Michelle Obama at Farmers Market Launch: 'Yay for Vegetables!'

First Lady Michelle Obama helped launch the opening of a new farmers market in Washington on Thursday afternoon, one selling locally produced products.

"I have never seen so many people so excited about fruits and vegetables," Mrs. Obama said to a crowd gathered in the drizzle.
And after she gave a pro-fruits-and-vegetables speech -- there can be bipartisanship in this town -- she did a little shopping in two of the dozen or so produce stalls set up on Vermont Avenue in front of the Veterans Administration headquarters and about a block from the White House. A little girl gave her a lei of marigolds and she put it around her neck.

I have a sense that what you may want to know before I tell you anything else -- who was there, quotes from her speech, that this event ties in to one of her signature issues, healthy eating and an update on the impact of the White House garden -- is what she put in that little shopping basket.

Here 's what Mrs. Obama bought at the farmers market:

From the Farm at Sunnyside, a certified organic farm in Rappahannock County, Va.
One dozen eggs
Two bunches of Tuscan kale
Two pints cherry tomatoes
Four Asian pears
One pint "patriotic" potatoes (red, blue and German butterball)
One-half pint hot peppers

Total spent, according to farm director Michael Clune, $18.

From the Clear Spring Creamery, an organic creamery in Clear Spring, Md.
A wheel of Claire's Organic camembert
One-half quart chocolate milk

Total spent. according to farm owner Claire Seibert, $10

When Mrs. Obama stepped back in her limo for the short ride back to the White House, presuming that was her destination, she didn't have that little basket of produce with her. It was entrusted to Sam Kass, the assistant White House chef and food initiative coordinator, who oversees the now famous White House garden. I saw Kass Wednesday at the White House wearing his crisp white chef uniform while he barbequed what looked like chicken on a grill. On Thursday he was looking sharp in a dark business suit and tie.

Kass and Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the older brother of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, played roles in getting the market up and running. Emanuel was there for the opening too, wearing what looked like, I think the reference dates me, a suit and Hush Puppies.

Emanuel, an oncologist and bioethicist, is an Obama administration health policy advisor. Emanuel works out of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the idea to set up a downtown farmers market came up in conversations about how to improve nutrition and how to assist federal workers.

Freshfarm Markets, a nonprofit that runs farmer markets in the area, got a boost from Kass when the organization was applying for needed permits from D.C. government and he showed up at a community meeting. "First Lady's chef backs farmer market plans" was the front page headline in the Sept. 9 edition of my neighborhood newspaper, The Northwest Current.

Mrs. Obama was joined at the opening ceremonies by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty and Bernadine Prince, a Freshfarm co-director.

Vilsack, in introducing Mrs. Obama, noted that she has "single-handedly" made health a "top priority."

Mrs. Obama talked some about the White House garden, planted last March. It has reaped reams of attention.

"It's been huge, a symbolic and practical impact," said Ann Harvey Yonkers, another Freshfarm co-director. "What's happened is people are very very interested. There has been a huge increase in home gardening, a huge increase in seed sales."

Mrs. Obama said when they decided to plant the White House garden, the thought was it would be a "great way" to educate kids about healthy eating.

"Right kids? Vegetables? Yay for vegetables!" she said.

The garden, she said, "has been one of the greatest things that I've done in my life so far."

"And it's important to know that when I travel around the world, no matter where I've gone so far, the first thing world leaders, prime ministers, kings, queens ask me about is the White House garden.

"And then they ask me about Bo."