Mississippi has officially named its first-ever state fruit — the blueberry.
Governor Tate Reeves on Monday signed House Bill 1027 into law. The bill was initially inspired by fourth-grade students at Mannsdale Upper Elementary School who, upon finding out Mississippi didn’t have a state fruit, decided to take action.
After passing the House of Representatives with just one nay vote on Feb. 6, HB 1027, authored by Representative Jill Ford, R-Madison, made its way to the Senate.
The legislation went through the Senate Tourism Committee and was sent to a vote on the floor without debate, where it passed unanimously with a 52-0 vote.
Blueberries are a major crop across the Magnolia State as over 2,000 acres are used for growing the fruit alone.
