SALEM — The Oregon potato was celebrated during a plaque dedication ceremony Sept. 23, following a 2023 legislative resolution that named the crop the state’s official vegetable.

A crowd of roughly 50 legislators, lobbyists and community members gathered in front of the Oregon State Capitol for the event, with complimentary french fries provided by Lamb Weston.

Leif Benson, a member of the Oregon Potato Commission, unveiled the plaque.

“As an industry, we’re very proud,” said Daniel Chin, a third-generation potato farmer from the Klamath Basin. “I want to say a big ‘Thank you’ to all the growers, all the people that have put in hard work.”

The ceremony follows years-long efforts to recognize the potato as one of the state’s top crops.

Before the resolution, Oregon did not have an official state vegetable — in 2021, a resolution that would have named the onion was introduced and ultimately shelved.

Potatoes are Oregon’s top vegetable and one of its largest agricultural commodities, with 43,000 acres harvested in 2022 representing around $266 million in value, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“This gathering is no small potatoes,” said Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, who sponsored last year’s resolution. “This was a fun bill.”

Hansell represents a swath of northeast Oregon, including Morrow and Umatilla counties, which produce the majority of the state’s annual potato crop.

His co-sponsor Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, said she was inspired by the crop’s diversity.

“I have been in almost every county in the state, and I am always fascinated by the variety of potatoes that are grown everywhere,” Steiner said. “That’s the point about Oregon — we’re always growing, literally and figuratively.”

The potato’s plaque now takes its place alongside the pear, another Oregon top crop and the official state fruit.