Asparagus could soon become Massachusetts’ official state vegetable

Food News

Nicknamed “Hadley grass,” asparagus has a history in Western Massachusetts.

Massachusetts has an impressive number and variety of state symbols, from flowers (mayflower) and birds (chickadee) to official state dinosaurs (that’d be the Podokesaurus). There’s of course a state doughnut, even a cookie, and a muffin, but our love for symbols falls short when it comes to our veggies. 

But that could all change soon with one piece of legislation that wants to give Massachusetts a state vegetable: Hadley grass, also known as asparagus. 

State Rep. Homar Gomez and Sen. Jo Comerford filed a bill late last year that would designate asparagus as the official state vegetable.

“Asparagus is part of the identity of this community,” Gomez said. “We want to show that to the whole Commonwealth.”

Some Eastern Bay Staters may not know that asparagus has a long history on the western side of the state, particularly in Hadley and Hampshire County; the town of Hadley was at one point called the “asparagus capital of the world” because of how much of the vegetable used to come from there, according to reporting from Saveur. 

But those in Western Mass. are well aware of just how important the crop is to the region, which is why a group of Hadley Elementary School third grade students pressed their local lawmakers to give the veggie its time in the spotlight, Gomez said.

Part of their messaging included discussing the history of the plant in Hadley, which used to produce 80% of the nation’s asparagus. Unfortunately, a fungus destroyed much of the crops in the area. Gomez told the State House News Service that there are around 175 asparagus farms across 215 acres currently in the state, but those numbers are significantly higher for foods like potatoes, squash, and sweet corn. 

The legislation is in a statehouse committee now, but Gomez hopes they’ll have a public hearing over the matter so he can invite those same veggie passionate third graders to Beacon Hill to make their case for asparagus.

The region also used to have an annual asparagus festival, and the vegetable isn’t just a steakhouse side or tossed in pasta in Western Massachusetts — you’ll find these spears fried, in mac and cheese, and blended as ice cream. 

Also throughout the commonwealth and particularly at farm-to-table restaurants, it’s not unusual to see Hadley-bought asparagus on menus.

“Definitely when we hit summer, it’s part of my diet,” Gomez said. “The only thing I haven’t tried yet is asparagus ice cream. People have told me it’s really good.”

Though this kind of legislation is largely symbolic, lawmakers who push these kinds of designations often say they can bring economic or tourism boosts to certain industries. They’re also symbols of pride for a state’s culture and history.

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.