Price of July 4 picnic a bit higher than last year

An all-American Fourth of July picnic will cost slightly more this year, but still comes in at less than $6 per person, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Farm Bureau’s informal survey reveals the average cost for a summer picnic for 10 is $58.72, or $5.87 per person. That’s about a 5 percent increase compared to 2013.

Part of the increase has to do with retail meat prices being higher because the nation’s cattle herd is at a historically small level, the Farm Bureau said. The total number of hogs farmers across the nation are raising is also down.

AFBF’s summer picnic menu for 10 consists of hot dogs and buns, cheeseburgers and buns, pork spare ribs, deli potato salad, baked beans, corn chips, lemonade, chocolate milk, watermelon, and ketchup and mustard.