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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Obama Talks Up Local Food, School Lunches, And Setting Up A Farmers Market Outside The White House
  • Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:34:18 -0600



Obama Talks Up Local Food, School Lunches, And Setting Up A Farmers Market
Outside The White House
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/20/obama-talks-up-local-food_n_264524.html
First Posted: 08-20-09 05:12 PM | Updated: 08-20-09 05:35 PM

At President Obama's interactive health care strategy meeting on Thursday,
the President was asked about healthy eating and how he and his family keeps
so fit. Obama went on to praise the idea of getting local foods in schools,
and even said he wanted a farmers market right outside the White House.

Read the excerpt of his answer below:


When it comes to food, one of the things that we are doing is working
with school districts. And the child nutrition legislation is going to be
coming up. We provide an awful lot of school lunches out there and -- and
reimburse local school districts for school-lunch programs. Let's figure out
how can we get some fresh fruits and vegetables in the mix. Because sometimes
you go into schools and -- you know what the menu is, you know? It's French
fries, Tater Tots, hot dogs, pizza and -- now, that's what kids -- let's face
it, that's what kids want to eat, anyway. (Laughter.) So it's not just the
schools' fault.

A, that's what kids may want to eat. B, it turns out that that food's a
lot cheaper, because of the distributions that we've set up. And so what
we've got to do is to change how we think about, for example, getting local
farmers connected to school districts, because that would benefit the
farmers, delivering fresh produce, but right now they just don't have the
distribution mechanisms set up.

So, you know, Michelle set up that garden in the White House?

One of the things that we're trying to do now is to figure out, can we
get a little farmers' market -- outside of the White House -- I'm not going
to have all of you all just tromping around inside -- (laughter) -- but right
outside the White House -- (laughter) -- so that -- so that we can -- and --
and -- and that is a win-win situation.

It gives suddenly D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is
this enormous potential revenue-maker for local farmers in the area. And --
and that -- those kinds of connections can be made all throughout the
country, and -- and has to be part of how we think about health.





  • [Livingontheland] Obama Talks Up Local Food, School Lunches, And Setting Up A Farmers Market Outside The White House, Tradingpost, 08/20/2009

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