Before Mrs. Obama planted her garden, was food already growing on the White House grounds?
Yes. A rooftop container veggie garden was planted during the Clinton administration, and remained during the Bush administration. Also, according to a 2003 webchat with Dale Haney, they already grew thyme, rosemary and chives for the kitchen, and have a couple of apple trees and concord grapes growing on the grounds. And of course, during World War II, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt oversaw the planting of a Victory Garden which included carrots, tomatoes, peas, and cabbage.
