"We hope First Lady Michelle Obama would come back for the plantings and harvests," a Hillary Clinton rep said. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Clinton vows to continue first lady's veggie garden

If Hillary Clinton wins the White House in November, first lady Michelle Obama's vegetable garden will live on.

Official word from the Clinton campaign came right as Obama held her last biannual garden harvest with school children on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday.


"If elected, the Clintons look forward to continuing the garden on the White House grounds, which produces not only healthy food, but also a great educational opportunity for youth from all over the country," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said in an email to POLITICO. "We hope First Lady Michelle Obama would come back for the plantings and harvests."

On Wednesday, Obama unveiled an expanded garden, made much more permanent with new stone, cement and metal elements and a new archway visible to tourists from the south gate — moves seen as making it more difficult to remove in a future administration.

During the harvest today, President Barack Obama made an appearance just in time for a group photo.

"Everybody say vegetables!" he said as the cameras snapped.

The first lady harvested sweet potatoes flanked by former NBA star Alonzo Mourning and a handful of elementary school kids from across the country. The president, wearing slacks and a purple tie, did not dig in the dirt, but he cheered the harvesters on.

Donald Trump's campaign has not responded to inquiries about the garden.

No word yet on whether Bill Clinton would get in on the gardening action himself.