Proposed Bill Would Make Tomato New Jersey State Vegetable

By Michelle Fabio

OK, let’s put aside that we all know that the tomato is technically a fruit.

As the supporter of a bill that would make the tomato the New Jersey state vegetable, Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Warren) says, “Most people consider the tomato to be a vegetable. I don’t think it’s a deal-buster at the end of the day.”

The bill was originally introduced in 2005 after the tomato lost out as the state’s fruit to the blueberry the year before, but died in the State Senate. Assemblyman Doherty is hopeful this time around, and indeed, Bill A353 is full of reasons why the tomato should hold a place of official honor in New Jersey, including the fact that the Garden State is among the top 10 producers of tomatoes in the country and is home to the famous Jersey and Rutgers tomatoes.

But there’s also mention of a little-known connection that New Jersey holds with the tomato— Read the rest of this entry »