By Anna Cecil, TheStatehouseFile.com Feb 12, 2025
Homelessness, non-disclosure agreements, state boundary adjustments, building contracts and Bitcoin—these are some of the standard topics the Indiana House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee discusses.
But this week, they heard from fourth graders about fruit.
This specific fruit isn’t your average apple, orange or banana. These fourth graders were, and probably still are, passionate about persimmons.
Monday morning, the rotunda was filled with giggles and chatter as the young persimmon promoters entered the capitol. They were there to ask that the succulent treat become the official Hoosier state fruit.
The students’ tiny suits, slacks, skirts and sweaters indicated that they were the official persimmon spokespeople and were ready to take the stand.
Now, the typical readers may be asking themselves, what exactly is a persimmon? This newly informed reporter is here to enlighten you on the pleasant produce.
Persimmons are a sweet, autumnal fruit that falls from the Diospyros tree. They turn yellow or orange when ripe. While persimmons are native to the Hoosier state, they don’t grow solely in Indiana; they also thrive in China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Spain and additional U.S. states.
A persimmon pilgrimage
Jasper Elementary School teacher Emi Donato spoke with TheStatehouseFile.com about her students’ journey to the Statehouse. What started as a fulfillment of the fourth-grade persuasive writing standard became a bill in the 2025 Indiana General Assembly.
Donato’s original intent was for the students to start a persimmon petition. Before they did that, they had to have permission from their school superintendent, Dr. Tracy Lorey.
Lorey, who this month became the state deputy secretary of education, had a few tricks up her sleeve.
Instead of helping the students draft a petition, she connected them with Rep. Shane Lindauer, R-Jasper, who drafted House Bill 1618, which would bring the students’ persimmon vision to life.
After attending a presentation from the young persimmon advocates, and with just a couple weeks left to file the persimmon bill, Lindauer made the dreams of Jasper fourth graders come true.
Photo provided by the Indiana Statehouse Tour Office.
“I wanted to hug him even though I didn’t really know him,” Donato said. “I, like, how exciting, you know? The kids are going to be able to go up and actually present.”
When the clock struck 10:30 a.m., they indeed presented. The Jasper five gathered at the front of the House chamber, braving the intimidating stares of grinning committee members who were likely excited to hear from someone without gray hair.
Sawyer Sternberg was the first student to testify. He provided the committee with a brief introduction to his fellow students’ testimony topics and kindly requested that they consider adopting the persimmon as the Hooser state fruit.
Fourth-grader Grant Blackman then educated committee members by sharing the persimmon’s many health benefits. His suit and tie may have convinced the committee that he is the state’s resident fibrous fruit expert.
With his tiny note sheet in hand, he boldly informed the room that persimmons reduce inflammation, contain vitamins A, B and C, potassium, and calcium. According to Blackman, they are also high in fiber, which helps with digestion, and are good for the heart.
Classmate Sophie Gates testified next. She gave committee members a quick rundown on the students’ beloved fruit.
First, she stated that persimmon trees can grow anywhere from 35 to 60 feet tall. She added that the fruit is able to grow all over the state and flourishes in rich Hoosier soil.
Then she informed the representatives that the fruit’s name is derived from the Greek word Diospyros, which means fruit of the gods.
“It gets its vivid name due to its sweet and juicy taste,” Gates said.
For a little historical background, she added that Native Americans in Indiana were known to eat dried persimmons.
After Gates’ presentation, Ariel Cox, whose small but mighty business casual attire may have been envied by Press Row, explained that Indiana would be one of 32 states to adopt an official fruit.
She then appealed to the committee with reason.
“Indiana has a state bird, insect, flower, song and river. So why not have a fruit?” Cox asked.
The committee members chuckled, indicating that Cox made a valid point.
After Cox’s rhetorical question, Mackenzie Morton took the stand and informed the committee of the persimmon’s economic benefits. She said the wood from the fruit’s tree can be used for golf clubs, drumsticks, instruments, furniture and other goods that would stimulate commerce in Indiana.
As a reporter who was once assigned the commerce beat, this writer thought young Morton’s knowledge on the needs of the Hoosier market was impressive.
After sharing the persimmon’s economic implications, she added that the fruit is great to cook with. At Mitchell’s annual Persimmon Festival, there is a persimmon pudding contest, which is a popular Hoosier persimmon treat.
Persimmons per se
When students finished their presentation, the well-briefed lawmakers asked their burning questions.
Rep. Joanna King, R-Middlebury, asked the students if they brought a persimmon in for the committee to try. When they said no, she expressed her disappointment.
“We love to eat here in the House,” King said. “That would have been a great treat for us here this morning.”
Even though she didn’t get to try the fruit, King was excited to learn that persimmon trees can grow in northern Indiana, where she is from.
“That would be a good reason for me to vote for this bill,” she said.
Rep. David Abbott, R Rome City, asked the students if anyone had ever tasted the fruit.
Cox explained that it is good, but the one she had was tart.
Rep. Chris Campbell, D-West Lafayette, wondered if the students considered any other fruits.
Blackman said they thought about the pawpaw, another native Hoosier fruit. Out of respect for their Ohioan neighbors, the students settled on the persimmon.
“We didn’t do it because our neighboring state Ohio has it,” he said.
When the questioning ceased, committee Chair Rep. Doug Miller R-Elkhart, thanked the fruitful advocates for their time. He decided to hold HB 1618 to ensure it had careful consideration.
The five testifiers and their classmates who came to observe left the chamber when the discussion was over.
Cox, Gates, Blackman, Sternberg and Morton told TheStatehouseFile.com that presenting to committee members made them “very nervous and scared.”
This new reporter, who has only been on the job for two months, thoroughly sympathized with that sentiment.
The students agreed it was especially intimidating when the representatives began asking them follow-up questions.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Morton said.
Despite their anxieties, the young Jasper natives successfully fulfilled their civic duty.
Donato recognized that the fight for the persimmon is far from over. Her students’ next step in persimmon endorsement will be creating an online petition that Hoosiers all over the state can sign to support the Southern Indiana dreamers.
“It’s exciting that some kids can make a difference,” Sternberg said, “not just adults.”
Anna Cecil is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
