This Lawn is Your Lawn (pre-election version)

[GrownintheCity]

Great video! Isn't it great to see that there's a kitchen garden there now?! :)

[flowerbudz32]

nice job i am changeing my rich client to dig up thire lawn to grow better food. That what what i think my mission is! WAKE UP THE HUMAN in the person!

[jas16899]

Wow way to pay an homage to the world by donating the front yard of your American suburban home to becoming a symbol for something you don't even clearly define.

Obama is rich, he doesn't care about your symbols.

[jsb4815]

THIS is a great Idea, and should be done around the globe well done.

jacob Buffett

[timaloha]

The presidential mansion is more than a residence. It is also where the great decisions of the day are made, where dignitaries and leaders are feted, where sweeping legislation is signed into law, etc. It SHOULD be stately and reflect the dignity of the nation and the presidency. Rows and rows of vegetables and manure fertilizers do not fit the setting. I'm a NOFA certified organic lawncare expert, and, while I support the cause, the White House is not the place for an organic vegetable garden.

[OnTheCahaba]

Would you care to elaborate exactly why you think a vegetable garden doesn't reflect the dignity of a nation? A vegetable garden can be as beautiful as any flower garden. There is no reason herbs, fruits and vegetables can't co-exist alongside the flowers in the Rose Garden. Vegetables don't have to be planted in a straight line. Manure fertilizers don't have to be used. I'm just not understanding why you think this would reflect badly on Americans or the president in general.

[timaloha]

Sure. I was against plowing up the entire WH lawn to make a veg garden as the video suggests. I am not against a small garden in the rose garden . You'll notice that I said I support the cause such a garden would represent. Fortunately, it was just announced that the Obama's have today started a small (1100 sq ft) veg garden in the rose garden. I guess we can both be happy.

[burntchestnut]

An excellent video and how timely! Even if you don't have a yard, you can plant tomatoes and other vegetables in large pots. Some Botanical Gardens or local communities have small plots where people can grow vegetables. Check it out or get one started.

[gkdrummerboy]

Now I wish I had a lawn. 5/5 :D

[dianeames]

Has anyone converted an in ground pool to veg garden?

[argusmoon]

Inspiring! I hope this happens! Castro asked all Cubans to plant gardens and that was the only way they survived the economic catastrophe after the USSR pulled out supports! The whole world's problems can be solved by gardens: pollution, stress, food shortages, etc. Go Obama!

[Rockwellneighbour]

I am so happy that you used Woody Guthrie's recording. I think this is the first time I heard him with all of correct words.....but on the back side it didn't say nothing..

I have read the words in sheet music but I don't remember hearing it. Thanks for posting.

I try and grow as many plants as I can on my rooftop garden. Red,yellow and orange sweet peppers. Apple,pear, pomela(type of grapefruit) tangerine,lemon trees.

[JOROSS2]

It could feed the visitors waiting in line to see the White House.:)

[Lectricboots]

Thanks for that. Really instructional, smart and inspiring. I'm appreciative of your efforts. favorited.

[bumblebeefightergirl]

What a good idea! But now I'm hungry...

[madmardygan]

Who exactly is going to tend to this garden? Do you know how much money it will cost with how over inflated the budget is? So both president's say they will par it back line by line but can do nothing without a majority vote anyways.

why dont we take on an amedment tothe bailout 70100000000 dollar, 1 more for your garden

[jillian51894]

UHMMM...Ok....

[Jackbubble9000]

The song made me feel happy. :)

[Amanicangel]

What a fantastic(!) response. *big smile from me* Thank you for making my day a bit brighter with your highly emotional and in generally inappropriate comment.

My friends and I got a wonderful laugh out of it.

Have a great day!

Peace. =)

[Amanicangel]

I believe what confused me the most about your comment is you thinking I don't know how long "cutting" or "self-harming/mutilation" has been around. The statement I made had nothing to do with timeframes whatsoever. And just because a person is "emo" does not in any way whatsoever define their sexual orientation nor preferences.

Calling me a faggot when you don't even know me was a bit outta line but lol.. hey it's cool.. after all ignorance is bliss.

[mad4us]

I have eaten only from my garden (veggies) for the past 5 years. what a pleasure to grab and cook not having to use gas to travel to the store. I still have frozen veggies from last year. I have not felt impact of current high prices of gas and food because of this.

[AaronMk91]

You must have a big garden XD.

We have one in our backyard and we still have to go to the store every so often. It's probably because the Turkeys and my Grandma are sharing it with us...

[Amanicangel]

I Wish My Front Lawn Was Emo So It Would Cut Itself..

[ZeroBlindTerry]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN! 59 today

[mampdx]

And while we're at it, we can insist that the solar panels, removed by Reagan, go back on the roof!!

[AirsoftGroupisRule]

Now im going to plant a garden

[idontwannatalkabther]

awesome

[Bizlifter]

Fabulous...glad I stumbled into your garden.

[jodybat72]

i have been contemplating the Victory Garden lately... why aren't more people promoting this idea?

this is awesome!

[ConnerMorris]

i think john would make a good chief

[iPikee]

damn u can tear up Ben station.

[cuband8]

i would grow a garden if the rabbits, deer, and squirrels didnt eat everything i plant

[sethcat99]

i cant afford a lawn.

[northwestmike]

I think this is a great "feel good" video, but the whole concept is a bit naiive. Do you you have any idea how inefficient it would be to have 100 million American families attempting to grow their own food? There would be inefficiencies in water, fertilizer use, and hazardous use of pesticides by many non-organic gardeners. Leave growing food to professional organic farmers!

[bryancostanich]

ha, really? this used to be considered a staple skill of humans. i think it might be ok 'northwestmike' if individuals started to garden again. :) we didn't always have an industrial agriculture machine.

[northwestmike]

Who makes up the "industrial agriculture machine"? My cousin, his wife and two kids? They are professional organic farmers. Read my post more carefully you pseudointellectual liberal weenie. My point is that individual small-scale farming may feel very self-righteous and "green", but it is actually terribly inefficient. Efficiency minimizes wasted energy and resources. Hence, it's actually better for the planet. Is that the goal, or is it attempting to feel more holy-than-though?

[bryancostanich]

ha. wow, nwmike, you sound really angry. :) i'd prefer to keep this friendly, since i'm pretty sure you wouldn't be so nasty in person. i did read your post, and i understand where you're coming from, but your assertion is based on a very tenuous predication. sure, certain aspects are far less efficient than industrial agriculture, and we certainly couldn't feed the nation without industrial agriculture. but since i'm a 'pseudo-intellectual liberal weenie' (which actually cracks me up,

[bryancostanich]

it's very presumptuous of you to think you know anything about me from a few sentences), let's break it down, first resources used in farming:

1) labor - yes, it's much less efficient to garden yourself in terms of labor. but this point is kind of moot, since many people would simply be trading time spent watching t.v., or other hobbies. so yes, less efficient. does it matter? meh. probably not. the psychological and physical effects gained from gardening are pretty good, i'm sure you'd agree.

[bryancostanich]

2) materials - this part is where you and i probably differ from a philosophical standpoint. yes, you're right, many people will overuse/misuse pesticides, fertilizers, etc., which isn't good. i agree with you 100%. but this is something that is likely remedied over time. and if they're using organic techniques, it's even less of an issue (which i believe was the intent of the video)

[bryancostanich]

as you say, you could teach your dog to garden. but after a while, the person gardening is going to get much more skilled in their gardening and start to use resources more efficiently. this is also where a 'staple skill' has become lost, and i believe for many reasons, people should in fact have certain staple skills, especially in times of emergency, etc. the more people gardening, the greater the collective and localized intelligence of gardeners will be.

[bryancostanich2]

3) transportation - this is actually a place where gardening at home wins hands-down. as the video pointed out, transportation of food is non-trivial, and the idea of buying locally is, to quote you 'feel good [and] a bit naive.' some people can buy locally, but it's not practical on any large scale. look at how much food is grown in the middle of california, and then trucked all over the u.s.

4) passive resources - not everyone has the land/space/access to sun to grow a garden. so for those,

[bryancostanich2]

this doesn't really matter. but for those that do, i would posit that turning a bit of yard into a functional garden is an efficient use of land. for myself, i have a very small patch of garden outside, and then have lots of container-grown vegetables and herbs on my patio. both things enhance the ambience of my living quarters, and i am using otherwise unused space, so i would consider that an efficient use of passive resources.

now, let's consider the other piece.

[bryancostanich2]

the 'industrial agriculture machine.' this is a very real thing. i'm not necessarily talking about your family and their organic farming business. i have no idea the specifics of their setup, etc. but most food in america is produced on massive farms run by very few people and largely automated by machinery. we have, in fact, industrialized agriculture. in fact, you should see the census data on farming. it's very eye opening. a few farmers make a lot of money and supply most of the food we eat

[bryancostanich2]

anyhow, we've done this because it makes things more efficient (on large scales, when you have to feed massive amounts of people). If you don't believe this, i'm happy to go and find lots and lots of sources backing this point.

anyway the point i'm trying to make here is that i support the statement he's trying to make. i don't know if i believe it naive or not, but i don't think it's fair to dismiss it outright as you have. if many people, who had access to the resources identified grew their

[bryancostanich]

own food, i believe the net effect on resource usage (minus labor) would actually be negative, and the benefits on both an individual level and a societal level would be positive.

[AaronMk91]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[an0nymyce]

northwestmike - pwned for douchebagery. two-bit wanker.

[AaronMk91]

Like Bryan said this used to be a staple to humans for many, many years. It's fairly easy to do, we do it where I live it we do it well enough. And it's organic too.

For a start you can go out and buy some compost bins. Just fill these with food waste and leaf litter. Depending on location and conditions you'll have easy nutriant rich dirt.

And in our age of easy to access information you can easily go out and buy an organic gardening book.

[northwestmike]

This isn't a matter of skill. I can teach my DOG to garden. It's about a waste of resources. Professional organic farming is superior to and far more efficient than every Tom, Dick and Harry trying to grow his own cilantro.

[bryancostanich]

according to CNN, they planted their kitchen garden yesterday. doesn't that just piss you off NWMike? hahahaha..

[northwestmike]

You must be a pretty pathetic fucking loser to try and restart a debate from MONTHS ago. I don't even remember what I wrote. LOL. I just remember your ignorant, self-righteous, and arrogant socialist attitude. The fact of the matter is that the economy and environment would BOTH be WORSE OFF if we had 300 million Americans trying to grow their own food. I know it doesnt fit into your romantic hippie-bullshit paradigm, but its a logistical and scientific fact.

[bryancostanich]

you're too easy NWMike. :)

you should remember it, because my "ignorant, self-righteous, and arrogant socialist" and "pseudo-intellectual" ass gave you a point for point beat down. hahhahah

anyway, i didn't really care, i just saw the article and it made me laugh remembering you and this video.

this time i don't even care to debate you, you're clearly an idiot.

[swoop1111]

@northwestmike i think you may be confusing this concept & the practices of industrial agriculture. you know pesticides, dangerous chem.s like the alar used on apples that was banned in the 80's as a carcinogen & the depletion of nutrients in the soil by use of harmful chemical fertilizers & runnoff from large ag production facilities contaminating groundwater. thats the difference between someone growing food to feed their family & selling garbage for profit. we left it up to the professionals

[northwestmike]

@swoop1111 There's no confusion, but I appreciate your patronizing liberal tone, douche.  My position is that expecting every American family to grow their own food (or any meaningful portion of it) is incredibly unrealistic and inefficient. I'm 100% in favor of organic food and locally grown food, but there will always be a need for professional farming. It simply ought to be sustainable, organic, and non GMO.

[swoop1111]

@northwestmike wow, for someone supporting organic & local ag you are a bit hostile.the point i was trying to make was that we left food production & ag up to the "professionals & look where its gotten us. i have been growing food organically & raising hens for eggs in the city for many yrs. without poisoning my neighbors. actually they enjoy it as well. i just want to know what defines "professionals"? & i dont consider myself liberal or conservative - why would you assume that. douche? really

[bigwilly2125]

OH NOES THE ALIENS ARE GONNA KILL ME ON MY Bday

[kamalayka1]

Aliens are coming to earth on October 14, 2008. Look it up on the internet.

[nocknock57]

Round and round, the cut of the plow in the furrowed field

Seasons round, the bushels of corn and the barley meal

Broken ground, open and beckoning to the spring; black dirt live again

The plowman is broad as the back of the land he is sowing

As he dances the circular track of the plow ever knowing

That the work of his day measures more than the planting and growing

Let it grow, let it grow, greatly yield

[cherilwhitaker]

This video is so inspirational! It is very educational, admirable and adorable!

I am plotting out my front yard garden now. I don't have a "white" house, but I want to particpate in this fantastic idea. Thank you so much for sharing this! gotta go sign the petition now.

[awwskyview]

Just great! 100 stars. Vegetable gardens can be both beautiful and utilitarian.

[georgnicholas]

Good soil is one of the most critical factors to successful farming and it doesn't just appear out of thin air. If we are advocating that thousands (if not millions) of people in the developed world should start home gardening, and every home needs a ton of compost, then the amount of compost needed will be astronomical, as will the energy needed to make and transport it.

[kitchengardeners]

George: we certainly urge people to make their own compost and created a video (at the right) to show people how to do it. You need to know that this new garden is not our only garden. We have a much larger one out back which used up all of our home-made compost. The compost we bought in/brought in for this new garden is organic and locally-produced.

[georgnicholas]

First I want to say that I fully support the message this video is trying to convey. Home gardening makes sense for many reasons.

The problem I have is that the video shows a huge load of compost being delivered for the garden. People need to think about this: Where did the compost come from? How much compost is actually available? How much fuel was burned making it and them trucking it to the garden?

[secrecyguy]

I gave your video 5 stars and made it my favorite to support your cause.

[zizizzi]

Wonderful! 5*****

[WilliamCerf]

absolutely wonderful. I also liked the Guthrie music. Some of the best I've heard on YouTube

[finnyknits]

Awesome! Next time, flip the sod over and plant right into it - built in mulch and nitrogen.

[1Jewel58]

This is the way change is made. Courageous people putting their money where their mouth is! You are an inspiration to all of us....and hopefully the White House not too far down the road!

Mahalo!

[TonyKaku]

Nice, but I can't figure out for the life of me why you dug out the sod.

[SustainableBackyard]

Inspiring! Thank you.

[PeakOilBoy]

Yay! Lawns to Gardens, baby.... come on America, let's do it!

[NickSayle]

well done!! fantastic!!

[yiggsyiggs]

Awesome!

[snappyjdog]

awesome video ... isn't growing your own food great? I'd love to see a garden on the white house lawn

[waggabu]

Maybe it will be like Hitler's mansion where no veggies will grow.

[kencanaonline]

very good

[threesalamanders]

Oh my god. This is brilliant! I love you guys. Growing a "Victory Garden" of my own this year with plans to expand next year. We even did it in the inner city where we lived in the 90s. Kids in the neighborhood were astounded to see that tomatoes grew on green bushes.

Signing petition and passing it along.

OOXOOXOX

[atteastrainwreck]

This is terrific. When I lived in an ashram, we had a huge garden and grew almost all of our food, but, yah, Dubya would NEVER plant a garden now to show good faith - he's got none, and plus, he's too busy getting in touch with his 'real' cowboy roots on K Street.

[hanab]

An absolutely wonderful video, well thought out and convincing. I wish you luck!

[timidgothica]

I started growing my own vegi garden this year. Great idea on my part.

[odin422]

Organic only!

[dalcyte]

great video. Inspiring.

[andyappleseed]

major fist-bumps for you Roger. : )

[slitteva]

Really enjoyed this!  Thanks

[pamelaoprice]

Awesome. Great work. Just put it up on my blog as "Breaking News"

[InnSerendipity]

Simple, powerful message -- creatively executed. Just what this country needs. You go, Roger! Thanks for all your positive, inspiring organizational efforts.

[julesandmax]

fantastic :-)

[greentxmama]

Love this video. It does make sense and would hopefully inspire others to do the same.