Higher food costs for Thanksgiving-higher demand at local food banks

Anyone who has been to the local market to purchase a turkey and other items for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday has experienced sticker shock as food prices have increased over the past few months.

According to a survey released by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Thanksgiving dinner is expected to cost 20% more than it did last year.

A feast for 10 with menu items including a turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and pumpkin pie mix will cost $64.05 on average — up $10.74 from last year. That breaks down to about $6.50 per person, according to the annual survey.

The price of a 16-pound turkey is $28.96 on average this year, up 21% from 2021, according to the survey. Inflation may have cooled last month but still remains elevated at 7.7% for the year ending in October.

“General inflation slashing the purchasing power of consumers is a significant factor contributing to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” said Roger Cryan, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Supply chain issues that have led to shortages and delays should not be an issue, meaning that everyone who wants a turkey should be able to find one at the grocery store.

Every Thanksgiving meal item tracked by the AFBF rose in cost this year, except for one: cranberries. A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries dropped by 14%.

So what items are shoppers seeing the biggest price increases? Staple item stuffing has seen a drastic increase, up 69%, and for those wanting traditional desserts, pie crusts and whipped cream are both up 26%, the survey said.

Since the survey was taken, there has been some good news for all shoppers on the turkey front: prices for frozen turkeys are dropping by about 14% this week, and most grocery store chains are now offering deals, according to an analysis of United States Department of Agriculture data by the Farm Bureau.

As inflation has wreaked havoc on US food prices, with food costs rising 11.2% this September compared to last year, it appears many families will either skip some of their usual traditional dishes, or cut back on how many people will be invited to this year’s festivities.

With higher prices for food, there has been an increase in people seeking assistance from local food banks and pantries.

“The inflation and higher prices have definitely affected donations and people seeking assistance,” says Eddie Ezelle, Director of the Mat-Su Food Bank in Wasilla.

“We have been hitting pretty high numbers, hitting over 100 people a day coming in,” he said. His numbers show the trend has been increasing since the beginning of the year, when the Food Bank would see approximately 1358 people a month, with August seeing some of its highest numbers with 2000 people seeking food that month.

“I expect it will be the same for November,” he estimated. The one bright spot is that the season of giving means more people are making donations to local food banks.

“Times are tight, money is tight, so people aren’t donating as much. They have to be more careful with their money and take care of their families.”

If people are able to donate, Ezelle says that the need is for more year-round staple items than holiday meals.

“People are donating hams, turkeys, and other food for Thanksgiving, but the need doesn’t end with the holidays. If people are able to help, it’s items that people need all year long.”

A surprising area that the Mat-Su Food Bank has been assisting with are hygienic items

“Anything hygienic-soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes-anything that can be put in a backpack,” he said, adding “When people feel clean, they can go to work or even be with families.”

The Mat Su Food Bank will be expanding their storage capacity as they recently received funding from the Mat Su Health Foundation for new storage.

“We are growing, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. But with this, we will be able to provide more storage for more food, and use the funding we have to obtain more food.”

Meanwhile, anyone experiencing food insecurity or having questions while in need may call 2-1-1, a service provided by the United Way with people ready to answer questions from where is the nearest food bank to finding a coat.

Anyone interested in donating to the Mat-Su Food bank or seeking more information, visit https://www.matsufoodbank.org/ or their Facebook page.