Iowa ranks 14th nationally for its commitment to locally grown food, according to the recently released Locavore Index for 2016, reported by the blog Iowa Environmental Focus. A Vermont nonprofit, Strolling of the Heifers, ranked the states based on the number of farmers markets, community support agriculture programs, farm-to-school programs, food hubs, direct sales per capita, and related grants. Vermont took the top spot for the fifth consecutive year. Iowa dropped one spot. Two University of Iowa researchers used data from the 2015 index to study farmers markets and other local food initiatives in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and other cities and how the “moral market” can influence consumers’ behavior.