Yesterday, the First Lady welcomed students from Washington, DC to participate in the annual Fall White House Kitchen Garden Harvest. Students from Bancroft Elementary, Harriet Tubman Elementary, Capital City Public Charter School, and DC Bilingual Public Charter School enjoyed harvesting greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, and other colorful vegetables. Each of the schools have gardens of their own where students can learn about growing fruits and vegetables and eating healthy, and the students were excited to try out their gardening skills in the White House Kitchen Garden!

First Lady Michelle Obama harvests sweet potatoes with school children during the annual fall harvest of the White House Kitchen Garden, Oct. 6, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The First Lady planted the White House Kitchen Garden in 2009 to initiate a national conversation around the health and wellbeing of our nation – a conversation that evolved into the Let’s Move! initiative. Over the past seven years, Mrs. Obama has invited students to join her in planting and harvesting the garden.

In an effort to help schools all across the country have access to a similar garden experience, and to be able to explore the White House Kitchen Garden, Google joined the First Lady at the harvest to create the first ever virtual tour of the garden. Through their new program, Expeditions, students across the nation will be able to experience the garden, learn about where food comes from, and the importance of healthy eating. Stay tuned for the tour to go live!

First Lady Michelle Obama joins school children on the South Lawn of the White House to eat a Kitchen Garden Vegetable Salad Bowl with zesty chicken, quinoa, and farro for the annual fall harvest meal, Oct. 6, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Once the harvesting concluded, it was time to cook a delicious lunch with everything that was harvested. Mrs. Obama and the students prepared a Kitchen Garden Vegetable Salad Bowl with Zesty Chicken, Quinoa, and Farro. Then, everyone sat down to enjoy the meal together.

Is your school or community interested in starting your own garden? Check out our Gardening Guide to prepare for planting your very own garden next spring!