Alaskan lawmakers are reviewing a proposal to designate the giant green cabbage as the official state vegetable, citing the crop's long association with the state's agricultural history.
House Bill 202, sponsored by Republican Minority Leader DeLena Johnson (R-Palmer), references the development of farming in Alaska, which began in the 1870s and expanded into the Tanana Valley in the 1920s. The bill also notes the arrival of 203 colony farming families in Palmer in 1935, an event that helped shape commercial agriculture in the region.
According to the proposal, Alaska currently produces more than US$91 million in agricultural products from nearly 1,200 farms, most of which are family-owned.
© Alaska State Fair
The giant green cabbage has become closely linked with Alaska's farming sector over several decades. In 2012, Palmer resident Scott Robb set the Guinness World Record for the largest green cabbage grown, weighing 138.25 pounds during a competition at the Alaska State Fair. In subsequent years, winning cabbages have commonly weighed in the 80- to 100-pound range, but the 2012 record remains unbroken.
In 2025, the Alaska State Fair Board of Directors submitted a letter to lawmakers supporting the proposal to name the cabbage as the state vegetable. The board also suggested that the giant pumpkin be designated as Alaska's official state fruit.
"Since its inception in 1936, the Fair has served as a proud showcase for Alaska-grown produce and a central gathering place for farmers, growers, and residents across our diverse regions," the fair board noted. "The giant cabbage has become a symbol of agricultural achievement in Alaska."
The board added that giant pumpkins have drawn strong interest from fair visitors and represent the scale of crop production achieved under Alaska's growing conditions.
The state record for the largest pumpkin grown in Alaska stands at 2,147 pounds. The record was set in 2022 at the Alaska State Fair by Anchorage grower Dale Marshall.
House Bill 202 is currently under consideration by the House State Affairs Committee. Lawmakers are scheduled to hear testimony on the proposal on Feb. 5.
Source: Alaska Watchmen
