As America celebrates 250 years, Wisconsinites will pay a record-high total for an Independence Day cookout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau\u2019s annual survey<\/a> of grocery store prices found the cost to feed 10 people was $75.50, the highest total recorded since the survey started in 2013.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a 7.5 percent increase from last year\u2019s total<\/a>, and reflects a number of economic pressures driving up costs for consumers and farmers, according to Cassie Sonnentag, senior director of public relations for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau.<\/p>\n Understanding Wisconsin, Together.<\/p>\n WPR\u2019s \u201cWisconsin Today\u201d newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.<\/p>\n \u201cPrices for everything from aluminum that goes into canned goods, or fuel, fertilizer, input costs on the farm \u2014 all of those things are up, and that all affects that food price,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Many of these changes can be linked back to increased tariffs put in place by President Donald Trump\u2019s administration in 2025 and the impact of the ongoing war in Iran.<\/p>\n Unlike in previous years, Wisconsin\u2019s meal total came in $1.68 higher than the national average<\/a>, which was also at a record high in the survey.<\/p>\n Survey prices are typically been lower in Midwest states compared to regions like the West Coast. But Sonnentag said increasing processing and transportation costs have pushed regional prices higher to match or in some cases to exceed the national average.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s truly just an indicator of where the economy is at and the challenges that we are facing when it comes to inflation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The biggest price driver was ground beef, which cost an average of $14.60 for two pounds at Wisconsin stores. It\u2019s more than 23 percent higher than last year, when beef prices were already rising.<\/p>\n Years of drought in Great Plains states have led to a shrinking U.S. beef herd<\/a> and ranchers struggling to increase production.<\/p>\n Tammy Vaassen, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Beef Council, said demand for beef at the national level has remained strong, driving prices higher even in states like Wisconsin where cattle numbers have remained steady.<\/p>\n But she said consumers are changing their eating habits as they feel the pressure of higher costs in areas outside of food.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are trending toward dining out a little bit less,\u201d Vaassen said. \u201cRather than going to a restaurant and ordering a steak, we do see them buying more at the grocery store and being a little more price-sensitive.\u201d<\/p>\n She said beef demand tends to spike during the summer months<\/a>, especially around holidays like July 4th when people celebrate by lighting up the grill.<\/p>\n Other foods on the annual survey also saw double-digit increases. The cost of a 32-ounce can of pork and beans was up 27 percent from last year, likely tied to the impact of increased tariffs<\/a> put in place by the Trump administration on imported aluminum used for cans.<\/p>\n The prices of fresh strawberries were also up nearly 26 percent from 2025. A freeze in February caused more than $300 million in damage<\/a> to Florida\u2019s strawberry crops, limiting availability and driving up prices.<\/p>\n