Happy Easter

I hope everyone has a nice Easter with their families. It seems like everyone is so busy these days we do not spend time with our families. Holidays like Easter are a good opportunity to spend time with our extended families. For many families this includes church services and a traditional meal prepared at home, others it is an Easter Brunch after church services. According to the American Farm Bureau, the Easter meal will cost less this year.

Every year at Easter the American Farm Bureau conducts a Spring Market Basket Survey. While I was aware of the American Farm Bureau calculating the cost of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, this is the first time I read about the Spring Market Basket Survey. According to the survey, food costs are down by 6 percent this year. Farmers have been struggling with low prices for a couple of years so it is nice to see prices coming down for consumers in the grocery store.

According to the American Farm Bureau Spring Market Basket Survey, here are the costs of some food items compared to last year.

• Eggs: down 41 percent at $1.31 a dozen
• Sirloin tip roast: down 13 percent at $4.95 a pound
• Toasted oat cereal, 8 oz.: down 15 percent at $2.38
• Whole milk: up 1 percent at $3.27 a gallon
• Chicken breast: down 6 percent at $3.17 a pound
• Potatoes: down 1 percent at $2.68 for 5 pounds
• Shredded cheddar cheese: down 4 percent at $4.10 a pound