Friendship PCS Students Help the First Lady Plant the White House Kitchen Garden

On April 2, the First Lady welcomed local students and FoodCorps leaders on the South Lawn for the sixth-annual planting of the White House Kitchen Garden. The garden was first planted in 2009 to commence a nationwide conversation on healthy eating and inspired the First Lady to launch Let’s Move!

At this year’s planting, the First Lady hosted the founders of FoodCorps, a program dedicated to teaching our nation’s children about healthy food while ensuring they have access to it during the school day. This fall, FoodCorps members will serve DC-area schools including Friendship Public Charter School — and students from these schools accompanied FoodCorps at the garden planting.
The students planted a variety of fruits and vegetables, including collard greens, rhubarb, onions, strawberries, raspberries, and a new addition, a paw paw tree.

The First Lady worked alongside the students, helping them lift a watering can when its weight grew too heavy and planting some of the larger flowers.

“Guys, this is awesome,” she told them. “Look at all the work you did. You know how long this would have taken me if I did it by myself?”

Before leaving, the first lady said she was looking forward to seeing the students again at harvest time – “when we pick it up, take it out and we eat it.”