washington

Hundreds of bell peppers in shades of green, red, orange and yellow were on the chopping block today at the DC Central Kitchen. The peppers, personally delivered by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack from the USDA Farmer’s Market, were on their way into quesadillas as part of the lunch menu at the DC Central Kitchen.

When I visited Washington, I met the Secretary of Agriculture who comes from the great farming state of Iowa and he knew that we were going to begin this project. In fact, the idea for this project was inspired by the First Lady’s work with Washington, D.C. students who’ve always lived in the city and have never had a chance to grow vegetables or tend to a garden. As I have the rare privilege of having some land in the center of a very crowded city, I thought some of Seoul’s city students might enjoy a similar experience.

With Secretary Vilsack doing so much this month, I want to make sure everyone gets a chance to check out his great remarks last week on the future of our nation’s forests, and share people’s reaction.

What a beautiful, sunny, not-too-hot day in D.C.!

It was perfect for today's Peoples' Garden workshop, which focused broadly on the many ways you can make your garden work for you -- by planting different vegetables, and knowing how they're bets prepared. Volunteer staff presented tips on utilizing garden vegetables such as squash, greens, and peppers, and gave basic advice on preparation.

It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Washington, D.C., and we're setting up to put on the third week of Healthy Garden Workshops. If you're not in town, you can still follow the Peoples' Garden on Twitter, or check back later for a full report on the afternoon fun!