For those interested, i.e. when inquiring minds want to know, Wikipedia has a list of animals who lived at the Whitehouse during the various administrations. Lots of horses, dogs and cats, of course, but others that are more unexpected, such as Thomas Jefferson's sheep, two grizzly bear cubs and a number of mockingbirds. James Madison, Ulysses S. Grant, and Andrew Jackson had parrots while John Quincy Adams had silkworms and alligators. A pair of elephants sent to James Buchanan arrived when Abraham Lincoln was in office and he politely refused them. Interestingly enough, Lincoln also had a dog which was assassinated shortly after he was. Grover Cleveland was gifted goldfish. The first Siamese cat in the United States was given to Rutherford B. Hayes. George W. Bush had a longhorn steer and the list goes on and on. Which brings us to Donald Trump. He had no pets during his first term but now, thanks to the Obamas, he is in charge of the White House bees.
It all started when Michelle Obama decided to create a kitchen garden. Its purposes: to provide fresh produce to the Obamas and Whitehouse guests, to educate children about healthy eating, and to encourage people to eat healthy, locally-grown food.
White House vegetable gardens go way back, though the most unique may have been Hillary Clinton's which was constructed on the White House roof. More traditionally, the Obamas and a group of 5th graders broke ground on a portion of the south lawn in 2009. Of course, what's a vegetable garden (or any other kind of garden, for that matter) without bees to pollinate it?
Bring on a bee keeper.
According to bee keeper Charlie Brandts, "on a stretch of grass where helicopters, where thousands of children enjoyed Easter egg hunts, and where a Portuguese Water Dog frolicked daily, there were concerns." The job had to be as error-free as possible, requiring coordination with the National Park Service gardeners, the Secret Service and the Office of Communications. Eventually, things fell into place and Brandts came up with an easy device for quickly closing the hives' front door, designed for use by any of the staff, if necessary. He also designed and placed a special ventilation box on the hive so the bees wouldn't become overheated during those times when they would be closed in.
And all the careful work paid off. "It is not unusual for the single hive on the South Lawn to yield 200 pounds of honey a year. This harvest has reached wounded warriors, school kids, the President’s table, the G-20, and even the Pope. When the Make-A-Wish kids visit the Oval Office, they get some honey. Hundreds of school kids who visit the garden (including the children of White House staff on “Bring Your Kids to Work Day”), as well as participants in the Easter Egg Roll, have received information on bees and beekeeping, as well as the clear personal message that bees are important wherever you find people and food."
The president has duties that get little recognition: directing the minting of commemorative coins; controlling the national Christmas tree; naming national monuments and approving all states' flags and seals; (I live in Washington State where the legislature wants a new flag. Washington State is extremely liberal so I say, "Good luck with that.) And serving as the honorary head of the Boy Scouts. And, thanks to the Obamas, managing the White House bees. Possibly another sticky situation for the president to be in.
200 lbs of honey from one hive? Wow. I once had a hive in my backyard, but we only collected a few pounds of honey maybe twice a year. These bees are well tended. Of course, my experience was in Phoenix Arizona, where the heat is an important factor. My bees did not have the luxury of AC. Thanks for sharing.
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