Our sister site, On Day One, made the old gray lady today.
Kitchen Gardeners International, a nonprofit organization [Roger] Doiron founded in 2003, is a virtual community of 5,200 gardeners from 96 countries. “We’re trying to reframe the backyard in terms of global sustainability, without losing any of the fun,” said Mr. Doiron, who manages to make a living from donations to his nonprofit and a fellowship from the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute.
He sees his audience as “people out there who are concerned about peak oil, or the gardening gastronomes who want the freshest food possible,” he said. “Or the people who joined a C.S.A.” — a community-supported agriculture project — “last year, and this year are thinking, you know what? I can do some of this myself.”
Mr. Doiron’s latest cause is challenging the presidential candidates to plant a garden on the White House lawn. He has posted his proposal, “Eat the View,” on www.ondayone.org, a Web site where people record their visions for the next president.”
The article, which appeared in the Home and Garden section today, goes on to discuss the various ways presidents through history have used the White House lawn to grow food and vegetables. Mr. Dorion’s proposal, though, is much more ambitious than what’s been done in the past. Dorion says the next president should transform the White House lawn into a garden large enough to sustain the produce needs of the White House, with the left-over produce going to local food pantries. I like the idea. And kudos to New York Times writer Anne Raver for giving it some play.