How Much of Your Thanksgiving Dinner Reaches Canadian Farmers?

Canadian consumers pay the grocery bill, but how much money is making it to the Farmer?

There are lots of articles and videos about the cost of this year's Thanksgiving dinner.  But the Farms.com team we wondered, how much of the pie so to speak, was making it to the farmer.  

Admittedly, we used Artificial Intelligence to help us make certain calculations and assumptions.  We based our investigation on a Thanksgiving dinner consisting of turkey, pototoes, carrots, green beens, and brussel sprouts, as well as cranberries.  We understand their could be some debate about our choices, but we had to have some basics.  We also understand there will be regional differences.

So how much of the grocery bill is actually making its way back to the farm.

The answer varies significantly by commodity. While some products, such as whole turkey, remain relatively close to their original farm form, others pass through extensive processing, packaging, storage, transportation and retail systems before reaching consumers.

A review of available Canadian data shows that turkey farmers may receive between one-third and one-half of the final retail value of a whole bird, while the farm share for many vegetables is much lower.

Reliable farm-to-retail comparisons are not available for every Thanksgiving staple, making precise calculations difficult.

Turkey Farmers Receive a Significant Share of the Retail Dollar

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian turkey producers generated $399.6 million in sales from 139.5 million kilograms of production in 2025. That equates to an average producer value of approximately $2.86 per kilogram.

Current Canadian grocery prices show whole turkeys retailing for roughly $5.49/kg to $8.36/kg, depending on the retailer, product type and promotion.

Based on those figures:

A 7-kilogram Thanksgiving turkey selling for approximately $46 could therefore return about $20 to the farmer, with the remainder covering processing, packaging, transportation, distribution and retail costs.

Vegetables Present a More Complex Picture

Unlike supply-managed turkey production, Canada does not publish readily available farm-share calculations for individual vegetables. As a result, comparisons become less precise.

Potatoes

Statistics Canada reports that Canadian potato growers generated $2.1 billion in farm cash receipts in 2024.

At the consumer level, potatoes averaged approximately $5.17 per kilogram in retail price tracking.

However, available public data do not provide a national average farm-gate price per kilogram, making it impossible to accurately calculate the farmer's share of the retail dollar.

Carrots

Retail carrot prices averaged approximately $4.40 for a 1.36-kilogram bag, or about $3.24 per kilogram.

Independent market data suggest Canadian carrot farm-gate prices of roughly $0.47/kg, but these figures are not sourced from Statistics Canada or another Canadian government agency.

Using those figures would imply growers receive roughly 15 per cent of the retail value.

Green Beans

Fresh green bean prices currently range widely across Canadian retailers, with promotional prices typically equivalent to approximately $2.18/kg to $4.39/kg.

While wholesale and import market values are publicly available, verified Canadian farm-gate prices were not identified during this review, preventing a reliable estimate of the farmer's share.

Brussels Sprouts

Wholesale market data indicate Canadian Brussels sprouts are currently trading around CAD $4 to $5 per kilogram.

However, no verified national farm-gate price and retail average were located, making a farm-share calculation speculative.

Cranberries Highlight the Difference Between Farm and Consumer Markets

Canada is the world's second-largest cranberry producer, with production exceeding 211,000 tonnes in 2024.

Available market data indicate cranberry growers received approximately $0.94 per kilogram at the farm gate.

While export values averaged approximately $3.81/kg, comparable national retail pricing data for fresh cranberries were not available from the sources reviewed. As a result, a reliable estimate of the grower's share of the consumer dollar could, once again, not be verified.

The Takeaway

The strongest conclusion from available Canadian data is that turkey growers generally retain a larger share of the consumer dollar than is often assumed. A farmer may receive roughly one-third to one-half of the final retail value of a Thanksgiving turkey.

For vegetables and cranberries, the picture is less clear. Publicly available Canadian data demonstrate substantial value is added between the farm and the grocery store, but precise farm-share percentages cannot be reliably verified for every commodity.

That uncertainty itself tells an important story. Between the farm gate and the checkout lane, food passes through a complex chain of processors, packers, shippers, distributors and retailers. By the time Thanksgiving dinner reaches Canadian tables, the farmer's share is only one piece of a much larger food system.

We welcome input for this article, and will gladly publish any corrections or additional information.  Please email Denise.Faguy@Farms.com.

Photo Credit: Pexels - RDNE Stock project