A strong desire for local connection and trust is shaping how Iowa shoppers buy meat and dairy, according to the latest Iowa Farm Bureau Food & Farm Index, released last week. 

The annual survey, conducted this spring by The Harris Poll, found that 84% of Iowa grocery shoppers have purchased directly from local meat lockers, farmers or farmer networks and 22% said they always or often buy directly from local meat lockers or individual farmers.

The annual survey, now in its 13th year, was conducted online by The Harris Poll, on behalf of the Iowa Farm Bureau, April 22-May 5 and asked 512 Iowa adults, ages 20 to 60, with primary or shared household grocery shopping responsibilities about their purchasing habits and attitudes.

Iowa shoppers are looking for a closer connection to the people who produce their food. Nearly four in five (79%) say they review labels for information about how or where food was grown, raised or processed. 

The label details they seek most commonly center on local sourcing and trust, with 35% looking for products raised, grown or made locally and 33% seeking products raised, grown or made in the U.S.


Additional findings

While nearly all Iowa households consume meat (97%) and dairy (98%) at least weekly, one in five say they have increased their consumption of animal-based proteins in the past year. 

Among those who are eating more meat, dairy and eggs, 87% cite at least one health- or nutrition-related reason, and nearly one-half (49%) say they are looking for more protein in their diets. 

The trend is even stronger among younger shoppers ages 20 to 34, with 30% reporting increased consumption of animal-based products.

Iowa shoppers overwhelmingly view both meat and milk from animals as healthy, with 91% saying each plays an important role in a balanced diet.


Method

Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, household size, marital status, education and smoking status to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.  

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. 

The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. 

For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/-5.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among a subset of the surveyed population of interest.