Beehives on the White House lawn

[indypartridge]

All politics aside, I thought this was pretty cool. The Obama's are planting a garden and a White House carpenter - who is a beek - is placing a couple of hives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?_r=1&hp

[kathyp]

excellent idea.  now when congress comes up with things that are bad for us, we have a 1st gardener and 1st beekeeper to whom we can appeal.

[HAB]

Its a nice start, even if its more symbolic than practical.

[eri]

Apparently a call for a White House garden started before the Presidential Election, perhaps in hopes that an occupant with a name other than that of a plant might respond 

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/10/10-13
http://whitehousefarmer.com/

[kathyp]

i suspect that having a little land is a pretty exciting thing for city folks  .  a garden probably seems like a great adventure.  i doubt to much time will be spent by the first family on their knees in the mud pulling weeds.  even so, i think it's a good idea and probably a good example to others.

[Scadsobees]

Nice gesture for the little people...sort of like adopting a purebred portugese water dog puppy from a "rescue".

Personally I think that they'd be better off spending that money supporting a nearby organic farm...they could get twice or 3x the produce compared to what it will cost to have that little white house garden.

Rick

[Jim 134]

excellent idea.  now when congress comes up with things that are bad for us, we have a 1st gardener and 1st beekeeper to whom we can appeal.

    When Eleanor Roosevelt did something similar in 1943, she helped start a Victory Garden movement that ended up making a substantial contribution to feeding the nation in wartime. (Less well known is the fact that Roosevelt planted this garden over the objections of the U.S.D.A., which feared home gardening would hurt the American food industry.) By the end of the war, more than 20 million home gardens were supplying 40 percent of the produce consumed in America. The president should throw his support behind a new Victory Garden movement, this one seeking "victory" over three critical challenges we face today: high food prices, poor diets and a sedentary population. Eating from this, the shortest food chain of all, offers anyone with a patch of land a way to reduce their fossil-fuel consumption and help fight climate change. (We should offer grants to cities to build allotment gardens for people without access to land.) Just as important, Victory Gardens offer a way to enlist Americans, in body as well as mind, in the work of feeding themselves and changing the food system - something more ennobling, surely, than merely asking them to shop a little differently.




     BEE HAPPY Jim 134  

[kathyp]

Just as important, Victory Gardens offer a way to enlist Americans, in body as well as mind, in the work of feeding themselves and changing the food system - something more ennobling, surely, than merely asking them to shop a little differently.

a wonderful idea, but i think times/people are different.  this is the generation of people who sit on the roof and wait for someone to rescue them.  they don't vote and when they do they are uninformed.  they don't do anything more physically taxing that push the remote buttons.  those who are motivated to eat better and save money, already garden.  i'd like someone to prove me wrong, but when you have 40% of the population on some kind of welfare, it's  hard to believe they'll be motivated to grow their own food.  Micky D's is much easier.

still, i see nothing wrong with the idea and it will be good for the girls.  dirt under the nails is good for the soul.

[KONASDAD]

I think peopel today are thinking more in sustainable terms. Huge "localvore" movement these days. This is th4e 3rd president to keep bees. I think its awesome as collectively we can point to the WH when local zoning changes hit suburban beeks. Its about image and this is as good as it gets.

[dpence]

I think it's cool also.  Perhaps it will set a good example.

David

[annette]

I just love the idea of a white house beekeeper. Yeah image is very important and this is great!!

[BjornBee]

Obama is not stupid. At 9 trillion dollars and rapidly growing, this country will soon be bankrupt. The interest alone is going to kill us. And he still hasn't even touched 2 trillion for the global warming package and the multi-trillion socialized medicine and health care. He knows having some "sweet" on the table in years to come might be a nice thing. Yes, those "victory" gardens might be needed. But they might be called "Keep you alive" gardens....

I agree that it has more to do with the possibility of image, and can possibly help down the road with a presentation to a township board.

Can you imagine if every state capital had a beehive on the property to "help" pollinate the flowers (assuming no veggies are planted)? I'd start a movement, but if I approach my wife with one more idea this year, I may be looking for a new home...

Anyone know this beekeeper working for the whitehouse? I would love to have the white house participate in "National Honey Bee Awareness Day". That would be cool.

[Jim 134]

Anyone know this beekeeper working for the whitehouse? I would love to have the white house participate in "National Honey Bee Awareness Day". That would be cool.

No, But he is a carpenter at the White House, Charlie Brandts,who is a beekeeper.





                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 

[vermmy35]

Let's hope the bee's are republican and give Obama a few surprises 

[Understudy]

Wait until they tax it. 

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[dpence]

Let's hope the bee's are republican and give Obama a few surprises 

LOL