Thanksgiving Dinner Still a Bargain

Cindy Zimmerman

Thanksgiving dinner this year will cost more, but it’s still a bargain no matter how you slice it.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the retail cost of menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings increased about 13 percent this year. That may seem like a lot, but it still means that the average cost to feed a hungry table of ten is less than $50 – not even five bucks a plate. Try to get that in any other country for the same price!

fb thanksgiving“The quality and variety of food produced for our dinner tables on America’s diverse farms and ranches sets us apart from our contemporaries around the world,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “It is an honor for our farm and ranch families to produce the food from our nation’s land for family Thanksgiving celebrations.”

The turkey itself is what gobbled up most of the price increase this year. According to AFBF, a 16-pound turkey will cost about $21.57 this year at $1.35 per pound, an increase of about 25 cents per pound over last year. “Turkey prices are higher this year primarily due to strong consumer demand both here in the U.S. and globally,” said AFBF economist John Anderson.

Those into the organic scene can expect to pay double the amount for the average Thanksgiving meal this year, according to the Arizona Farm Bureau. The Organic Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings will cost $106.39, with a 16-pound organic turkey at $63.84 or $3.99 per pound. But really, even that is a bargain at just over $10 per person.

So, gobble up and give thanks this week for the most abundant and affordable food supply in the world.

AFBF, Food