11/22/06 Taking Time To Give Thanks

Taking time to give thanks. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. It's a time for families to gather around the table and give thanks for the bounty provided. Here at the Northwest Ag Information Network we spend our days keeping tabs on all things Ag to try and keep you informed. The American Farm Bureau has just released its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner survey. Farm Bureau's Economist, Terry Francl talks about the affordability of food in the U.S. FRANCL: Generally food products in the U.S. average about 10% of U.S. disposable income. That's one of the lowest in the world and that's something that's been trending downward as long as the statistics have been tracked. According to Francl, the price of your turkey went up the most during this year's survey. FRANCL: The cost of the turkey this year reflects two things, number one, slightly tighter supply and demand conditions as far as producers are concerned but also the increased energy costs that affects both processing and transporation. This was the 21st year that the nation's largest farm organization conducted the informal survey. It averages the feast for a family of 10 and includes turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and a few side dishes. FRANCL: The cost of a turkey dinner in 2006 is actually less than when we started the survey some 20 years ago. If you adjust for inflation, the cost is actually 34% lower than the cost of the turkey dinner in 1986. So with family about to gather, it's time to give thanks. Thank you, our listeners. Without your ears our reports would be meaningless. And thanks for taking me in this year as your new Ag reporter. Thanks to all of our stations across the four state area for airing our various programs. Thanks to our many sponsors who help pay our bills and salaries. This has been a good year for our family. Our only son married a wonderful woman and then promptly went off to serve his country in the United States Navy. I give thanks for him daily. We also lost a family member, but we give thanks for the wonderful memories. I want to say an extra thanks to all of our producers in the northwest. Because of your hard work, we have a feast on the table each and every day. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin. Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at the Northwest Ag Information Network.