WASHINGTON — Chefs and farmers have long yearned for a garden on the White House lawn, and they have found a receptive audience in Michelle Obama. Since the inauguration, the first lady has emerged as a vocal proponent of healthful eating. One of her early official appearances was at the Department of Agriculture, where she told staff she was a "big believer" in community gardens.

Last month, she invited local culinary students to the White House kitchen, where she talked about her own challenges trying to persuade her children to eat vegetables. No matter what you do, she said, "sometimes kids are like (distastefully), 'It's green!' "

With the help of local elementary school students, Obama broke ground Friday for a White House garden and initiated a public campaign to help Americans better understand where their food comes from.

As many as 55 fruits and vegetables will be grown year-round for use in the White House kitchen. The students will be invited back to the White House to plant seedlings, then again to harvest and learn how to cook with the fresh produce.

"I've been able to have my kids eat so many different things that they would have never touched if we bought it at a store," Obama said before picking up a shovel and digging in. "Because they met the farmer that grew it or they saw how it was grown, they were curious about it and they tried it. And usually they liked it and they'd eat more and more of it."

The 1,100-square-foot garden, the first of its kind since Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden during World War II, will grow dozens of vegetables, berries and herbs. The collection of crops, a wish list from White House kitchen staff, will include lettuces, squash, fennel, rhubarb, cucumbers and sweet and hot peppers. White House chefs will use the produce to prepare meals for the family and for official functions, and some of the produce will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House. There will also be a beehive near the garden.

Dale Haney, the White House grounds superintendent, and Sam Kass, the assistant White House chef who previously worked as a personal chef for the Obama family in Chicago, will oversee the garden, which is visible to passers-by on the street. The rest of the White House kitchen staff, executive staffers and the first family also are expected to help.

"This sends a message that food is really important," Kass said. "Taking a real look at what we're eating is critical, particularly in the health crisis that we're in. We have to take a bigger role in our lives. And this is a first step along that road."