Fresh Fruits & Vegetables for Young Consumers and Gas Prices Down
**Produce marketers are working to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among younger consumers.
At a recent Foodservice Conference in Monterey, California growers and shippers worked to convince school cafeteria representatives to purchase more healthy food options.
Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce
Association, says the goal is to “change the trajectory of children’s eating habits” and put “fruits and vegetables in the center of the plate.”
**Farmland prices and farm equipment sales declined in the August Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index.
The overall index fell for the fifth straight month, and for August slumped to 44 from 46 in July.
The farmland price index for August declined to 60 from July’s 66, marking the 23rd straight month above growth neutral.
The August farm equipment-sales index sank to 45.9 from 56.5 in July.
**Also, down for the 10th straight week is fuel prices.
Gas prices fell 5.1 cents in the last week to $3.86 a gallon, while diesel prices fell 6.3 cents to $4.97 a gallon.
The national average gas price is down 51.3 cents from a month ago but 72.2 cents higher than a year ago.
GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan says diesel prices are below $5 a gallon for the first time since March.