Lettuces, peppers, cucumbers, squash, fennel, herbs, berries and rhubarb. These are the produce items the Obama family plans to grow in their newly created garden.

For years, sustainable food enthusiasts have encouraged the White House to set a precedent for other American families. Grow your own vegetables, use less energy and enjoy the superior taste of homemade produce, supporters said. And last week, Michelle Obama and nearly two dozen local elementary school children got to work and helped prepare part of the White House lawn for planting.

Asking Americans and leading by example to grow even a portion of their own food is a noble cause. The sustainable movement is alive and well in the Obama administration, and it is encouraging to know their gaze is situated in an appropriate direction: green living is necessary for our economic and environmental recovery.

Not only is the move to grow produce an important symbol, but it is a recognition that understanding where our food comes from is an integral part of eating healthy. Michelle Obama said herself, according to an article in the Washington Post, that she believes her children’s interactions with the garden picking and nurturing produce will encourage them to eat new vegetables they may not have otherwise tried. Simultaneously educating students about how food gets from the farm to the kitchen table and encouraging them to use less fossil fuel is a thoughtful way to show the next generation the importance of the connections between our actions, waste and the health of the planet.

In addition, the garden will allow the children to gain a deeper understanding of the natural world and grow a respect for the earth that is sometimes missing in those who don’t often interact with nature.

Already some critics have pointed out that home gardening is a costly endeavor and that the first family will undoubtedly not have to take care of the garden on their own. Both critiques are accurate, but the cynics are missing the symbolism.

The most well-known house in the United States will be harvesting some of its own vegetables. In the wake of the announcement, a number of citizens living in governor’s mansions and working in city halls across the country have heeded the Obama family’s call for sustainability and have made plans to build gardens.

Hopefully more Americans will, if their pocketbooks and schedules allow, spend the time and money to invest in clean, healthy produce that will warm hearts and bellies.