Remarks by the First Lady at White House Kitchen Garden Harvest

Kitchen Garden

3:18 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Hey, kids, what’s happening?

CHILDREN:  Nothing.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready to harvest the White House Garden?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  How excited are you?

CHILDREN:  Very!

MRS. OBAMA:  That's good, that's good.  All right, I want to make sure everybody knows which schools are here, okay?  So when I say your school, I want the students to give me the loudest yell, along with their teachers or parents, whoever are with you, the loudest shout.  You got nothing.  I got no gifts for you, but it will just be cool to hear it.

We’ve got the STAR School from Flagstaff, Arizona.  Where are you guys?

CHILDREN:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Come on, you guys can do better than that.  Let me hear it.

CHILDREN:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Whoa, I think you all are sleepy.  (Laughter.)  You got an early start to get here, didn't you?  (Laughter.)

All right we have Willow Cove Elementary School from Pittsburg, California.  Let’s hear you.

CHILDREN:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Welcome.  (Laughter.)  We have Greenview Upper Elementary School from Lyndhurst, Ohio.

CHILDREN:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, wait, I think so far they're winning from Ohio on the screaming.  But we have some hometown schools here, some of our partners who were here for every planting and every harvest.  We have students from Harriet Tubman.

CHILDREN:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, that sounds like home.  (Laughter.)  Was that a little loud for you, too?  That was a little loud.  That was good.  That was good.  And of course, we’ve got Bancroft Elementary School.

CHILDREN:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s old hat for them.  They're just -- it’s like, oh, whatever.

So can you -- look at the garden.  Look how amazing it looks over there.  And it’s beautiful.  It looks like a whole other place over there.  And just imagine that everything was just dirt just a few months ago.  And because the summer was so cool and wet and beautiful, everything is just bursting.  And it’s just amazing over there.

So I’m happy that you guys are here to help me because we couldn’t get this done without you.  And when we finish harvesting, we're going to actually do some cooking with our chefs and some eating.  So let’s get started.  You guys have your assignments?

CHILDREN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, let’s move.  Let’s move.  Let’s go.

END
3:21 P.M. EDT