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USDA to Plant Sustainable Garden on National Mall
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans to grow a model sustainable garden on its grounds on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Washington Post reports. The planned Peoples Garden will be publicly accessible and encompass all six acres of the USDA's headquarters on the Mall. The plans call for a 1,300-square-foot organic vegetable garden that will produce a rotation of seasonal crops. All vegetables produced by the garden will be donated to a local food bank. Workers from a Maryland-based nonprofit organization that employs developmentally disabled adults will tend the gardens along with USDA staff. USDA officials anticipate that the garden will serve as an educational resource for local students and plan to feature it in a video about organic agriculture shown at the agency's visitors' center. In addition, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack plans to use the new garden as a visual reminder of the agency's commitment to sustainability and to emphasize the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are cornerstones in the agency's efforts to improve school nutrition and reduce childhood obesity (Black, Washington Post, 4/22/09 [registration required].