<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Sacramento, CA </span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">4.10.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The artichoke has been declared as the official California state vegetable by Lt Governor Gavin Newsom.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">California produces 99 percent of the annual U.S. crop of fresh market artichokes and Ocean Mist Farms is the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, according to a release.<img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/california-artichoke-cropped-2013.jpg" alt="Images041013" /> The drive to name the official state food of California was organized by KGO Radio in San Francisco and was based on votes made through Facebook. Other foods nominated by KGO listeners included almonds, avocados, crab, Sourdough bread and grapes/wine.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“Our artichoke consumers, fans and club members rallied to vote for the Artichoke- and won,” said Kori Tuggle, director of marketing and business development for Ocean Mist Farms.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Newsom is acting governor while Governor Jerry Brown is on a trade mission to China. His first official act was to declare the artichoke as the California state vegetable this morning on KGO Morning News radio.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“We’ve been waiting for the Lt Governor to make the announcement since hearing the artichoke received the most votes on the online contest to name the official state food of California,” Tuggle said. “It comes at a perfect time just as we are hitting the peak of artichoke season here in Castroville, the artichoke capital.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Representatives from Ocean Mist Farms will go to the state capital with Chef Ryan Scott to make Newsom an artichoke dinner in celebration of this official state proclamation.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.oceanmist.com/"target="_new">Ocean Mist </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
