A classic Fourth of July cookout is getting more expensive in Wisconsin, with shoppers facing the highest holiday food costs recorded by the survey in more than a decade.
What's happening?
For a 10-person Independence Day cookout, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau's latest market basket survey put the average cost at $75.50.
As The Black Chronicle reported, that total is 7.5% higher than last summer and the highest the survey has reached since 2013.
The survey measured the price of 12 typical cookout foods. A similar national estimate from the American Farm Bureau came in at $73.82, up 4% from a year ago, indicating Wisconsin's increase is outpacing the broader U.S. trend.
Supply-and-demand pressure in the beef market helped make ground beef the fastest-rising item in the survey: $7.30 per pound, or 23.3% more than a year earlier.
"Wisconsinites can expect to see a higher total when shopping for their Fourth of July barbeque," Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Senior Director of Public Relations Cassie Sonnentag said in a statement. "From availability to inflation, we are seeing increases across many of the food items on the shopping list."
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Why does it matter?
Other cookout staples also saw steep increases, with both fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream priced 25% higher than last year.
Beef remains especially important to many shoppers. According to the Beef Checkoff, beef is the top protein choice for one-third of U.S. consumers, and 75% eat it weekly. Ground beef sales during the Fourth of July week total about $422 million.
For families looking to celebrate the holiday, rising grocery prices could make it tougher to do so, particularly if you're on a tighter budget.
What's being done?
Wisconsin Beef Council Executive Director Tammy Vaassen said shoppers may be able to limit some of the impact by planning purchases carefully.
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"While consumers are seeing higher prices due to limited cattle supplies and strong demand, ground beef continues to be a versatile, nutritious protein that can stretch across multiple meals," Vaassen said in a statement.
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