Washburn students help plant Michelle Obama’s garden

WASHBURN —Al Krause, principal for the Washburn Elementary School, received an unexpected phone call from the White House on March 28: Michelle Obama had invited five Washburn Elementary School students from the 4th and 5th grades on an all-expenses-paid trip to D.C. to help plant the White House Kitchen Garden on April 5. Without hesitation Krause accepted the invite, but had to promise to keep it under a flowerpot until the White House made a public announcement on April 1.

Each spring since 2009, when Mrs. Obama initiated the first White House Kitchen Garden, she’s been inviting a handful of kids from all over the nation to help plant her garden, which feeds not only the first family but also visiting dignitaries and some needy folks in the community. What’s different about these kids is they all come from “green” schools —schools like Washburn that incorporate gardening into their curriculums.