wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-wdbj7-tours-the-white-house-kitchen-garden-20120705,0,3728622.story
Hollani Davis
Anchor/Reporter
2:44 PM EDT, July 5, 2012
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The concept of community has been re-energized with one word, garden. They're sprouting up around the country and many people say they've drawn inspiration from the White House.
That's where WDBJ7 Anchor Hollani Davis was a few weeks ago when she was invited to tour the White House Kitchen Garden.
"Welcome to the First Ladies Garden," says Sam Kass, a White House Assistant Chef and Policy Adviser.
"We dreamed that it would inspire people and galvanize people to start utilizing gardens and food to bring people together," says Kass.
While the White House has had a garden before. Never on this scale and never did it draw so much interest.
"We take out over a thousand pounds each year, just about, an average and it's amazing," says Kass.
Kass was the "Pioneer of Planting" alongside First Lady Michelle Obama. Even for this established chef, gardening was a first for him.
"I was mortified about whether the peas were going to come up, but now all eyes are on this garden," says Kass.
The garden is not large by any means (the entire plot is 1,500 square feet) but it is a garden that keeps on giving. The First Family and state dinner guests feast on the produce. Leftovers go to a nearby soup kitchen, but perhaps most importantly, this garden is a teach tool, for the thousands of school kids who visit each year.
"Engaging (them) in the process and planting a seed opens up their minds to trying new foods, foods that they've never even heard of. There's no way we could've imagined just how tremendous the response has been," says Kass.
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