Georgia Citizens Ask First Lady Mary Perdue to Plant a Kitchen Garden at the State of Georgia's Governor's Mansion

2009-03-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release

On the first day of spring, our nation's First Lady broke ground on the first kitchen garden on the White House lawn since Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden during World War II. Roger Doiron, founder and director of Kitchen Gardeners International, had mounted a citizen petition at www.eattheview.org to encourage the planting of that White House garden and 100,000 Americans from coast to coast signed it. Now, Doiron asks the American people to encourage the planting of kitchen gardens at our state capitols or governors' mansions. Pattie Baker, a Georgia-based citizen advocate for local food systems, took up the trowel, so to speak, and published a Letter to Georgia's First Lady Mary Perdue requesting that she plant a food garden at the State of Georgia's Governor's Mansion.

The appeal of the White House garden project, Doiron asserts, is that it serves as a bridge between the country’s past and its future. “The last time food was grown on the White House lawn was in 1943, when the country was at war, the economy was struggling and people were looking to the First Family for leadership. It made sense before and it makes sense again as we try to live within our own means and those of the planet.”

"Planting a food garden is a powerful way to plant a seed of hope during uncertain times," Baker added. "By doing so at a place of high visibility such as the Governor's Mansion, it has the potential to inspire the creation of more urban farms, community gardens, school gardens and backyard gardens right here in the State of Georgia. The development of the resulting strengthened local food systems can create jobs, support the local economy, and improve the health and sustainability of our state's citizens and environment. There are many, many people in Georgia who have been working towards these goals for a long time now, and the First Lady's garden would help make a measurable difference."

California's First Lady Maria Shriver recently announced she will plant an 800-square-foot "demonstration garden" on the east side of the Capitol building in Sacramento in May. It will replace an existing flower bed. Maine's First Lady Karen Baldacci already has an herb garden and a large vegetable garden at Blaine House in Augusta. Arkansas' Governor Mike Beebe and First Lady Ginger Beebe have an herb garden and a vegetable garden at the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock.

Citizens of Georgia are invited to sign the letter requesting the creation of Georgia's Garden at www.georgiasgarden.blogspot.com

Pattie Baker is an eco-writer who publishes FoodShed Planet (www.foodshedplanet.com) and Sustainable Dunwoody (www.sustainabledunwoody.com) and whose articles have appeared in Edible Atlanta, Georgia Organics’ The Dirt and New Life Journal. She also writes for corporate clients dedicated to triple-bottom-line sustainability. She is a food gardener, a six-year member of a CSA, and a member of Georgia Organics.

Kitchen Gardeners International (www.kitchengardeners.org), with more than 17,000 gardeners listed from more than 100 countries, is a testament to the worldwide commonalities and connections that gardening provides.

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Media Contact:
Pattie Baker
www.freshbakedcopy@mindspring.com
www.foodshedplanet.com
www.sustainabledunwoody.com

Posted by Pattie Baker at 2:39 AM 0 comments

Georgia's Garden Media Release

Georgia Citizens Ask First Lady Mary Perdue to Plant a Kitchen Garden at the State of Georgia's Governor's Mansion