Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and it’s a day set aside to truly appreciate life and the many blessings we have. I’m thankful for another year of writing for BEEF, my husband Tyler and daughter Scarlett, our ranch, and our cattle. I’m also thankful for my family’s good health, and the comfortable home and circumstances we enjoy. Many of our fellow citizens can’t say the same. One thing we can all be appreciative of, however, is America’s farmers. Read on to learn more.

In addition to counting my blessings, Thanksgiving is also the one day a year when I happily eat turkey and know that by Black Friday, I’ll be back to eating beef again.

As you shopped for your holiday fare at the grocery store, you may have noticed the high sticker tag on some of your food items. It seems the dollar doesn’t go quite as far as it used to, but some interesting statistics provided by Steve Meyer and Len Steiner of The Daily Livestock Report (DLR) shed some light on food prices.

Here are four fun facts about the cost of a typical Thanksgiving dinner:

1. The cost of the Thanksgiving dinner rose 37¢ from last year.

According to DLR, “The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 29th annual informal survey of the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner for 10 people says that the average cost grew by $0.37 from last year to $49.41. The meal includes roast turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and beverages of coffee and milk.”

2. The cost of turkey dropped 11¢ from last year.

Steiner and Meyer report, “The $21.65 cost of a whole 16-lb. turkey was 11¢ lower than last year. Whole-bird prices have fallen slightly even though wholesale turkey part prices have been much higher this year on lower production.”

3. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie are now pricier, and stuffing and cranberries are a little cheaper than last year.

Steiner and Meyer add, “The prices of sweet potatoes, dairy products and pumpkin pie mix have risen the most this year. Prices for the relish tray Ingredients and green peas rose as did the cost of a group of miscellaneous items (coffee and other ingredients such as butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour needed to prepare the meal). The costs of bread stuffing, cranberries, pie shells and rolls all fell slightly this year.”

4. In a side-by-side comparison, Thanksgiving dinner cost more in 1911 than in 2013.

According to the report, “An article at BusinessInsider.com cited a study conducted by the Morris County Library in New Jersey that looked back at advertised prices of common Thanksgiving items in its local newspaper from the week of November 22, 1911. Turkeys were $0.28/lb. in those ads while bread stuffing and rolls were $0.05/lb. and sweet potatoes sold for $0.29 for a 6-quart basket. Peas brought $0.05/can and the ingredients for a pumpkin pie cost $0.84. Add everything up and the cost was $6.61. But those are 1911 dollars. Adjust them for inflation and the cost of that 1911 meal is $167.77 in 2013 dollars. The turkey alone cost $110 in 2013 dollars instead of today’s $21.65.”

What a testament to the efficiency of modern-day farming! We can thank today’s U.S. farmer and rancher for producing more while using fewer resources. The proof is in the turkey dinner!

PLUS, here’s big news about an upcoming photo contest!

As you enjoy the day with friends, family and good food, be sure to have your camera ready to capture some fun family memories. Next Monday, Dec. 1, we will launch another photography contest sponsored by Greeley Hat Works. Two Greeley Hat Works hats are up for grabs once again! We want to see you and your family’s personalities shine through in the photos, so take lots of pictures and stay tuned for more contest details.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of Beefmagazine.com or the Penton Farm Progress Group.

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