Hadley Asparagus Push: Mass. Could Name Official State Vegetable

Asparagus is a nutritious spring vegetable known for its tender spears, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and low in calories.

It could soon also be the official state vegetable of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Springfield-based WWLP-TV reported that a Massachusetts legislative delegation recently visited Jekanowski Farm in Hadley. Legislation is pending in committee on Beacon Hill to honor asparagus as the state's official veggie.

Third Graders Champion Local Agriculture

"The visit aims to provide legislative leaders with a firsthand understanding of asparagus cultivation, inspired by a proposal from third graders at Hadley Elementary School to designate asparagus as the official state vegetable of Massachusetts," WWLP reported.

The Asparagus Capital of the World

According to Boston Uncovered, Hadley is known globally as the "Asparagus Capital of the World."

Massachusetts Students Push Asparagus For Official State Veggie — Getty Images

Since 1930, Hadley, a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, has "produced nearly 80 percent of the asparagus in Massachusetts," reported Boston Uncovered. "Collectively, the county also had some of the world's largest swathes of land dedicated to the green stalk."

Hadley hosts an asparagus festival that draws about 4,500 visitors annually.

A History of 'Hadley Grass'

Boston Uncovered said, "the crop became so abundant it took on the name Hadley grass," and in the 1950s, "many students would spend their mornings harvesting asparagus before proceeding to class."

"The visit connects policymakers directly with local farming communities, stemming from the students' civics-education project that researched local agriculture and championed the legislative initiative," according to WWLP.

Currently, Massachusetts has no official state vegetable.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment website offers asparagus recipes, storage tips, and preparation suggestions.

They take their asparagus quite seriously in Western Massachusetts.

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Filed Under: vegetables