A growing crisis is emerging in the Midwest as Pure Prairie Poultry, a poultry company operating in Iowa, Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin, has abruptly abandoned its contracts with local farmers. Poultry producers, who rely on these contracts to raise and care for thousands of birds, are now left facing financial ruin while struggling to feed the animals and maintain their farms. With no support from the company, these farmers are pleading for help from state and federal officials.
For many, the situation began deteriorating as far back as April, when communication from the company became sporadic. While the company made promises of restructuring and eventual support, nothing materialized. Instead, farmers were left to shoulder the financial burden on their own. Joe Bragger, Vice President of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, noted that the situation grew dire just weeks ago. “The company pretty much threw away the keys and walked away. Now, these farmers are left with absolutely zero resources,” he said.
Financial Strain and Emotional Toll
The scale of this abandonment is massive. Some farmers are incurring weekly costs of up to $20,000 to feed their flocks, despite not receiving payments from Pure Prairie Poultry. “Their care for those birds trumps the financial burden,” Bragger said. “Many of these families have been paying for that feed out of their own pocket.”
One of those affected is Terry Filla, a poultry farmer from Mondovi, Wisconsin, who operates two broiler barns. Filla described the dire situation on his farm: “We have 62,000 birds with no feed for the last nine days. We called everybody, and we don’t know what to do.” Despite the company’s promises to remove the birds and deliver feed, no action has been taken. The birds, he said, are essentially starving.
Adding to the frustration is the lack of assistance from government agencies. Filla expressed his anger, saying, “They retaliated against us because we put a news article out, and we had also called PETA. Our elected officials just sat there. They didn’t do anything until we called PETA, and PETA started pressuring them.” Filla’s situation is one of many, with several other farmers in similar predicaments.
Filla is now faced with the task of possibly euthanizing his birds. “I refuse to do it that way,” he said. “I want them properly put down the way it’s supposed to be done. But I don’t know if it’s going to happen. I don’t know if they’re just going to die in the barn of a slow, cruel death.”
Calls for Action
As the crisis deepens, state and federal officials are being urged to step in. Congressman Derek Van Orden of Wisconsin’s Third District has become involved, working with other legislators and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address the situation. Van Orden highlighted a glaring policy gap: “There’s absolutely a black hole in policy when it comes to poultry farming,” he said. “We have something for dairy, we have something for grain, but poultry? Nothing.”
One of the key concerns is the lack of a safety net for poultry farmers in Wisconsin, which is available in neighboring states like Minnesota and Iowa. Van Orden stressed the urgency of the situation, pointing out that some farmers haven’t been paid since April and are spending large sums out of pocket to care for their animals. “These farmers are stepping out, paying $20,000 a week out of their pocket to feed these animals,” he said. “We got to make sure these flocks remain healthy, and we’ve got to help find a processor to get them processed.”
In addition to the financial strain on the farmers, there are concerns about where $46 million in USDA funds allocated to the company went. The funds were reportedly intended to reopen a processing plant in Iowa, but the money seems to have disappeared. “We’ve opened up an oversight investigation into that company and the USDA,” Van Orden said. “That money should have gone to these farmers to pay for these birds. We need to know where that money went.”
Emotional Toll on Farmers
The emotional toll on the farmers has been immense. Filla, struggling to keep his farm afloat, shared how difficult the situation has been for his family. “I’m surprised I’m not crying yet on this interview. It’s been very stressful mentally and physically,” he said. With the situation worsening, Filla’s focus is on finding a way to move forward. “We’re trying to give as many birds away as we can. But they won’t come and get them. Where’s Bremer Bank? It’s their property. I want them off our property. Enough’s enough.”
Bragger also highlighted the emotional impact on farmers across the region, urging others in the agricultural community to check in on one another. “Check on your neighbor no matter what they do. This is a very stressful time here,” he said. “Some of these folks are working darn near around the clock to make this happen. Make sure they know they’re not alone.”
Looking Ahead
For now, the future remains uncertain for the farmers affected by the collapse of Pure Prairie Poultry. While the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and Congressman Van Orden continue to work on finding solutions, there is no clear timeline for when or how these farmers will be compensated or how their immediate financial burdens will be alleviated.
Bragger, however, remains hopeful that the crisis will lead to long-term changes in the industry. “Going forward, we’re going to have to figure this out because when something like this happens once, it can happen again,” he said. He emphasized that the Farm Bureau is fighting for the farmers and working to prevent future crises. “We can depopulate a barn overnight, within hours. We’ve got to find a situation to help with this.”
In the meantime, farmers like Terry Filla continue to fight an uphill battle. Despite the odds, Filla remains committed to doing what’s right for his animals and his farm, even as he faces mounting uncertainty. “We’ve got electric bills, gas bills, and no relief coming. It’s just been a nightmare,” he said.
This article was written by Sabrina Halvorson based on interviews conducted by Brian Winnekins. You can listen to the full interviews below.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.