A 16-item shopping list of commonly eaten foods would cost slightly less at grocery stores nationwide today than a year ago, thanks to dramatically lower prices for milk and bacon, said the largest U.S. farm group. Volunteers in 24 states checked food prices at the local stores for the annual “fall harvest” survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Milk prices were down 17 percent and bacon was down by 11 percent. Due to bird flu, egg prices have soared by 56 percent since last fall. Overall, the shopping list rang up at an average $54.14, or 12 cents less than last fall. Lower energy costs, which affect processing, packaging and transportation, “account for much of the modest decrease,” said the federation.