Bo Obama Goes to the Garden!

Lettuce turnip the beet! The First Dog heads out to the White House veggie patch for Michelle Obama’s new book, American Grown
By People Staff
Updated June 11, 2012 09:45 AM

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Seeing as he is her favorite son, First Dog Bo was at the ready when First Lady put together her new book, American Grown.

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DOWN TO EARTH

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Mrs. Obama’s story of the White House kitchen garden, the biggest that’s ever been planted on the White House lawn, began in March 2009, when the first vegetables were planted.

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BODACIOUS BOUNTY

Credit: Quentin Bacon

“Bo has a job,” Mrs. Obama writes. “He leaves the White House every morning, walks down to the garden with Dale Haney, the White House groundskeeper, and examines the plants. Fortunately, he likes just looking at the plants, not digging them up.”

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HAPPY HARVEST

Credit: Quentin Bacon

“After his day at ‘work,’ he loves to cuddle,” she continues. “Sasha or Malia will be sitting on my lap, and he’ll run up and try to move them out of the way so he can sit there. He also likes to learn new tricks, because he knows we’ll reward him with a treat.”

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FOUNDING FARMER

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Mrs. Obama, who wanted to provide her family with healthier choices and to encourage the public to do so as well, found success with her garden, which not only feeds the Obama family but also yields enough to give to local meal centers.

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BEE MINE

Credit: Quentin Bacon

The vegetable garden also has a beehive (another first for the White House) that is used to make hundreds of pounds of honey – and the White House’s proprietary beer.

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COMING UP ROSES

Credit: Lawrence Jackson/White House

“One of the reasons we did this picture is because we get so many letters from kids, mostly, who – they want to hear about the garden, they want to see it, and they also want to see Bo,” Mrs. Obama said.

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DOWN VEGGIE LANE

Credit: Quentin Bacon

The gardening duo head down the path – to look for a treat for Bo, perhaps? He has been known to enjoy a nibble or two of broccoli.

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