White House Garden Veggies On Their Way to Market?

Will some of the more than 50 varieties of fruits and veggies from Michelle Obama's bountiful garden soon be headed to market? Perhaps, if White House chef (and former Obama family personal chef) Sam Kass has his way. Last week he voiced support for a non-profit's plan to install an outdoor farmers market very near Casa Obama, says the New York Times.

The organization, FreshFarm Markets, already operates several markets in the area surrounding Washington D.C. and has requested a permit for space on Vermont Avenue between Lafayette and McPherson Squares. The proposed market would be open on Thursdays from Sept. 17 to Oct. 29.

Before the permit is approved, FreshFarm Markets needs to provide a site map, cover the cost of lost revenue from the area's parking meters and perform other administrative tasks. Local transportation officials are weighing the costs of rerouting buses and losing parking spaces during work hours. Are the White House and the organization working together to get this done? So far, representatives from both FreshFarm and the White House have been tight-lipped.

But the president himself seemed to be in on it when he mentioned the potential market at a healthcare forum in August. According to the Washington Post, Obama said, "One of the things we're trying to figure out is, can we get a little farmers market set up outside the White House. That is a win-win situation. It suddenly gives D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue maker for local farmers in the area."

The First Lady has made promoting healthy eating habits a priority since she broke ground on her garden in March. The 1,100-square-foot plot is the first garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden during World War II.

See Michelle Obama and Kass discuss the garden in this exclusive video.