Lawmakers approve an official state vegetable

(SPRINGFIELD) As state lawmakers wrestle with a budget deficit – some are focusing on food.

Listen to Nick Gale’s report:

Illinois certainly grows a lot of corn – but not so much of the type you enjoy with salt and butter. Regardless, state lawmakers in the House and Senate have voted to make Sweet Corn the official state vegetable.

State Rep. Raymond Poe of says the idea came to him from fourth graders at Downstate Chatham elementary.

“Chatham’s had a sweet corn festival for 42 years and the class came up with the idea of ‘why don’t we make sweet corn the state vegetable’ and so it’s been a great lesson in government for the kids,” Poe said.

Lawmakers also passed a bill designating pumpkin as the official state pie. Illinois is the nation’s largest producer of pumpkins.

If your keeping track of Illinois’ official food items, pumpkin pie and sweet corn join popcorn – the state snack food – and the gold rush apple – the official state fruit.

The bills now head to the governor’s desk.