THE FOLLOWING IS A VERMILION COUNTY FARM BUREAU RELEASE
Cooking a Thanksgiving feast for your friends and family will cost less than last year but will still be more expensive than before the pandemic. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 39th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey provides a snapshot of the national average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which is $58.08 or about $5.80 per person.
This is a 5% decrease from 2023, which was 4.5% lower than 2022. Two years of declines don’t erase dramatic increases that led to a record high cost of $64.06 in 2022. Despite the encouraging momentum, a Thanksgiving meal is still 19% higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact inflation has had on food prices – and farmers’ costs – since the pandemic.
A similar survey conducted in Vermilion County showed shoppers can find the same meal for a cost of $58.99, slightly higher than the national average for the first time in 25 years. The local prices went up .9% over last year.
The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $25.67. That is $1.60 per pound, down 6% from last year, with the local price at $1.49 per pound.
Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices Nov. 1-7, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. According to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys declined further during the second week of November. Consumers who have not yet purchased a turkey may find additional savings in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers. This basic shopping list has stayed the same for the 39 years to allow for comparison.
But In recognition of changes in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also includes ham, potatoes and frozen green beans. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increased the overall cost to $77.33 nationally, and $71.43 locally. Our local ham prices were considerably lower than the national average.
“We should all be thankful that we live in a country with such an abundant food supply,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We are seeing modest improvements in the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for a second year, but America’s families, including farm families, are still being hurt by high inflation.”
The AFBF Thanksgiving dinner survey was first conducted in 1986. The informal survey provides a record of comparative holiday meal costs over the years. Farm Bureau’s classic survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.
