NH House approves white potato as state vegetable

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Fourth-graders from Derry are celebrating a starchy legislative victory after the New Hampshire House approved their request to declare the white potato the state vegetable.

Students watched Wednesday as their bill was debated by several representatives looking to illustrate the role of civilized debate in self-governance. One representative argued that broccoli should be the state vegetable for its nutritional merit and long patriotic history dating back to Thomas Jefferson.

The potato bill cites research showing New Hampshire was the first state to cultivate the white potato in North America when an Irish immigrant brought a sack of seed potatoes in 1719 to the area now known as Derry.

Virginia challenged that research, but has since conceded. The bill will now be considered by the Senate.