U.S.A.
Everyone Else
Health
Science
Business
Technology
Sports
Video Games
Entertainment
Future
NEWS >POLITICS > NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION TO PROTEST WHITE HOUSE GARDEN
NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION TO PROTEST WHITE HOUSE GARDEN
March 22 2009
Washington, DC – Planting a garden has always been a rite of spring. Planting those first seeds, nurturing them, and watching them grow into healthy and delicious vegetables has long been a small joy for families particularly in colder climates who have limited green time. Michelle Obama came up with the idea to help promote healthy eating by plating a White House garden. Now she will be able to pass healthy eating not only down to her own children but all the children of America and not everyone is happy about her efforts.
Lettuce, Cilantro, tomatillos, spinach, collards, kale, and hot peppers will all populate the new 1100 square foot garden and will provide all the vegetable for the White House and a soup kitchen. The effort was kick-started by the Obama family themselves with Michelle taking the inaugural shovelful of dirt while her husband was on the left coast on The Tonight Show. The efforts though have already met with hurt feelings and if the National Grocers Association has its way, protests and a large shipment of sod.
“I’ve been able to have my kids eat so many different things that they would have never touched if we had bought it at a store,” said the First Lady. “What I found with my girls who are 10 and 7 is that they liked vegetables more if they taste good.”
That comment, along with the official endorsement of gardening is what has raised the ire of the NGA, which represents over 100 independent co-operative grocery stores across the United States and Canada. The organization plans to start picketing the White House next week just as the seeds are planted on the White House lawn.
“In this economy the last thing we need is people growing their own food. Despite what people may think food is not recession proof and the government should not be encouraging people out of supporting our industry,” said Kevin Walker of the NGA. “If this takes hold our members will be devastated and will be forced to close their doors. It’s very
difficult for any independent grocer at the best of times but in this economy and now
with the First Lady advocating this type of activity, we do not have a lot of recourse available to us.”
While sales of staples such as bread, pasta, rice, and milk have actually increased since the economic crisis began, sales of high ticket, high margin items such as cookies and pop have declined. Fresh fruits and vegetables have long been used a traffic driver for food retailers.
“If people start to grow their own vegetables they will start to grow their own fruits and before you know it there will be wheat fields in every backyard in America and there won’t be any need for grocery stores at all. That is the last thing the economy needs,” continued Walker. “Add to that the fact that they are going to have the President out there pulling weeds and watering the garden when really he’s got a lot more things to worry about. Between that and appearing on Jay Leno I’m surprised he even has time to dress himself in the morning never mind run the country and fix the economy.”
Republican critics are also jumping on the creation of the garden as a furthering of Obama’s socialist ideals, promoting the idea of work for the good of the country as his most communist declaration yet.
“America triumphed over the Soviet Union for a lot of reasons but one of the major ones was the advantage in technology. Free markets allowed for the development of new tools and new technologies and that allowed the Americans to essentially outspend the Soviets which led to the end of the cold war. American’s weren’t breaking their backs in the fields they were shopping at supermarkets,” said Scrape TV Political analyst Gabriel Kinsey. “That may be a bit of stretch but the impact a widespread home gardening craze would have on grocers and farmers is real. Of course this is America and The United States didn’t win the Cold War by getting off its butt and working in the garden and no amount of idealism will change that.”
The NGA plans to begin its protests on Monday. The Obama’s also plan to grow mints and basil though the national herb co-operative has not yet declared war on the garden.
Edward Bastil, Political Correspondent
NEWS >POLITICS > NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION TO PROTEST WHITE HOUSE GARDEN
|
Scrape Store
