American Farm Bureau reports the price of Thanksgiving dinner has dropped slightly, but is still high compared to 2019.
HASTINGS, Fla — It’s about that time when stores are busy with customers buying food for Thanksgiving dinner.
The County Line Produce Stand is as busy or busier than any brick-and-mortar grocery store this week.
It sits on the Putnam County and St. Johns County line on State Road 207 in Hastings.
The produce stand has been in the Bland family for 58 years.
And this week, just before Thanksgiving, Kelly Bland said, “We’ve been slammed. Super busy.”
Sarah Badger has been busy ringing-up producer and bagging it too. She smiled and said, “You better bring your roller skates nowadays because it’s hopping in here.”
The customers are loyal for the food that comes in fresh from the nearby fields and from other farms in Florida.
“I’ve been coming to the County Line since I was a little girl,” Nadine Long of San Mateo said.
The owners try to keep the prices steady, but Bland said they’ve have had to go up on a couple of things this year.
“Probably our cauliflower went up a little, but other than that the cabbage and greens is the same,” she said.
When customers were asked if they’re spending more or less on Thanksgiving meal, the responses varied.
Some said they were spending more overall because prices everywhere are higher.
Others said they are spending less because other people are pitching in to make side dishes.
The American Farm Bureau reports this year’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten people will be $61.17, or approximately $6.12 per guest. That’s 4.5% less from last year, but it’s still higher compared to pre-pandemic figures.
However, people still want to make the food they know and love, including recipes passed down through their families.
