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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)

House votes to name Lester as state soil

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The Minnesota House has dug through the options and voted to name Lester the official state soil.

The House has approved the choice as part of an agriculture policy bill 111-20 on Tuesday. If it passes in the Senate, the bill will go to Gov. Mark Dayton.

University of Minnesota soil science professor Terry Cooper says Lester was formed 10,000 years ago and is effective for growing plants. He says the loamy soil is named for Lester Prairie west of the metro area. It covers more than 600,000 acres in 17 Minnesota counties.

Lester would join 16 other state symbols, including the state flower, the pink and white lady slipper; and the state tree, the red or Norway pine, as well as the state drink and muffin, milk and blueberry.