Eat the View

"Agriculture... is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness." --Thomas Jefferson, 1787

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds." --Thomas Jefferson, 1785

I am so tickled and enlivened by the ideas presented by this organization called Eat the View. When Americans see the President of the United States eating food grown right in his lawn, this will be a huge inspiration for people to grow their own food, one of the most empowering things people can do!

Here is what it says on the Eat the View website:

"Eat the View!" is a campaign to urge the Obamas to replant a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.

"Eat the View" is coordinated by Kitchen Gardeners International, a Maine-based 501c3 nonprofit network of 10,000 gardeners from 100 countries who are inspiring and teaching more people to grow some of their own food.

Since its launch in February 2008, Eat the View! has been featured in over 450 newspapers including the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.

Our videos The Garden of Eatin' and "This Lawn is Your Lawn" video have been viewed thousands of times on the internet. The latter was chosen as one of the winners of the "Climate Matters" video contest and shown on national TV to an estimated audience of 50 million households.

"Eat the View!" has also won the Grand Prize in the OnDayOne.org contest where citizens are helping to set a positive, global agenda for President Obama.

Please direct all inquiries to Roger Doiron, (207) 883-5341

The future is going to be more fresh, juicy and delicious than a lot of us realize. That's because edible landscapes are going to be more integrated into our yards, neighborhoods, towns, and cities in the future than they have in the recent past. So, rejoice: good, clean food is on the way!

To make this happen, though, we need more people asking for and digging these landscapes. Please join our campaign. Here are a few things you can do to help:

1) Identify a landscape near you that you think should be "edible-ized". Chances are that you won't have to look far. Start with your own yard, neighborhood, or child's schoolyard. Then, why not ask your elected officials at the state and local level to lead by example. The Governors of Maine, North Carolina and New York are already eating from gardens planted at their official residences.

2) Sign our "White House Food Garden Petition" which we will deliver to the Obamas along with a diverse collection of heirloom seed packets.

3) Contact President Obama directly here. Tell him you'd like him to replant an organic garden on the White House lawn. There's an opportunity to attach a photo to your request. You can grab one here.

4) Buy a virtual parcel of the First Lawn and donate it back to the American people for the digging of a food garden.

5) Join this campaign and website. Use this site to share your stories of edible landscapes you're creating, planning, or already eating.

6) Join our Facebook Cause