Photo by Eleanor Barkhorn
There was no produce from the White House garden for sale at this afternoon's inaugural White House Farmer's Market. And the market wasn't really at the White House--it was a few blocks away, on a street in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Nonetheless, the market carried the White House imprimatur and opened with a speech by First lady Michelle Obama. Her 10-minute speech focused on the importance of farmer's markets in supporting the local economy, developing the community, and--important, considering the current debate about health care reform--promoting health.
After Obama left the Sunnyside booth and everyone else rushed in to buy their own food, Sara said there was one thing everyone wanted to know: What did the First Lady buy?"For those of us who are battling the time crunch and for those of us whom access to fresh food is an issue in our neighborhoods," she said, "farmer's markets are a valuable resource that we have for us to support."
In ending her remarks, Obama switched gears to appeal to stomachs rather than hearts and minds. "Now it's time to buy some food," she announced before doing just that. She walked over to the booth run by The Farm at Sunnyside (where our own Sara Lipka is working this season) joined by White House chef Sam Kass and another Atlantic Food contributor, Zeke Emanuel.
After scanning the day's offerings, she filled a basket with Tuscan kale, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, and hot peppers--but skipped the beets, despite the farm's sign that declared "Beets Even the President Would Love." She then moved on to a creamery's booth, where she bought chocolate milk and Camembert cheese.
After Obama left the Sunnyside booth and everyone else rushed in to buy their own food, Sara said there was one thing everyone wanted to know: What did the First Lady buy?
"It's like her outfits," Sara said. "When she wears a J. Crew dress, everyone goes out and buys it. It's going to be the same thing with kale."
If there's a run on leafy greens at your farmer's market this weekend, you'll know why.
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I love it! I just hope the prices were reasonable. In my area (San Francisco Bay Area) prices can change pretty far and wide depending on which farmers' market you go to. In more affluent areas the prices are higher, middle class areas lower. Wish it were the same everywhere (lower) to draw larger crowds.
I love it! I just hope the prices were reasonable. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, prices between different Farmers' Markets can vary widely. In more affluent areas the prices for food can be quite high, which only reinforces the notion that healthy and naturally grown foods is more expensive than processed foods. In more middle-class areas, the Farmers' Market prices are lower, but still quite high. One tends to think that when Farmers' Markets mean 'local', which they are, the prices should be lower than at supermarkets. But the prices are still high, which may confuse some since the distance they travel is not so far, supposedly, which should usually mean lower prices.
Living all across the west coast, the best farmers market I have seen so far has been in Seattle. The produce was fresh, sweet, organic and the prices are really reasonable. Its a good leadership by example with first family showing support for farmers market and "local" produce.