Which U.S. state officially designated the tomato as both the state fruit and state vegetable?

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Technically, it’s considered a fruit (to be even more precise, it’s a berry) because it forms from a single flower and contains seeds. However, nutritionists list the tomato as a vegetable under USDA guidelines, and it’s typically consumed as such.

Tomatoes are not even native to Arkansas, however, in 1987, the Arkansas General Assembly determined that, because it was technically a fruit but generally consumed as a vegetable, it should serve as both in the state’s collection of official symbols. (It seems that the state legislature decided to cover all of its bases when seeking to honor its home-grown tomatoes.)

Since then, the ‘South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato’ has maintained official status as both the Arkansas state fruit AND state vegetable. If you want to see what makes it so worthy of honor, mosey on down to Warren, Arkansas. Since 1956 the city has hosted an annual ‘Pink Tomato Festival’ during the second weekend of June. The next festival will be held June 11-12, 2021. Scheduled activities include a carnival, 5k run/walk, live music, craft booths, the requisite ‘tomato-eating’ contest, and a ‘Little Miss Pink Tomato’ pageant.

According to World Atlas, the three topmost producers of tomatoes in the US are the states of California, Florida, and Indiana, in that order. Tomatoes are not recognized as either the state fruit or vegetable, in any of the three.