Pure Prairie bankruptcy devastates Midwest poultry farmers

Farmers in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota are grappling with the fallout from the sudden closure of Pure Prairie Poultry, an Iowa-based poultry processor that shut its doors in early October. The company’s closure has left over 1 million chickens without care and many contract farmers in dire financial straits, as they are now responsible for feeding birds that can no longer be processed.

Pure Prairie Poultry filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leaving behind not only unpaid employees but also 1.3 million broiler chickens across 14 Iowa farms and more across other Midwest states. The situation has been described as particularly vexing based on the $45.6 million that the U.S. Department of Agriculture invested through a Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan program to help Pure Prairie Farms Inc. in 2022.

The company notified the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship that it could no longer afford to buy feed for the birds, prompting the department to seek an emergency court order to take control of the chickens. The state is now one of the creditors seeking repayment from Pure Prairie.

In Wisconsin, poultry farmers are scrambling to find solutions. Terry Filla, a contract farmer, shared his frustrations with reporters, stating, “Currently, we have roughly 60[,000] to 62,000 birds with no feed. We’ve called everybody, and we don’t know what to do.”

Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Randy Romanski expressed concern over the situation but explained to Brownfield that his department lacks the authority to intervene directly, as the issue is not related to disease.

“A business failed and the result is that it’s affected farmers and businesses here in the state, and it’s also affected the humane care of those animals,” he said.

Efforts to gather information about the number of affected farmers in Wisconsin have been met with limited success. Romanski noted that his department requested information from Pure Prairie but has not received a full response. Meanwhile, Iowa officials have stepped in to feed the affected birds, and Minnesota has taken steps to euthanize some.

Adding to the complexity, former employees of the now-closed plant are also struggling. Several have not been paid since the plant’s closure on October 2. According to one anonymous worker, “We’re hoping that can kind of give that a little kick to show them that this is important. Just give us our last check, and we’ll leave you alone.”

In a statement to ABC 6, Pure Prairie Poultry said, “We continue to explore possible buyers for our operations and have discontiued operations at our Charles City production plant. We recognize that our difficulties represent a hardship for our people, for our grower partners and for the community at large. As we continue to work toward a transition we will look to minimize any further impact on all parties and will share information as it become available.”

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has also taken up the cause, urging the USDA to step in and assist the affected farmers. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Baldwin highlighted the USDA’s previous investment of $47 million in Pure Prairie Poultry and called for immediate action.

“Our agriculture industry is the beating heart of many of our communities,” she said. “In the face of this dire situation, I’m calling on USDA to do everything they can for these Wisconsin farmers who now stare down financial ruin through no fault of their own.”

Baldwin also raised concerns about animal welfare, with many farmers giving away chickens by the tens of thousands to prevent starvation. She urged the USDA to provide feed and financial assistance and to work with Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to locate all impacted producers.

In the face of this emergency, volunteers have stepped up to help. Breanna Patz, a University of Wisconsin-River Falls student and founder of Pips ‘n Chicks, organized efforts to evacuate and process birds from several struggling farms. “It took about four days from start to finish, and it was well beyond what I thought was possible,” Patz said.

Her efforts helped save up to 175,000 birds from six farms, as volunteers and processors rallied to keep the chickens from starving.

Some of the poultry farms, such as Filla Farms have taken to soliciting donations from GoFundMe to help recoup some of their costs after giving away over 62,000 broilers to people who picked up the birds to process themselves. 

As the situation unfolds, affected farmers are left waiting for a solution from federal and state agencies while the fallout from Pure Prairie Poultry’s bankruptcy continues to grow. Despite their best efforts to ensure that that the birds are properly cared for, processed, or humanely euthanized in this challenging situation, the circumstances have become fodder for animal activist groups. 

Activist groups such as PETA have already taken notice of these challenges, using them as opportunities for criticism. In response, PETA sent a letter to Vilsack calling for an investigation into the USDA’s failure to fulfill its duties and to stop “throwing taxpayer money at bad actors like Pure Prairie Poultry.” While growers work to address the difficulties, PETA’s focus remains on highlighting the problems rather than supporting those working toward solutions.