Remarks by the First Lady at White House Kitchen Garden Harvest

Kitchen Garden

1:24 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Hey!  What’s going on?  How are you guys doing?

CHILDREN:  Good!

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s exciting!  Look!  Look what you did -- it grew!  It’s very exciting. 

Well, welcome back.  We’ve got a few things going on here.  We’ve got a handful of kids who are brand new and I will say hello to them, but we’ve got kids who are returning who helped from schools who actually helped us plant the garden -- and I’m going to list you.  And when I list your school, I want you to scream so I know where you are. 

Sarah Moore Green Magnet Academy, where are you?  (Applause.)  Is that a scream?  Let’s try that again.  Sarah Moore Green Magnet Academy.  (Applause.)  That’s good.  And to your principals, teachers, administrators, parents who are here, let’s here it from you guys as well.  (Applause.)  That’s some screaming -- that’s some screaming.

We’ve got the Arthur D. Healey School from Somerville, Massachusetts -- where are you guys?  (Applause.)  Yes!  And where are your teachers, principals, administrators, parents?  (Applause.)  Welcome.  Yes, yes.

And then we’ve got Milton Elementary School from Milton, Vermont.  (Applause.)  Oh, come on, you guys.  Come on, Milton -- let me hear it.  (Applause.)  Are you hungry already?  You’re running out of energy?

Well, it’s good to have you guys back.  Thank you for being here.  You see -- how many kids who are here actually helped me plant?  All of you guys -- you guys -- isn’t it amazing how the garden has grown?  It’s just terrific.

And then we’ve got my friends from Tubman and Bancroft Schools.  (Applause.)  Yes!  And to all the administrators, teachers, principals, parents, everybody -- yay.  (Laughter.)  It’s good to have you guys.

Now, we’ve got some new friends here from schools in New Jersey, because today the President, he left me to go to your state to visit with your Governor.  And we thought, well, since he’s going to be there, wouldn’t it be good to have some schools from New Jersey here with us.  So today we’ve got Union Beach Memorial School from Union Beach, New Jersey.  You guys are here -- where are you?  (Applause.)  Wait, wait, wait, what?

CHILDREN:  Hi.  (Laughter.)

THE FIRST LADY:  They said hi.  (Laughter.)  You said hi.  Give me a scream!  They’re embarrassed -- they’re embarrassed.  Okay, and then we’ve got Long Beach Island Elementary, Ship Bottom, Surf City, New Jersey.  Where are you guys?

CHILDREN:  Woof, woof, woof.

THE FIRST LADY:  Oh, yes -- oh, yes, my Dogs -- my Dogs. 
Let’s hear that.  (Laughter.)  One, two, three --

CHILDREN:  Woof, woof, woof, let’s move!

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, well, you got me right there.  That’s terrific.  And all the teachers, principals, administrators, parents who are here from New Jersey, you guys, thank you.  (Applause.)

Another one of the reasons why we wanted to invite you guys is I understand that given all that you guys have been through -- because many of your schools got damaged in Sandy, right? -- but despite that, you guys are still going to school every day, and you’re working on eating healthy, right?  And it hasn’t been that easy, but you guys have managed to get through the school year way on top of the game, and we’re just very proud of you.  That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to have you here today.  So welcome.  It’s good to have you.

So we’re here to harvest and we’re going to clear this out, right?  Right, Sam?  I know I’m going to be pulling up some radishes and doing some lettuce, but you guys are going to help harvest everything that’s over there.  Are we leaving anything in?  A few things we’re leaving in. 

I want to highlight the wheat that we planted.  That first bed is our wheat, and it is growing like gangbusters.  So we may even have bread one day, our own White House bread.  So that’s going to -- are we doing anything with that today?  So the wheat is not ready, but everything else is.  And it’s just been fun to watch the garden grow.  And I’m glad you guys are here. 

But we’re also going to do something else.  We’re going to actually get to eat what we harvest today.  So in addition to doing some harvesting, you guys are going to help -- we’re going to do some veggie flatbread pizzas with the vegetables from the garden.  You guys up for a little cooking, too?

CHILDREN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  And a little eating, too?

CHILDREN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  And to help us out, we’ve got our chefs.  We’ve got the executive chef from the White House, Cris Comerford, along with the White House chef crew.  Let’s give them all a round of applause.  (Applause.)  And they’re going to be helping out, so everything is all set up.  So are you guys ready to work?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, let’s move!  Let’s move!  We’re moving!

END   
1:32 P.M. EDT