How much does it cost to host a Fourth of July cookout for ten people?
According to the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation, it’ll run you $67.73 this year. That’s three percent less than it cost last year, but still 14 percent higher than the cost of hosting that cookout in 2021.
“This is based on the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual market basket survey,” said Janet Adkison, Public Affairs Director for the Missouri Farm Bureau. “Now, they do this a couple times a year here around the Fourth of July and then another one they’ll do when Thanksgiving rolls around.”
Adkison said there are several reasons for the higher price tag beyond inflation and lingering impacts from the pandemic.
“Long term drought that’s been affecting a lot of farm country in recent years,” she said. “That drought impacts everything from the cost of hay to the cost of cattle. (It) also impacts the number of vegetables and things that we want on our dining room table. Those drought conditions that increase the cost of food, that’s also reduced the number of cattle that we have available in the market – and of course we’re in the summer grilling season.”
So what do you get for $67.73?
“Hamburger buns, just a package of buns, that is priced at $2.26,” Adkison said. “We’ve got cheese – for a pound of cheese at $3.53, and then ground beef coming in at $11.54 – that’s for two pounds of ground beef. Chicken breasts, for two pounds, at $8.14. Pork chops, three pounds of that, at $14.37.”
Other items on the Farm Bureau’s list include 2.5 pounds of potato salad ($3.44), a 32-ounce can of pork & beans ($2.44), a 16-ounce bag of chips ($4.53), one package of cookies ($3.90), a half-gallon of ice cream ($5.29), two pints of strawberries ($4.56), and 2.5 quarts of lemonade ($3.73).
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