Produce for the Political!

Hold onto your sunhats, D.C., the White House is welcoming its first farmers market! Two Thursdays ago, Vermont Ave between H St and I St was filled with pasture-raised meats, artisan cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and yogurt, breads and baked goods, preserves, cut flowers, and more. There was talk of produce from Michelle’s garden being included, but due to negative media mania over lead contamination in the garden, the city will have to wait for vegetables from the heirloom seeds of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello garden. ( Test results have been released saying that the lead levels are far below what is considered harmless. )

The farmers market is long in coming for the downtown population of D.C. This past summer my cousin Katey participated in an environmentally minded bike trek with the goal of bringing environmental stories from across the country to our capitol. Upon their arrival in D.C., riders lobbied with their state representatives for clean energy, complete streets ( a street with individual lanes for pedestrians, bikers, cars, and public transportation ), and improved public transportation. A few of the riders were able to meet with White House Representatives from the Department of Energy, and when asked what they were each doing on an individual level to live “greener” and healthier lives, almost all responded that it was very difficult to live a green life in D.C. Local produce was hard to come by, streets were not bike friendly, and the recycling program left much to be desired. Although Obama is turning our country’s environmental morals around, the capitol is taking a bit longer to turn theory into practice. Fortunately, the White House farmers market will be available every Thursday from 3 to 7pm thru October 29th for politicians, city workers, students, and residents alike to take advantage of delicious local produce!

Thanks to Fresh Farm Markets for the info and photo.  To read more, head to freshfarmmarkets.org