White House Vegetable Garden heirloom seeds and 10 different herbs such as anise hyssop and Thai basil. Former presidents' favorite produce were also sown, such as President Thomas Jefferson’s preferred vegetables, “Brown Dutch and Tennis Ball lettuce, Prickly Seed spinach and Savoy cabbage” but beets were not grown because President Obama did not like them. Along with the vegetable garden, a beehive was added near the chef’s kitchen that is overseen by Charlie Brandts, a beekeeper and White House carpenter. Honey collected from the beehives has been used to brew White House Honey Ale. The contributing gardeners responsible for the early stages of the
Wilbur Wong Yan Choy the Executive Committee of the National Conference of Chinese Churches. Bishop Choy was an active member of the Board of Trustees of the Pacific School of Religion from 1970 until 1984. As such, he worked to strengthen the School's focus on Pacific Basin cross-cultural dialogue, diversity and excellence in ministry. Bishop Wilbur W.Y. Choy was named a "Distinguished Alumni/ae" of the Pacific School of Religion in 1997. Bishop Choy retired in 1984. Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Pacific School of Religion, Mr. Robert Riddel, wrote in 1984 on behalf of the Board: Wilbur Wong Yan Choy Wilbur