the White House (and a wish for more to […]

  • 5 Riley Carter // Oct 4, 2010 at 10:44 am

    i like michelle obama coz she is very down to earth person~~.

  • 6 Wood Shelf  // Oct 19, 2010 at 2:18 am

    michelle obama deserves to be listed as one of Forbes most influential women-*,

  • 7 Microcontroller Projects · // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    michelle obama is really tall, i have seen her in person and i was astonished by her height _

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