hhgreen

This market was given the green light just a week ago after Sam Kass, a White House assistant chef and former personal chef for the Obamas, showed up at a community meeting last week to offer support for the venture.

The nonprofit group, Fresh Farm Markets, already operates several farmers markets in Washington and Maryland. Last week, the group applied for a city permit to close Vermont Avenue Northwest between H and I Streets to traffic for its newest market near the White House.

Bernadine Prince, a co-director of Fresh Farm Markets, said she did not know whether First Lady Michelle Obama would show up for the market’s opening day, but surprise! Mrs. Obama showed up armed with a basket on her arm and her inimitable charm.

Before shopping, Mrs. Obama spoke about the importance of healthy eating to about 300 shoppers gathered in the drizzling rain.

"I have never seen so many people so excited about fruits and vegetables," she told the cheering crowd.

The first lady confessed her food choices were not always so healthy.

She said, “I was a working mother trying to put it all together. Takeout food was a primary part of our diet."

But Mrs. Obama explained that she gradually saw the effect eating better had on the health and habits of her children.

Setting a good example for her family and the nation, Mrs. Obama has been an outspoken supporter for locally grown food and her husband agrees.

Mr. Obama said, “It gives D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue-maker for local farmers in the area,’’ he said. “Those kinds of connections can be made all throughout the country, and — and has to be part of how we think about health.”

As green living initiatives spread from our capital to our towns around the country, Americans eat healthier, support their local food producers, and buy energy efficient appliances to keep their fresh food fresher while minimizing energy expenditures.

Hhgregg makes it easy to see Energy Star Rated appliances online. Refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers are all targets for greener living. And, hhgregg is heading for the capital in 2010 with new stores.