November 13, 2026 - New York Weekly

Why Thanksgiving Dinner Costs 20 Percent More in New York Ahead of the 2026 Farm Bureau Survey

NY Weekly Staff 2 on November 13, 2026

A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $66.06 in New York in 2025, nearly 20 percent above the $55.18 national average, according to the New York Farm Bureau. The turkey accounts for most of that gap, while farm labor costs and the state’s higher cost of living shape the rest heading into the 2026 survey.

Key Takeaways

A 16-pound frozen turkey averaged $28.27 in New York in 2025, compared with $21.50 nationally, a $6.77 difference.
New York’s classic Thanksgiving meal cost about $6.61 per person in 2025, nearly 9 percent above the Northeast average of $60.82.
The expanded menu with ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans cost $87.86 in New York, versus $77.09 nationally.
New York’s overtime threshold for farmworkers dropped to 52 hours a week on January 1, 2026, and falls to 48 hours in 2028.
Farms received 18.5 cents of every dollar consumers spent on groceries in 2024, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.
The American Farm Bureau Federation published its 2025 results on November 19, and the 2026 edition will be the survey’s 41st.

New York’s Thanksgiving Table Ran Well Above the National Average in 2025

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey prices the same classic menu every year: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, enough to serve 10. The New York Farm Bureau, the state’s agricultural trade organization, publishes a New York breakdown alongside the national figures.

In 2025, that table cost $55.18 nationally, down 5 percent from 2024 and the third straight annual decline. The Northeast came in at $60.82. New York landed at $66.06, higher than both, even in a year when the national bill fell. The survey is informal by design. Volunteer shoppers check in-store and online prices without promotional coupons, so the results work as a price snapshot rather than a statistical index.

The Turkey Accounts for Most of New York’s Price Gap

The New York Farm Bureau’s item-by-item comparison shows the premium is concentrated in one place. New York’s classic meal cost $10.88 more than the national average in 2025, and the turkey alone accounted for $6.77 of that, roughly 62 percent. New Yorkers paid $1.77 per pound for a frozen bird, compared with $1.34 nationally.

The side dishes tell a different story. Dinner rolls ran 99 cents higher in New York and pie crusts 81 cents higher. Several staples landed close to the national price: sweet potatoes cost $4.08 versus $4.00, whipping cream $1.89 versus $1.87, and pumpkin pie mix was 2 cents cheaper in New York at $4.14. For shoppers, that means the bird is where comparison shopping can save the most money.

Farm Labor Costs Shape What New York Shoppers Pay

Why Thanksgiving Dinner Costs 20 Percent More in New York Ahead of the 2026 Farm Bureau Survey

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com

The New York Farm Bureau points to labor shortages, rapidly increasing farm wages and rising production costs as reasons New York prices sit above regional and national averages. No current federal survey isolates New York farm wages, because the USDA discontinued its Farm Labor Survey in 2025. The wage trend therefore rests on the Farm Bureau’s own assessment.

State rules add a measurable layer. Under a schedule set by the New York State Department of Labor, farmworkers now earn overtime after 52 hours a week, down from 56 hours in 2024 and 2025. The threshold drops to 48 hours in 2028, 44 in 2030 and 40 in 2032. A state tax credit offsets part of that expense: eligible farm employers can claim 118 percent of the overtime premium paid for hours between the threshold and 60 hours a week. The state minimum wage outside New York City, Long Island and Westchester stays at $16 an hour on January 1, 2027.

Farmers Keep a Small Share of the Grocery Dollar

Higher shelf prices do not translate into higher farm income. The New York Farm Bureau stated plainly in its 2025 release that “Farmers are price takers, not price makers.” USDA Economic Research Service data supports the point: in 2024, farms received 18.5 cents of every dollar consumers spent on food at home. The remaining 81.5 cents covered processing, packaging, transportation and retail. Much of what separates a New York receipt from a national one is built in after food leaves the farm.

Cost of Living Adds to the Northeast Premium

The Farm Bureau also cites New York’s higher-than-average cost of living. Federal price data for the New York metro area, which spans parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, shows the pressure. Consumer prices rose 4.5 percent in the year ending September 2026, and 3.7 percent excluding food and energy. Housing remains a major part of that picture: shelter costs rose 0.4 percent in October alone, the same budget pressure behind the 2026 income limits for the city’s affordable housing lottery.

October Grocery Data Points to Mixed Pressure on Side Dishes

The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data offers clues for this year’s table. Grocery prices in the New York metro area rose 0.8 percent in October 2026, led by fruits and vegetables at 1.6 percent. Dairy fell 0.7 percent, and cereals and bakery products, which include rolls and stuffing ingredients, dropped 0.6 percent. Energy prices fell 1.6 percent in the same month, a small relief for households already seeking help through the statewide push for utility bill relief.

Those monthly moves do not predict the Farm Bureau’s 2026 result, which uses its own menu and method. They do suggest that produce-heavy sides may cost more this year, while bread-based dishes and dairy may ease.

The 2026 Survey Arrives Days Before Thanksgiving

The American Farm Bureau Federation typically releases its results the week before Thanksgiving. The 2025 edition published November 19, and the New York Farm Bureau released its state breakdown alongside it. Last year, the Farm Bureau also noted that grocery stores often lower turkey prices further in the final days before the holiday. That pattern matters in a city expecting 8.1 million holiday visitors across all five boroughs, many of them sitting down at New York tables.

FAQs

How much did Thanksgiving dinner cost in New York in 2025?

A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $66.06 in New York in 2025, or about $6.61 per person. The expanded menu with ham, potatoes and green beans cost $87.86.

When does the 2026 Farm Bureau Thanksgiving survey come out?

No 2026 release date has been announced. The 2025 survey published on November 19, the week before Thanksgiving, and the 2024 edition came out on November 20.

Why is turkey more expensive in New York?

A 16-pound turkey cost $28.27 in New York in 2025, compared with $21.50 nationally. The New York Farm Bureau attributes the state’s higher food prices to labor shortages, rising farm wages, production costs and a higher cost of living.

Do higher grocery prices mean farmers earn more?

No. In 2024, farms received 18.5 cents of every grocery dollar, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. Most of the price covers processing, transportation and retail costs.

Your Skincare Routine Starts Before the Serum

NY Weekly Staff on November 13, 2026

Before the serum bottle is opened and the moisturizer reaches the skin, there is often a more familiar moment: turning on the bathroom tap. It happens almost without thought, yet it belongs to the same morning and evening routine into which so much care is invested. Swiss brand tāep is bringing attention to that everyday moment with its SkinWater Filter 3.0, a tap-mounted system designed to optimize water for the skin.

It is easy to spend time comparing serum ingredients, finding a cream with the right texture, or deciding how a new product fits alongside existing favorites. The water that touches the face deserves consideration within those choices, too. tāep’s approach gives water a specific place in skincare, encouraging people to look at the beginning of their routine as carefully as they look at the products on their shelf.

SkinWater Filter 3.0 attaches to a compatible bathroom tap. Inside its compact housing, a replaceable cartridge combines non-woven fabric, advanced activated carbon fiber (ACF), and vitamin C powder (VC). The system brings the brand’s approach to water care directly to the basin, making it part of a familiar daily habit. Its purpose is straightforward: to optimize the water used on the skin.

For tāep, the reason to pay attention to water ultimately comes back to the skin itself. According to the brand, many customers using its SkinWater filters have reported improvements in the appearance of their skin. These accounts reflect customer experiences with the brand’s filters. With the 3.0 system, tāep continues that focus, putting how people feel about their skin at the center of its product concept.

That perspective is also central to co-founder Fabian Zbinden’s explanation of the brand’s purpose. He describes water care as an extension of the attention people already give their skin, with design helping it find a natural place in the bathroom.

“We give so much thought to what we put on our skin. I believe the water that touches it deserves the same care. With tāep 3.0, we combine water optimized for the skin with elegant design. Helping people feel confident in their skin is what drives us.”

— Fabian Zbinden, Co-Founder of tāep

Photo Courtesy: taep

The design makes that thinking visible. Soft curves and a finely fluted collar give the compact housing an elegant presence beside the basin. It sits in the same space as the bottles and jars chosen for daily use, so its appearance becomes part of the bathroom’s overall feel. The details give a functional object a considered finish, while keeping attention on the everyday purpose behind it.

There is a practical rhythm to ownership as well. The housing stays in use, while the cartridge is replaced approximately every month. That separates the lasting object at the tap from the filter component that needs regular renewal. For anyone considering the system, checking compatibility with their bathroom tap and planning for cartridge changes are useful first steps. Both are part of deciding how the product will fit into an existing routine.

The appeal is in that everyday fit. Morning skincare may happen between getting dressed and leaving home; the evening routine may be a quieter moment at the end of the day. SkinWater Filter 3.0 gives water care a place in both, at a point people already return to. The concept connects an ordinary bathroom habit with the personal attention usually reserved for skincare products.

With tāep 3.0, caring for your skin begins with caring about the water that touches it. The familiar sequence of serum and moisturizer remains, with a new point of consideration before those products reach the face. For tāep, the ambition is clear: make water care part of caring for the skin, in a form that belongs comfortably in daily life.
taepfilter.com

Disclaimer: Testimonials in this article reflect personal experiences and aren’t guaranteed. Results vary based on effort, experience, and commitment.

From Prosecutor to Defender, Lino De Masi Brings Brooklyn Courtroom Instincts to Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins

NY Weekly Staff on November 13, 2026

By Jeremy Murphy

Lino J. De Masi has been part of the criminal justice system as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.

A first-generation Italian-American attorney and former Brooklyn prosecutor, De Masi now serves as a senior associate at Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, P.C., where he handles some of the firm’s most serious criminal matters.

“Day to day, I’m in court,” De Masi says. “I have a steady caseload. I’m handling everything from simple assaults to a couple of homicides and gang-related cases.”

A Prosecutor’s Instinct on the Defense Side

That work fits squarely within his background. Before joining the firm in 2022, De Masi spent nearly seven years at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where he rose to Senior Assistant District Attorney and prosecuted cases including shootings, robberies, and vehicular homicides.

“My caseload consisted of violent felonies,” he says. “That’s kind of within my wheelhouse.”

Today, that perspective has become one of his greatest assets as a defense attorney. De Masi understands how prosecutors investigate cases, evaluate evidence, and build arguments for trial. That experience allows him to anticipate strategies and speak to prosecutors in a language they understand.

“I tend to foresee a lot of things,” he says. “I can relate to a prosecutor and say, ‘I know where you’re going with this, but here’s the reality of the situation.’”

From Astoria to the Courtroom

De Masi’s path to the law began in Queens. Born and raised in Astoria, he is the son of Italian immigrants from Benevento. He grew up spending many summers in Italy and became fluent in Italian.

He earned his undergraduate degree from the Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College before attending CUNY School of Law. During law school, he interned at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.

At the Brooklyn DA’s office, De Masi secured over 150 indictments before the grand jury and conducted hearings and trials involving the borough’s most serious criminal allegations. But after years as a prosecutor, he reached a crossroads.

“I needed to make a change,” he says. “This presented itself as a great opportunity.”

The move to Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins had a personal dimension. De Masi has known managing partner Arthur Aidala since childhood, through Aidala’s friendship with De Masi’s uncle, whom Aidala met at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. De Masi previously worked with partner Imran Ansari as well during his own years as a Brooklyn prosecutor.

The transition away from prosecution was both natural and challenging. “It could be unnerving and stressful at times,” he says. “But at the end of the day, the work is the same.” As a prosecutor, De Masi was trained to ensure that justice is sought in every case. That philosophy continues to guide him in defense work. “My goal was to understand what the appropriate outcome was based on the circumstances of the case,” he says.

Fighting for Fair Outcomes

That sense of fairness has produced significant results on the defense side. De Masi has been on the trial team of two homicide cases, helped secure an acquittal in a first-degree robbery case, and first-chaired multiple pretrial suppression hearings.

His most fulfilling work, though, has come when persistent advocacy changed the course of a client’s life. In one case, an older man accused of inappropriate contact at a family event initially faced jail time and possible sex-offender consequences. After repeatedly meeting with prosecutors and carefully reviewing the evidence, the case was dismissed.

“That was a really gratifying moment,” De Masi says. He also worked on a high-profile matter involving rapper Sheff G, where prosecutors initially offered 20 years. Through pretrial litigation and motion practice, the defense secured a dramatically reduced offer of five years. “Considering where they were and what prosecutors were seeking, I thought that was really good,” he says.

A Collaborative Legal Home

At Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, De Masi says he has found a place that feels both demanding and deeply collaborative. “It’s a family type of environment,” he says. “Professionally, I have a depth of knowledge at my disposal. I can go to the judges, I can go to Arthur, I can go to any of the partners here.” He describes himself as “a kid in a candy store,” surrounded by former judges, prosecutors, and seasoned trial lawyers who trade ideas freely.

That exchange goes both ways. Because De Masi still maintains strong relationships with former colleagues at the DA’s office, the firm often relies on his prosecutorial insight.

For Lino De Masi, the job is about more than switching sides. It is about using his instincts as a prosecutor to fight for fair outcomes and navigate the most difficult moments of clients’ lives with skill, judgment, and heart.

aidalalaw.com

Day: November 13, 2026