It was drizzly and dreary in Washington, DC Wednesday, but the clouds parted just in time for First Lady Michelle Obama’s seasonal Kitchen Garden Harvest on the White House South Lawn.
“I’ve got treasure! I’m rich!” shouted one student from local Bancroft Elementary, as he unearthed large sweet potatoes and showed them off to the press pool. Mrs. Obama enlisted the help of about 30 local students from Bancroft and Tubman Elementary, a school recently adopted by White House Chefs Chris Comerford, Bill Yosses, and Sam Kass as part of Chefs Move to Schools.
The Kitchen Garden has produced over 1,600 pounds of food, not including the few hundred pounds harvested Wednesday. Produce from the garden is used by the White House kitchen to feed the First Family, guests of the White House Navy Mess, and is also donated to local area food banks.
Here are some other photo highlights of the 2010 Fall Harvest:
Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Adviser on Health Eating Initiatives, helps Bancroft Elementary students load up the harvest.
First Lady Michelle Obama shows off the garden’s first pumpkin.
Daniel Boulud, world renowned chef, displays an impressive pile of sweet potatoes.
Mrs. Obama taste-tests some baby turnips.
Heirloom tomatoes.
For more more photos and details about the harvest, see Obama Foodorama.
Photos by Helena Bottemiller.