Go ahead, indulge; you just might be helping out the state’s farming community.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s annual price survey of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner shows the meal is not only affordable, but the group’s spokesman Casey Langan says much of that food is produced right here in the Badger State. “Wisconsin is an agriculturally diverse state. Our farmers are proud to say that they produce a lot of the items that do end up on Thanksgiving tables around the state and around the nation.”
Langan reminds us Wisconsin farmers produce more than just the dairy portion of the menu. “Our state can boast that we do produce turkeys. Obviously we’re the dairy state so items like whipped cream and milk and butter factor in there. But other items, typical Thanksgiving items, we grow potatoes in the state and we lead the nation in cranberry production.”
Among the things to be thankful for this year, Langan says, is that American consumers enjoy relatively stable food costs. Langan points out that Americans spend just 10 percent of their annual disposable income on food, that’s the lowest percentage in the world. The Farm Bureau’s recent survey shows the annual cost of the turkey day dinner for a family of 10 is just over $45.00 this year. That’s about $4.50 per person.