The Press-Dispatch
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C-6 Wednesday, November 25, 2020 The Press-Dispatch Haven Longest wins VFW Voice of Democracy contest Pike Central senior Haven R. Longest was chosen out of 19 high school seniors as the top Petersburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy (VOD) entry. Hav- en's essay was written and recorded on the topic "Is our country what our founding fathers envisioned?" A large panel of judges narrowed the entries according to originality, content and delivery. VFW Commander Chris Kinman presented Haven with a check for $200, a certificate and pin. Petersburg VFW Quartermaster D.R. Minnis presented Haven with the VOD ribbon and medal. Haven is a student in Beth Bohnert's Pike Central English class, and received her check and awards this past Friday at the school. Her entry is forwarded to the Eighth District and a win there goes to the state, and even- tually to the National Headquarters. James Capozella photo Indiana's family of farmers makes $5,000 donation to Hoosiers feeding the hungry Indiana's Family of Farmers (IFoF) donated $5,000 to Hoo- siers Feeding the Hungry to as- sist with hunger relief efforts in Indiana. These funds will be used to pay for the processing of approximately 4,000 pounds of donated livestock, provid- ing 16,000 meals to Hoosiers in need. Hoosiers Feeding the Hun- gry encourages farmers to do- nate livestock to be processed and given to hunger relief agen- cies across the state. A dona- tion like IFoF's will cover the costs of processing of the donat- ed livestock. The meat is then provided to community food pantries, food banks, church- es, shelters and more. "Meat is really hard for food banks to get and we all know how important protein is to our diet," said Debra Treesh, executive director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. "This do- nation from IFoF will help get protein to our food banks and into the homes of Hoosiers who need it." IFoF is made up of many ag- riculture organizations in In- diana that have rallied around the group's mission to raise the awareness of Indiana's farmers and high-quality food that they produce. IFoF's donation was made in response to the growing need for food assistance in Indi- ana, made more severe by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Most people have a time in their lives where they are liv- ing paycheck to paycheck," said Treesh. "When the pan- demic hit, many of those indi- viduals went months without any income, and some are still in that situation. We are lucky to live in a place with such won- derful people who are going out of their way to help." Hoosiers Feeding the Hun- gry also works with hunters who are interested in donating large game to help meet hun- ger relief efforts in the state. If you're interested in learning more, visit www.hoosiersfeed- ingthehungry.org. To learn more about Indi- ana's Family of Farmers and its mission to promote Indiana farmers and the state's thriving agriculture industry, visit www. indianafamilyoffarmers.com. Thanksgiving food prices increase slightly in Indiana As Hoosiers prepare for Thanksgiving, many fami- lies are reconsidering their traditional holiday plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With travel re- strictions in place in several parts of the country and gath- ering size recommendations to consider, many will opt for smaller or even virtual gath- erings this year. No matter the size of the celebration, many Hoosiers still plan to prepare a tradi- tional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. In prepa- ration, Indiana Farm Bureau surveyed shoppers across the state to identify the av- erage price for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Despite the Pandemic, Hoosiers can expect to spend less than $5 per person this Thanksgiv- ing. "There's no doubt that for many Hoosiers, Thanksgiv- ing will look a little differ- ent this year," said Isabella Chism, INFB second vice president and chair of the Women's Leadership Com- mittee. Thanksgiving market bas- ket survey shows that Hoo- sier shoppers who opt for the traditional Thanksgiving meal this year can expect to spend approximately 12 per- cent more at the grocery store than in 2019. According to this year's pricing survey, the individual meal price this year is approximately $4.80. The total market basket price of $47.81 includes a 16 -pound turkey, ingredi- ents for stuffing and a pump- kin pie, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, a carrot and celery veg- gie tray, whole milk, cranber- ries, whipping cream and miscellaneous baking items such as eggs, sugar and but- ter. However, according to the National Turkey Federa- tion, there is an increased in- terest in smaller turkeys this year, or even turkey breast, due to an increase in small- er gatherings. This year, shoppers can expect to pay approximate- ly $1.34 per pound for a whole turkey, or $21.44 for a 16 -pound bird. Other tra- ditional Thanksgiving items that Hoosier shoppers can expect to be a bit more ex- pensive this year include boxed stuffing, pumpkin pie filling, rolls, whole milk and whipping cream. Items that may be more affordable this year include sweet potatoes, peas, relish tray and cranber- ries. All other items remain relatively unchanged. While Indiana is a major turkey-producing state, most of the turkey produced in In- diana becomes deli meat or ground turkey. "Our turkey farmers have been working hard through the pandemic to deliver tur- key to our grocery stores," said Chism. "Whether you purchase a whole turkey this year or even ground turkey or deli meat, you'll be sup- porting our turkey producers during an important time of the year for them." Some Hoosiers may omit the turkey this year and opt for a ham instead. INFB al- so collected prices for other frequently served Thanks- giving items and found that consumers can expect to pay $10.60 for a 4-pound ham, compared to $ 9.70 in 2019. Indiana's survey is com- pleted in conjunction with a national survey adminis- tered by the American Farm Bureau Federation. AFBF found that the national per person average for this year's Thanksgiving meal is $4.70 which is only 10 cents less than Indiana's average per person meal price this year. Nationally, a total of 230 vol- unteer shoppers in all 50 states participated this year. The INFB Thanksgiving market basket survey was conducted by volunteer shop- pers across the state who col- lected prices on specific food items from one of their local grocery stores. Volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals. USDA offers tips for handling food safely This week, Americans will enjoy a delicious meal on Thanksgiving Day with fami- ly and friends or either in per- son or virtually. Taking the necessary steps toward safe food handling and sanitation will help protect you and your loved ones this year. To make sure your Thanksgiving meal is prepared safely, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering food safe- ty advice to reduce foodborne illness, including on Thanks- giving Day. • Wash your hands: The first step to safe food prepara- tion is to clean. In recent US - DA observational research, participants did not even at- tempt to wash their hands, or did not wash their hands suffi- ciently about 95 percent of the time before and during meal preparation. Handwashing is recom- mended to control the spread of germs, especially before, during and after preparing food (especially after touch- ing raw meat or poultry). • Thawing the Turkey: Frozen turkeys should nev- er be thawed on the counter or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. The best method to thaw the tur- key is in the refrigerator since this allows slow, safe thawing. When thawing turkey in the refrigerator, allow about 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. Once thawed, it can remain safe in the fridge for one to two days. Other safe thawing methods include a cold-water bath or the mi- crowave. If you use either of these thawing methods, you should cook the turkey im- mediately after it is thawed. If using the cold-water method, allow 30 minutes per pound, and submerge the turkey in its original wrapping to avoid cross-contamination. If thaw- ing in the microwave, make sure to follow the manufac- turer's instructions when de- frosting the turkey. • Avoid Cross-Contami- nation: In a recent study, US - DA found 60 percent of kitch- en sinks were contaminated with germs after participants washed or rinsed poultry. To avoid this cross-contamina- tion risk, do not wash your tur- key. But if you do wash your turkey or put your turkey in the sink, you need to fully clean and sanitize your sink. Cleaning and sanitizing is a two-step process. To clean, rub down surfaces, including the sink, cutting boards, and counter tops, with soap and hot water, and then sanitize them with a cleaning solution to remove any residual germs you cannot see. You can use a homemade solution of one ta- blespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in one gallon of water. Let air dry. • Do not stuff the Tur- key: Although many choose to stuff the turkey, USDA does not recommend doing so for optimal safety. Instead, cook stuffing outside of the turkey cavity to reduce cross-con- tamination risk. This will al- so allow your turkey to cook more quickly. • Cooking to the Safe Temperature: A whole tur- key is safe when cooked to a minimum internal tempera- ture of 165 degrees Fahren- heit as measured by a food thermometer in three parts: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing, and the innermost part of the thigh. Even if the tur- key has a pop-up temperature indicator, you should still use a food thermometer to check that the bird has reached at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit in those three places. If you are planning to cook a turkey breast instead of a whole tur- key, check the temperature with the food thermometer (165 degrees Fahrenheit) at the thickest part the breast. All previously cooked side dishes should be reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by a food thermom- eter as well. • The Two-Hour Rule: To make sure food stays safe to eat through the weekend, all perishable items should be re- frigerated within two hours of when they finished cook- ing. A fter two hours, perish- able food will be in the Dan- ger Zone (40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) too long, which is when bacteria can multiply quickly and cause the food to become unsafe. If foods have been left out for more than two hours they should be dis- carded. • Store and Reheat Left- overs: Store leftovers in small, shallow containers in the refrigerator until the Mon- day after Thanksgiving Day or in the freezer for later use. Shallow containers help cool leftovers more quickly than storing them in large contain- ers. Reheat leftovers to an in- ternal temperature of 165 de- grees Fahrenheit. Check the internal temperature of the food in several places with a food thermometer after allow- ing a resting time. For advice about how to safely prepare the turkey and all other menu items this Thanksgiving Day, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Ho- tline at 1-888 -MPHotline (1- 888 -674-6854) or chat live with a food safety expert at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. If you need last-minute help on Thanks- giving Day, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Visit FoodSafety.gov or follow USDA's Food Safe- ty and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Twitter @USDA- FoodSafety or on Facebook at Facebook.com/FoodSafe- ty.gov for the latest food safe- ty tips. net edition yeah, it's that fast! Z M www.PressDispatch.net/Subscribe It's The Press-Dispatch. No matter where you live. Delivered every Wednesday morning! Add it for $5 to your current print subscription or stand-alone for $35/year.