Iowa Farm Bureau Economist Christopher Pudenz says a study by the American Farm Bureau Federation finds the Fourth of July cookout will cost you a little more this year.
“They estimate that the classic July 4th cookout for ten people will cost $73.82 this year, or $7.38 a person,” he says. The 250th anniversary meal is the most expensive since they started the July 4th survey in 2016. But Pudenz says the cost is below inflation.
“This is a bit of an increase from last year — about 4% higher, but I guess the silver lining there is that overall inflation is about 4.2%,” Pudenz says. “So the price increases are pretty well in line with what we are seeing from the rest of the economy.”
The eggs used to make the egg salad in the survey saw the biggest drop in price, down nearly 18%. “Because last year and a period of time before that we were dealing with some highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks. So those have tapered off here thankfully,” Pudenz says. “And that has led to a drop in egg prices, which is providing consumers some relief on their grocery bills.”
The protein or meat portion of the July 4th feast increased, with hamburger up 5.5% and pork up 4.7%. Pudenz part of that is demand fore meat hasn’t wavered. “Both of these are certainly reflective of how strong the demand is for protein right now. Iowa Farm Bureau released their 2026 food and farm index survey just recently and that survey showed that one in five grocery shoppers have increased their consumption of animal-based proteins in the past year. And for folks between 20 and 34, your say younger millennials and Gen Z folks, animal-based protein actually increase by about a third,” Pudenz says.
He says that strong demand for pork and cattle has help farmers who also raise corn and soybeans. “It is a godsend that the livestock economies here in the state are doing well. That serves as a nice counterweight to the folks out in the countryside who are struggling on the row crop side. If they have cattle or if they have hogs, or if they have poultry, that’s providing some positive return,” he says.
Pudenz says the U.S.D.A. reports that farmers only see six cents of very dollar spent on food, as the rest of it goes to the processing, marketing and distribution side.
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