Strawberry shortcake became Florida’s official state dessert Monday as Gov. Ron DeSantis held a bill-signing ceremony at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City.
Lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a bill (SB 1006) on the strawberry shortcake designation.
“A lot of people don't appreciate just how significant Florida is in terms of strawberries,” DeSantis said. “Plant City and the surrounding areas are home to over 10,000 acres of strawberries, and they make up 75 percent of the winter strawberry crop in the entire United States. ... We have a history with citrus and oranges, it's great. But this is a major, major crop, not just in Florida but all over the country in terms of their reach."
The law, which will take effect July 1, describes strawberry shortcake as “consisting of a base of shortcake, which resembles a biscuit with a touch of cake, a layer of sweet, sliced strawberries, and a healthy dollop of whipped cream.”
House sponsor Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, said Friday the bill is about pushing back on Mexico and other areas that are trying to take over the agriculture industry. “Our strawberry industry and, quite frankly, our seasonal fruits and vegetables in this state, have been under attack in a way that if it stays on the same path in the next 10 years, we'll really have to wonder if we're going to have domestic food supply here,” McClure said.
