Thanksgiving feast a bargain for Nebraskans

It may not seem like it when we go to the grocery store, but this week's Thanksgiving feast is going to be a bargain.

According to the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the average cost of a turkey-day dinner in Nebraska will be $5.33 less than the national average of $43.47.

Fourteen Farm Bureau members from across the state conducted the cost of food for a typical Thanksgiving Dinner as part of an annual American Farm Bureau grocery survey, which this year attracted 112 volunteer shoppers from 34 states. Volunteers visited stores between Oct. 29 and Nov. 8 to record prices.

The national cost of $43.47 is up from $42.91 last year. Lower prices for turkey and sweet potatoes made the difference in the Cornhusker state.

"The average price for turkey at the national level was $1.10, while in Nebraska is was 91 cents," said Cheryl Stubbendieck, Nebraska Farm Bureau vice president/public relations, said. The cost of the turkey is the biggest part of the meal price calculation and shoppers were asked to find the best price for a 16 pound self-basting young tom turkey without using special coupons or discounts. The cost per pound in Nebraska ranged from a low of 59 cents a pound to a high of $1.49 a pound, she said.

At the national level, the cost for three pounds of sweet potatoes averaged $3.19, while the Nebraska average was $1.02.

But we didn't get a break on everything, such as whole milk, cream, carrots and celery and frozen peas, but prices were lower than the national average for brown-and-serve dinner rolls, fresh cranberries, canned pumpkin pie mix, frozen pie shells and cubed stuffing as well as turkey and sweet potatoes.

The Farm Bureau survey isn't scientific, but has become a benchmark over the years since it was first conducted in 1986, when the price of a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 10 was $28.74.

But regardless the cost, we should be grateful the abundance of food we have available -- bounty that is the envy of the vast majority of the rest of the world. This might be a good time to remember the less fortunate by donating food or money to the McCook Pantry, or to the weekly meal served at the Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook.

While we're at it, its a good time to remember the agricultural producers who provide more than enough food for all of us at a bargain price.