Indiana Farm Bureau: Thanksgiving meal most costly in 2015

However, turkey prices are dropping as Thanksgiving draws closer, the group said.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of a 10-serving Thanksgiving meal this year is $50.11.

“Luckily, this year we were able to hit all our numbers, so we’re going to get everyone who needs one a turkey”, said Gozzi. “That was up about 6 percent from a year ago”, notes AFBF Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson. But turkey prices have been falling in the last week, the AFB said, as retailers aggressively market them for the holidays.

The estimated cost of Thanksgiving is higher this year, with food prices that have increased since last year. A 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.20; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing, $2.61; and two nine-inch pie shells, $2.47.

As you’ve been out and about preparing for the holiday season, have you noticed a change in prices? The average cost of food for the celebration has remained around $49 since 2011.

Based on surveys of grocery stores throughout Virginia, the bureau says the average cost of a 16-pound turkey was $18.86, or $1.18 per pound. The price of whole milk dropped 51 cents, or 13.6 percent, and the price of miscellaneous ingredients, declined 30 cents, or 8.6 percent.

There hasn’t been a reported case of bird flu in the United States since June. The USDA says it is running about $2.55 a quart this year, up from $2.28 last year.