Earlier this week, the New York Senate overwhelmingly voted to make sweet corn the official vegetable of the State of New York. The long raging, albeit somewhat trivial, debate has been over onions or corn, both of which are grown in abundance in New York. Recent public polling show that the public, by a margin of about 4-1 support making corn the official vegetable.

Sweet corn is the lead fresh produced vegetable in the state, and many New York Senators have close ties to agricultural regions that specialize in corn production. Even Senators from onion producing regions, like Senator David Carlucci, acknowledged the overwhelming support for corn in the vote.

On the surface this seems like a trivial vote to conduct, particularly given the rancorous debate in the New York Senate over issues like property taxes, same-sex marriage, and farm subsidies. However, many farming advocates recognize the vote as an official stance by the state government recognizing the importance of agriculture and agricultural production for the state economy.

Peter Gregg of the New York Farm Bureau stated that the vote was a part of “giving vegetables the props they are due.” Others, like Senator Carlucci, claimed that the vote sent a message to the people of New York that the state appreciated the importance of local agriculture. Currently, agricultural production is one of the leading industries in the state.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer