The First Lady begins digging up a 1,100 sq. ft. patch of the South Lawn.  She will be joined by 23 fifth graders from a nearby local elementary school plus her own daughters.  According to an article in yesterday's NYT, the more important role of the garden, in addition to providing food for the family and formal meals, will be educating children "about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern". . . “My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

The Washington Post adds  more this morning, saying, "The 1,100-square-foot garden will include 55 kinds of vegetables, including peppers, spinach and, yes, arugula. (The selection is a wish list put together by White House chefs.) There will also be berries, herbs and two hives for honey that will be tended by a White House carpenter who is also a beekeeper."

"The White House will use organic seedlings, as well as organic fertilizers and organic insect repellents. The garden will be near the tennis courts and be visible to passersby on the street. The whole Obama family will be involved in tending the garden, White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld said."

Very cool.