I’m trying to get out of town for a girls-getaway in a cozy cabin but this is important…even more important than stopping by the french bakery to load up on pastries!
Today and tomorrow are the last two days to place your vote for White House Farmer. It’s looking more and more like we may just see organic veggies growing on the White House lawn!!! It takes a special set of skills and probably an incredibly tough skin to navigate federal red tape. That’s why it’s important that our First Farmer be not just passionate about clean, healthy organic food but also posses the people skills and experience to make this project a success on levels that go way beyond ripe tomatoes and and a corn maze.
I received an email this morning from a colleague who is stumping for her good friend Shepherd Ogden, a horticultural giant and a most worthy candidate for this position. Here is a brief excerpt from his “campaign speech”…
I see a number of very qualified people who have been nominated (I think especially of Eliot Coleman and Charlie Collins here in the East) but very few of them at the same skill and experience level are willing or able to make the commitment that I would. They live other places, and have existing gardens and projects. I am just outside DC, and have a connection to the region and the city that few do. Just ask Sandy Farber, the USDA Extension agent for DC itself! And it is not just about the gardens, but about spreading the word from that bully pulpit, like I did from Cooks and with the Intervale Gardens in Burlington…
Obviously we are a long way from getting this to happen, and there will be bureaucratic hassles along the way, but I for one think it is a great idea, and want to go for it, big time! And it is not only the experience and the public communications skills that will make this happen, but also the know-how and the know-who. If we can get parts of the National Mall organic under the last administration (as I did in my last job) then we ought to be able to get the White House to grow some veggies under this one! I have the skills and know the people involved, so I would appreciate your vote
Those of you unfamiliar with Shep can go to his website to learn more about him. Where ever you place your vote I encourage you to participate in this important – dare I say – “growing” movement (groan.) Our spirit of hope and optimism remains high in the midst of terrifying and sobering news daily. We gardeners, farmers and land stewards are the very embodiment of hope and optimism; it is our annual currency as we replant, nurture and coddle our crops and plots every year.
There are only have a couple of days left in this voting, so please do this now. It’s IMPORTANT!
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