The Farmer’s Share of Your Thanksgiving Meal: What the Numbers Really Show
Every Thanksgiving, Americans gather around tables full of traditional favorites—turkey, potatoes, ham, and pumpkin pie. But while retail food prices often spark conversation, a recent report sheds light on a lesser-known part of the story: how much of that retail price actually makes its way back to the hardworking farmers who produce the food.
“The retail price of a turkey averaging about $2.50 a pound, the farmer’s share of that $0.06.” For many consumers, this reveals a surprising disparity. While turkey is the centerpiece of the holiday meal, the producers themselves see only pennies on the dollar.
Potatoes tell a similar story. According to the report, “Eight pound bag of russet potatoes, $7.00, producer gets about $0.94.” Despite being a staple side dish, the share going to potato growers remains small relative to retail pricing. Rising costs of fuel, fertilizer, equipment, and labor make this margin even more challenging for producers to absorb.
The pattern continues with other holiday favorites. The report notes that “A two pound boneless ham, roughly $13.00. According to this report, pork producers share $1.58.” Even for higher-priced protein items, the farmer’s share remains a fraction of the final price. Likewise, dessert ingredients provide another example: “And that pumpkin pie for dessert, a 15 ounce can of puree for the pie runs about $1.80. The farmer’s share, $0.18.”
These figures highlight long-standing issues in the food supply chain—processing, packaging, transportation, retail markup, and marketing all add substantial cost after the product leaves the farm. While these steps are necessary to get food safely to consumers, the imbalance often leaves farm families operating on razor-thin margins.
“I understand that I’m largely preaching to the choir pointing out this price disparity, but if you are a hardworking farm family, my personal thanks for all you do all year long.”
As Thanksgiving reminds us to reflect with gratitude, it’s also a perfect time to recognize the essential role farmers play in ensuring a reliable, abundant food supply. Their dedication, often unseen, supports every meal we enjoy—not just on holidays, but every day of the year.
Audio Reporting by Mark Oppold for Southeast AgNet.