The Indiana Farm Bureau has released the results of a survey of grocery prices for a Thanksgiving dinner that feeds up to 10 people in 2012. The annual survey asks volunteers to look for the lowest price available at their local grocery stores without coupons or promotional prices. The total cost, $50.99, was the highest it has been since the survey began in 1993.
Last year, the same items cost $49.38.
The items on the shopping list include: a 16-pound turkey, 14 ounces of bread stuffing, a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie filling mix, a two-pack package of 9-inch pie shells, a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes, a 12-pack of 12-ounce rolls, a 1-pound bag of peas, a pound of mixed carrots and celery for a relish tray, a gallon of whole milk, a 12-ounce package of fresh cranberries, a half-pint of whipping cream, and miscellaneous items such as coffee and tea.
The overall price increase can be attributed to higher prices for turkey, which rose by 20 cents per pound due to an increase in demand. The price of rolls rose by 16 cents, and the combination of items in the miscellaneous category together rose 8 cents. All other items decreased in cost or remained the same.
The Farm Bureau notes its survey results are not scientific. Rather, it refers to them as “a snapshot” of prices in particular areas at a particular time. It also notes that sales and promotional prices on turkeys will probably lower the overall cost as Thanksgiving approaches.
For residents of Ellettsville who may be facing financial hardship this year, there are options.
St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church has been running a food drive since October began.
“We ask the parishioners to bring in groceries and donate food items, then they are put together in bags and distributed to local families who, probably without them, wouldn’t have much of a Thanksgiving,” Father Michael Fritsch said. He added, “We have been doing that for quite some time.”
Grace Baptist Temple already had a combined Veterans Day and Thanksgiving dinner for the community, but it is collecting for its food drive beginning in December. Pastor Courtney Merchant described the effort.
“We keep it here at the church in the storehouse, and we kind of open it up to folks that are in need to sign up for what we call a food basket to kind of help folks out,” he said.
The church is accepting drop-off donations of nonperishables from community members, but there is a way for people to help others with perishable food items.
“What we do recommend to those who are looking to help out, we would recommend gift certificates to Marsh or Kroger or something like that, if they want to help out with perishables,” Merchant said.
The Richland Township Trustee’s Office also operates a food pantry in association with Bloomington’s Hoosier Hills Food Bank.
“We just had a phone call Friday from Edgewood Intermediate School, and the school had a collection or food drive at a dance they held,” Richland Township Trustee Marty Stephens said. “The price of admission was a can of food for the Richland Township Trustee’s Office.”
The collection resulted in more than 10 boxes of nonperishable food products. The food pantry also picked up items from Hoosier Hills Food Bank in anticipation of the increased demand over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
The food pantry at the trustee’s office served 63 families totaling 179 individuals in October. All told, it has served 585 families totaling 1,758 individuals this year.
Hoosier Hills Food Bank also assists the Area 10 Agency on Aging in the operation of a food pantry.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2012. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.