The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
President Obama will be talking with small business owners, rural organizations and local families at the Seed Savers Exchange.
Ed. Note: Watch the video or read the full transcript of the President's town hall in Decorah, Iowa.
For the second stop of President Obama’s economic tour, the bus pulls into Decorah, Iowa for a town hall meeting with 500 local residents. While in Decorah, the President will be at the Seed Savers Exchange to discuss ways to grow the economy, strengthen the middle class and accelerate hiring.
The Seed Savers Exchange is a 850-acre farm that saves and shares heirloom seeds like Strawberry Crown Squash, Lemon Drop Tomato, Stone Mountain Watermelon and Champion of England Pea for future generations. Shannon Carmody from the Seed Savers Exchange describes heirlooms as rare seeds with a historic context, "Maybe they were offered in a seed catalog in the 1930's, and are no longer offered commercially today, or they could have been brought to North American by immigrant families and are maintained for generation after generation." Watch the town hall live beginning at 6:15 p.m. EDT on WhiteHouse.gov/live.
Decorah, Iowa is a community that emphasizes staying active and eating healthy. As Mayor Don Arendt put it, "I really think that we are a unique community in Iowa. We have the most parks per capita in the state."
The community is also part of the Food and Fitness Initiative, a shared effort by local counties to help ensure all children have access to healthy, local food and physical activity. You can learn more about ways to stay active and eat nutritious foods with Let's Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation.
Fun Fact about Decorah: A family of bald eagles callsthis town home. You can watch the National Birds live.
