Slight Cost Increase in 2005 Thanksgiving Meal - Arizona Dinner for Ten is $37.69

As Arizonans sit down at the Thanksgiving table to dig into the traditional feast this year, the turkey dinner with all the trimmings will cost $37.69 for an Arizona family of ten, or $3.76 per person. This is a $1.65 increase compared to the 2004 Arizona Thanksgiving meal ($36.04), and $.91 above this years national average. The 2005 Arizona Thanksgiving meal cost estimate is the result of the Arizona Farm Bureaus annual informal Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey of the prices of basic food items found on the turkey dinner table. Ten Farm Bureau members shopped at grocery stores in their communities including Tempe, Mesa, Elfrida, Safford, Gold Canyon and Sierra Vista. The Farm Bureau survey shopping list includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray including carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream plus coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of ten. Arizona farmers and ranchers produce most of the ingredients in the traditional Thanksgiving meal including turkey, dressing (bread, onions and celery), beans, pumpkin and pecans for pies, and several others. Even roses, sometimes used for holiday centerpieces, are grown in Arizona. Farm and ranch families in Arizona and across the nation take great pride in providing the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world, said Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers. As we sit down this Thanksgiving to savor the food bounty, it is appropriate to remember that it all starts on Americas farms and ranches. Arizona agriculture is a $6.6 billion industry and a major component of the states strong economy. Based on this years average meal cost, Arizona residents can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal for just $3.76 per person. Thats worthy of many thanks, Rogers added. The cost of a 16-pound turkey purchased in Arizona was $14.72, or 92 cents a pound. The average price of the remainder of the menu includes: three pounds of sweet potatoes, $3.60; a 16-ounce package of frozen green peas, $1.59; one gallon of whole milk, $3.25; a half-pint carton of whipping cream, $1.69; a package of two nine-inch pie shells, $2.09; a 12-ounce package of fresh cranberries, $1.89; a 14-ounce package of cubed stuffing, $1.85; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix, $1.62; miscellaneous items like eggs, sugar, flour and coffee, $3.04; one-half pound each of carrots and celery for a relish tray, $.95; and a 12-ounce package of brown-and-serve rolls, $1.40. Compared to last years survey, prices are lower this year for stuffing and pumpkin pie mix, yet prices for turkeys and some dairy products increased. Turkeys increased 13-cents per pound. According to Sarah Teskey of Youngs Farm, which raises turkeys in Dewey, Increased turkey prices are the result of higher energy costs as well as a slight reduction in the turkey supply across the country. On the dairy side, whole milk was priced higher due to increased energy and transportation costs from the processor to the grocery store but not the dairy farmer, according to Harold Metzger, vice-president of sales, research and quality for the United Dairymen of Arizona. The price of whipping cream was lower due to increased cream supplies on the market, he said. Prices of past national surveys include: 1986 - $28.74; 1987 - $24.51; 1988 - $26.61; 1989 - $24.70; 1990 - $28.85; 1991 - $25.95; 1992 - $26.39; 1993 - $27.49; 1994 - $28.40; 1995 - $29.64; 1996 - $31.66; 1997 - $31.75; 1998 - $33.09; 1999 - $33.83; 2000 - $32.37; 2001 - $35.04; 2002 - $34.56; 2003 - $36.28; and 2004 - $36.04. The Farm Bureau Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey is unscientific, but serves as a gauge of actual price trends across the state. Bargain shoppers statewide should find individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages. Shoppers involved in this years survey were asked to identify the best in-store price, excluding promotional coupons and special deals. Farm Bureau s survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.