Farmers Market Near White House Gets OK

It is usually better to have the White House advocating for your cause than not—particularly if your cause involves the White House. To that end the White House has helped a nonprofit organization get approval to set up a farmers market near the Executive Mansion, according to city officials.

As Rachel L. Swarns reports for The Caucus, a politics and government blog for the New York Times, the nonprofit Fresh Farms Markets received approval on Thursday for their open-air market in the heart of the nation’s capitol. The group, which operates several farmers markets in Washington, DC and Maryland, applied last week for a permit from the city that would close part of Vermont Avenue Northwest near the White House. The city’s department of transportation issued the permit yesterday, September 10, 2009. The permit allows the market to operate on Thursdays from September 17 through October 29.

While the White House would not comment on its involvement in the effort, city officials did say that Sam Kass, former personal chef for the Obamas and current White House assistant chef, did make an appearance at a community meeting last week to give support for the project. According to Bernadine Prince, co-director of Fresh Farm Markets, eighteen local farmers and producers will sell their goods at the market. It is not known if any produce from the White House garden First Lady Michelle Obama established this year will be available for sale.

Previously, President Obama made the following statements about farmers markets:
“One of the things that we’re trying to do now is to figure out, can we get a little farmers market—outside of the White House . . . That is a win-win situation . . . It gives D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue-maker for local farmers in the area . . . Those kinds of connections can be made all throughout the country, and — and has to be part of how we think about health.’’

It remains to be seen if the First Family will also be the farmers market’s First Customers. To read the Swarns post click here.

Posted: 09/11/09