First lady Michelle Obama is temporarily trading in the White House Kitchen Garden for one at a Georgia schoolhouse on Thursday.
Mrs. Obama will visit Burke County Middle School at 11 a.m. to help students plant the school garden. Located some 40 minutes south of Augusta in Waynesboro, the school is home to the county’s STEM-based learning garden. Students there are even writing a cookbook whose recipes incorporate food that is harvested from the garden. Additionally, Burke County’s Farm to School program offers daily fresh produce to its students, leading to a doubling of their consumption rate of fruits and vegetables, the school district says.
The first lady will be treading on familiar turf at the school. After all, it was back in 2009 when she first planted a vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House to help start a national conversation about health and well-being. That “conversation” evolved into her “Let’s Move!” initiative.
On Tuesday, Mrs. Obama again welcomed students from across the country to help plant the White House Kitchen Garden. It was the eight consecutive year — and her final time as first lady — she hosted the event. But she hasn’t turned in her garden trowel just yet. Thursday’s visit to Burke County Middle School is part of her American Garden Tour to highlight the impact and benefits of diverse gardens across the country.
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