On the heels of the eighth annual planting of the White House Kitchen Garden, the First Lady set out to visit other gardens across the country. This year, as part of her American Garden Tour, Mrs. Obama is highlighting the impact and benefits of diverse gardens throughout the nation, including gardens in backyards and communities, at schools, and even in less conventional places like space.

Earlier this year, Mrs. Obama kicked off the tour by surprising students who participate in gardening programs at Watkins Elementary School and John Burroughs Elementary School in Washington, DC, and surprising a local family who has made their backyard garden a community effort. 

Last week, the First Lady continued her tour, visiting school gardens in rural Burke County, Georgia and Newark, New Jersey. The TODAY Show’s Al Roker joined for the tour and announced that theTODAY Show will be planting their own mobile truck bed garden that will travel to schools this spring and summer.

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a garden planting with students at Burke County Middle School in Waynesboro, Ga., April 7, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The first stop was Burke County Middle School where Mrs. Obama and Al Roker had a chance to visit the school’s greenhouse before heading out to help students plant their school garden. Introducing the First Lady, Al Roker fittingly proclaimed Mrs. Obama as "Gardener in Chief."

Rural Burke County has a Farm to School Program that provides farm fresh produce to their students daily. By offering local fruits and vegetables, the school district found that student consumption rates of produce doubled. Burke County Middle School is home to the county’s STEM-based learning garden, where students are writing a cookbook that incorporates food they have harvested from their garden.

First Lady Michelle Obama walks with students to their garden to help with planting at Burke County Middle School in Waynesboro, Ga., April 7, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The school district also offers a bi-monthly farmers’ market at the high school that showcases the locally grown food, and the district provides cooking demonstrations in class to reinforce the healthy habits being taught in the lunchroom. 

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a garden planting with students at Burke County Middle School in Waynesboro, Ga., April 7, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The next stop was Philip’s Academy Charter School in Newark, New Jersey where the First Lady and Al Roker made their way up to the rooftop garden, seeing how they grow gardens in an urban environment. The students demonstrated their composting process for the garden, planted kale and lettuce, and prepared colorful garden signs with the First Lady and Al Roker. 

First Lady Michelle Obama finds a worm while talking with students about composting during their garden demonstrations at Philip's Academy Charter School in Newark, N.J., April 7, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Philip’s Academy created the EcoSpaces Education program to connect students to food, how it’s grown, and how it nourishes their bodies in order to empower them to make healthy choices throughout their lives. Students receive homemade meals prepared by their culinary team following USDA nutritional guidelines and served family style by the children at a community table. The school uses their learning environments—the rooftop garden, teaching kitchen, AeroFarms indoor growing lab, and dining room—to connect core curriculum to food literacy in an interactive way.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Al Roker join in a group hug with students following garden demonstrations at Philip's Academy Charter School in Newark, N.J., April 7, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Following their time in the rooftop garden, Mrs. Obama and Al Roker headed to the school’s dining room to get a close look at the AeroFarm growing system, where the students grow greens that are incorporated into the school lunches. 

First Lady Michelle Obama and Al Roker are shown the Aero-Farm garden by a student at Philip's Academy Charter School in Newark, N.J., April 7, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

It was a great day with inspiring students who were clearly proud to celebrate and showcase their impressive gardens and school programs.

Stay tuned for future garden visits this year, and follow along as the White House Kitchen Garden grows and as we share stories of these and other incredible gardens across the country on the Kitchen Garden Instagram account: @WHKitchenGarden.