Center for Transportation Research and Education

About the research

This calculator was designed to help users determine expanding markets in Iowa if consumers ate more locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables rather than produce from conventional sources outside the state.

The calculator is unique because users easily can compare what Iowans eat (based on national per capita consumption data) to what Iowa farmers produce (based on U.S. Agriculture Census information).

The calculator includes information about 37 fruit and vegetables currently grown in Iowa. Consumption (demand) and supply (production) can be expressed in a number of weight-based units: pounds, bushels, pick-up truck or semi-truck load, yield per acre and retail value. Information can be calculated for the entire state, an individual county or group of counties.