Organizers have been dropping first lady Michelle Obama’s name in their efforts to plop a farmers market into downtown Washington that would shut down an avenue near the White House during rush hour.
In late August, staff at FreshFarm Markets sent a note to the city Department of Transportation asking if they would be so kind as to shut down Vermont Avenue between H and I streets NW every Thursday from 1 to 8 p.m. from Sept. 17 until Oct. 29. In lobbying city officials, FreshFarm staff have bragged about their talks with the first lady — a vocal supporter of open-air markets.
The city’s official response? Don’t bet the farm on it.
“At this point, we don’t consider their application complete,” transportation spokesman John Lisle said. “We’ve requested additional documentation.”
FreshFarm, a nonprofit group, already runs eight farmers markets in the D.C. area.
“Farmers markets are important,” organization spokeswoman Pat Lute said. “People care about what they eat and they need more access to local food.”
White House staff have been in talks with FreshFarm officials, but the first lady’s office declined to answer questions about whether Obama was endorsing the Vermont Avenue market. After WTOP reported that the plan was the first lady’s, the White House called the station to deny it.
Federal records show that FreshFarm board members or employees have given more than $10,000 to President Obama.
“We’re not in a position to talk about it right now,” Lute said.
The first lady might well be wife of the most powerful man on the planet, but rules are rules, Councilman Jack Evans, D-Ward 1, said Tuesday.
“We have to go through the proper channels,” Evans said. “We really have to take a hard look at this one.”
“The White House could help us enormously on this issue by reopening E Street,” Evans said. “They should never have closed it [after the 9/11 attacks]. It’s not security: They’re using the damn thing as a parking lot.”
