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Cooking Up A Turkey Dinner Dream

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 22, 2007

The American Farm Bureau Federation must be grocery shopping on another planet because it estimates you can feed Thanksgiving dinner to a family of 10 for $42.26.

Maybe, but only if you do the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving menu of toast, pretzels, popcorn, ice cream sundaes and jelly beans.

The Farm Bureau made its estimate on a menu of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, coffee and milk.

What didn't make the headlines, however, is that the Farm Bureau sent volunteer shoppers out looking for deals. And they kept the shopping list sparse, including just a dozen rolls, three pounds of sweet potatoes, and 14 ounces of stuffing - hardly enough to feed 10 people.

They didn't even put mashed potatoes and gravy on the shopping list. This isn't Thanksgiving shopping; it's inciting a riot.

Neither did the Farm Bureau account for the gas needed to drive from store to store to look for the lowest stuffing prices.

The sad commentary from the annual price estimate is that many American families can't afford a feast this year.

Rising gas, grain and dairy prices have made food more expensive across the board. The inventory of frozen turkeys is at a five-year low because the birds are more expensive to raise, refrigerate and transport.

Even given its lowball estimate, the price of feeding 10 people this Thanksgiving is up 11 percent, about $4.16 more than last year, the Farm Bureau says. That's the highest increase in 17 years.

So if you're feeling the grocery store pinch this year, you're not alone. Just be gentle arm wrestling grandma for that last roll.

On the Web

The American Farm Bureau Federation's Web site, with more info on its methodology and the costs of Thanksgiving dinners in years past, can be found at www.fb.org.>

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