After the traditional stuffing down of Thanksgiving dinner, hosts and guests can drop into comfy chairs and discuss the 2% to 3% drop in the price of their meal over last year’s feast. While food prices have risen by 2.7%, few of the increases appear on the Thanksgiving menu. The price of the turkey remains largely unchanged, and the big hike in prices has been felt with such purchases as beef, eggs, coffee, and bananas, generally not the holiday’s mainstays. Of course, prices will vary. A dinner for ten people can come to $95 using all brand name products but only $80 using store brands. Some government claims calculate a 25% decrease in the price of the meal; however, that price listed 29 items for this year compared with only 15 items from last year. Apparently, talking turkey over prices can vary depending where I yam.
Soybean Farmers Spot Crop Rot
Red Crown Rot (RCR), a soilborne fungal disease, has moved northward from its more typical southern location. The rot which thrives in wet conditions, can cut soybean yields by as much as 70% in severe cases. The disease’s speedy movement is illustrated by Illinois where only one infected field bothered the crop in 2018. Since then, up to one-third of Illinois’s 102 counties have seen some rot spread. The northern spread now affects Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana with some new movement to Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Seed companies are looking to slow the disease by providing less susceptible varieties, developing fungicidal seed treatment, and encouraging crop rotation since no total cure yet exists.
U.S. Farming Growing Difficult
U.S. farm income has risen 40.7% from 2024 to 2025; however, the increase is largely driven by government payments. This aid has tripled from the previous year with funds due from the American Relief Act of 2025 offering both supplemental and disaster assistance. Actual crop receipts are down by 2.3% due to declining profit from such crops as corn and soybeans. Farmers indicate that rising input costs and increased debt have created problems. Some farms are moving away from crops and into livestock where receipts are higher due to rising cattle prices. Many American farmers would prefer to avoid the need for government assistance altogether.