Farm Bureau: Hoosiers face higher prices to prepare Thanksgiving meal

Deanna Watson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·3 min read
The average Hoosier family will spend $61 for a Thanksgiving dinner for 10, the agency reported, despite Indiana's market basket price coming in at approximately 5% lower – 31 cents less – than the national average.
The average Hoosier family will spend $61 for a Thanksgiving dinner for 10, the agency reported, despite Indiana's market basket price coming in at approximately 5% lower – 31 cents less – than the national average.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Indiana shoppers should expect to spend about 14% more at the grocery store this Thanksgiving compared to 2021, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Indiana Farm Bureau.

The average Hoosier family will spend $61 for a Thanksgiving dinner for 10, the agency reported, despite Indiana's market basket price coming in at approximately 5% lower — 31 cents less — than the national average. The national average is a cost of $6.42 per person, if you were purchasing items typically associated with the Thanksgiving meal, according to the Indiana Farm Bureau.

The Indiana Farm Bureau's Thanksgiving menu includes: a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, a carrot and celery veggie tray, whole milk, cranberries, whipping cream, ingredients for pumpkin pie and miscellaneous baking items.

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Supply chain disruptions as well as the war in Ukraine continue to drive inflation, and its effects are seen at the grocery store.

“There is no question it’s been a difficult year for both consumers and farmers,” Isabella Chism, INFB's second vice president, said in a release. “Farmers are used to being nimble and agile in a job that can be very unpredictable when it comes to variables like the weather. But this year is different. Higher input costs presented a whole new set of challenges that are costing us more across the board and trickling down to consumers.”

Because the American farmer receives on average 8% of every food marketing dollar, the bureau stated, the farmer's share of a Thanksgiving meal is about $4.88.

The average cost to prepare a Thanksgiving meal this year in Indiana is $61, according to the Indiana Farm Bureau. The Thanksgiving menu includes: a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, a carrot and celery veggie tray, whole milk, cranberries, whipping cream, ingredients for pumpkin pie and miscellaneous baking items.
The average cost to prepare a Thanksgiving meal this year in Indiana is $61, according to the Indiana Farm Bureau. The Thanksgiving menu includes: a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, a carrot and celery veggie tray, whole milk, cranberries, whipping cream, ingredients for pumpkin pie and miscellaneous baking items.

The rest goes toward food processing, packaging, transportation, wholesale and retail distribution, food service preparation and other marketing costs.

“Just like consumers, farmers are price-takers, not price-setters,” Chism said. “While food prices are increasing, the amount farmers are being paid isn’t covering the sharp increase of their input expenses.”

The silver lining this time of year comes in the price of a turkey. If you choose the holiday bird as your meat of choice, you're spending less per pound than for other options. A whole turkey this year will, on average, cost $1.75 per pound, or $28.02 for a 16-pound bird, the state farm bureau reported. That alone is an 11% increase from 2021.

In contrast, according to the survey, ham is $2.72 per pound, or $10.88 for a 4-pound ham.

Cubed bread stuffing saw the largest percentage price increase — up 64% for 14 ounces.

Pumpkin pie filling costs more in Indiana than it would nationally, the study discovered. Other items in the typical shopping cart will cost less than the national average.

Cost for Thanksgiving items in Indiana

  • Turkey (16 lb.):$28.02 in 2022; $25.22 in 2021

  • Stuffing (14 oz. package): $3.80 in 2022; $2.32 in 2021

  • Pumpkin pie filling mix (30 oz. can): $4.35 in 2022; $3.61 in 2021

  • Pie shells, 9 in. (2 per package): $3.06 in 2022; $3.47 in 2021

  • Sweet potatoes (3 lb.): $3.72 in 2022; $3.19 in 2021

  • Rolls (1 doz.): $3.57 in 2022; $3 in 2021

  • Peas (16 oz. package, frozen): $1.56 in 2022; $1.39 in 2021

  • Veggie tray (.5 oz. each fresh carrots and celery): $0.86 in 2022; $0.80 ib 2021

  • Whole milk (gal.): $3.35 in 2022; $2.81 in 2021

  • Cranberries (fresh, 12 oz. package): $2.54 in 2022; $2.72 in 2021

  • Whipping cream (½ pint): $2.06 in 2022; $1.60 in 2021

  • Misc. ingredients (such as coffee, butter, onions, eggs, sugar and flour): $4.13 in 2022; $3.45 in 2021

Survey methodology

"The INFB Thanksgiving market basket survey was conducted in late October by volunteer shoppers across the state who collected prices on specific food items from one of their local grocery stores. Volunteer shoppers were asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals. Indiana’s survey was completed in conjunction with a national survey administered by the American Farm Bureau Federation."

Deanna Watson is executive editor for the Journal & Courier, The Star Press and the Richmond Palladium-Item. Email her at dwatson@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @deannawatson66.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Farm Bureau: Hoosiers face higher prices to prepare Thanksgiving meal