Indiana Farm Bureau says summer cookout costs are less than last year’s

The Indiana Farm Bureau says Hoosiers will save a bit of money on groceries for a summer cookout, at least compared to last year.

This year’s annual survey says consumers will pay an average of $66.73 for a cookout feeding 10 people this summer, a figure down 7% from last year.

Todd Davis, INFB’s Chief Economist, is encouraged by the price drop given national trends.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the prices our shoppers were able to find in Indiana this year,” Davis said. “Because the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food at home has increased about 2.9%.”

Of the 12 items INFB deem essential for a cookout, Hoosiers will spend less than the national average on all but one, the chicken breast. A chicken breast in Indiana will cost 10% more than the national average.

If Indiana residents are looking for a more cost-effective cookout, two items stick out. Ice cream and potato salad are Indiana’s two biggest money savers against the national average this year. Hoosiers will pay around 28% less than the rest of the country for a half-gallon of ice cream. Potato salad saw a huge decrease in price from last year in Indiana, as avian influenza increased the price of eggs. With those prices back down, potato salad cost has decreased by 56% in Indiana from 2025, and Hoosiers will pay just over half of the national average for the dish this year.

INFB President Randy Kron said the cost decreases have a different effect on Indiana farmers.

“Margins are still tight for farmers due to high supply costs because the amount farmers are being paid isn’t covering that increase in expenses,” Kron said.