first lady Michelle Obama plants a white house vegetable garden

While President Obama was busy killing a menacing housefly, elementary school children who had helped First Lady Michelle Obama plant a vegetable garden in April were invited back Tuesday to harvest vegetables.The children were accompanied by their principal and teachers.

These students have had a school-based, organic garden for several years, and were excited to turn soil and plant crops with the first lady.Before slipping on the gardening gloves, Mrs. Obama listened as four students read from essays describing how much their relationship with her, their involvement with the White House garden and her message about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables means to them.

"It has inspired us to eat better, work harder and grow more vegetables," said fifth-grader David Martinez.

Involving the students in the White House garden was about more than just digging in the dirt, Mrs. Obama said.

"They've really learned some lessons about nutrition," she said, as the rest of their classmates and their parents listened from the sidelines. "They're making different choices because they're a part of the process of planting and tilling the soil and pulling up the food."