Chicken Farming is the 21st Century's Sharecropping

Vertically integrated poultry companies that own most of the supply chain trap small farmers into debt - until they lose everything.

[@KG9551]

It’s amazing you were able to speak to these people, chicken farming is notoriously opaque and the chicken companies will sue you within an inch of your life for talking…

[@beatnik09]

Seems like they were both out of the business.

[@proudblackman50]

This needs to be shared everywhere to everyone ASAP

[@rodneypomfile2999]

I remember early in the 2000s, there were a similar situation here in Barbados where the contracted chicken growers were being ripped off...That quickly came to an end when all the contracted growers stop producing for this company. A couple contract growers went into business for themselves... but the controlling company had to build their own pens and produce for themselves. So at this point no one company controls the poultry industry. Those companies depends on the growers labor for business, we are not totally powerless....

[@alexs5723]

The Mr Watts' change from chickens to mushrooms was beautiful. More money for the farmer, severing control from the chicken companies AND a higher vegetable supply are all good things in my opinion. Great video.

[@ReDFootY]

Mushrooms aren't actually vegetables. Try googling "What is a mushroom fruit or vegetable?". Mushrooms are as closely related to humans as humans are to vegetables. But then again it is just easier to refer to them as vegetables in everyday life.

[@paulywolley]

Thank you for this. Most people recognise that animal agriculture is horrific for animals but few understand its devastating impacts to the humans working in the industry. There is the financial aspect covered in this video, and you can see more of Craig Watts's story in the film 'Eating Animals'. But there are also the health, safety and human rights violations. And then there are the environmental and climate crises which have become common talking points in mainstream media but never linked to animal agriculture. I hope The Intercept will cover these important topics in detail as nobody else seems willing too.

[@samuelpons1396]

Thank you for sharing these stories. Converting chicken farms to mushrooms farms--what a powerful way to fight back against these exploitative industries and actually make a living.

[@aledakivett9255]

I have a friend who raises chickens commercially. I believe every word said in this video.. And I'm sure more could be exposed.

[@lisakukla459]

That whole thing needs to be reversed immediately. Give this man his farm back, erase the debt and go back to the community supported agriculture model. And not just for him, but for every last one that has been impacted by these awful chicken houses. They pollute local water sources, destroy local economies, and the only reason they exist is to extract wealth. If regular people understood what a complete transformation would result in their area's economy and ecology from keeping Big Ag out and having multiple small farms instead, it wouldn't just be popular; They would ferociously defend it. For a few cents more per pound, you get exponentially more in return, in terms of actual material conditions of your daily life and financial wellbeing.

[@michaelbratsis2940]

Damn this was deep. I teared up during this one.

[@PhlyDaily]

great story and edit. Sad however, to much money and lobbing give these companies this type of control.

[@GAMEVoodooful]

I love you phly, no homo

[@fallen4life080]

If people weren't so paranoid they'd realize a LITTLE more government control would likely help fix this. In Iceland the sheep, pig, and chicken industry is State run by tax payer money and most of how they run the industry is public knowledge since it's state owned. The standards are Insanely higher than the U.S and of healthier quality and takes the pressure off the farmers who get incentives for the areas they allocate to the chicken farms. All the farmers have to do is tend to them, no "upgrades", no "buying new chickens", nothing. The farmers technically work for the government on their own property. It's an amazingly citizen controlled industry. And to make it better there are STILL private companies that run their own "organic" farms if that's what people want. Perfect amount of capitalism and socialism.

[@wildfire9280]

@@fallen4life080 But you can’t have tightly regulated industry standards that protect farmerss from abuses, that’s “socialism”! (Probably would be opposed by the ironically named “Farm Bureau” too)

[@fallen4life080]

@@wildfire9280 Right!? People are afraid of the government so they don't let it do its job. But then they complain government isn't doing its job so then they continue to fear it. Endless cycle. Not to mention attaining well funded government programs isn't gonna work overnight or if only a few programs are funded. ALL OF IT Need to be in on a touch of socialism or not.

[@user-nu7tt3hj8f]

We don't need government control , we need relaxed laws governing farm to consumer processing of all meats so that people can afford to buy farm products directly from the farm and the farmer can earn a fair profit for his labor

[@ashm3697]

What will it take for Americans to see the danger of corporate power

[@HorstEwald]

Blade Runner 2049 came to my mind. We are living a dystopia, well, at least partially.

[@EricaEteson]

A heartbreaking story with a note of hopefulness about how we can do things differently. I love how the animal rights activist broadened her compassionate worldview to include farmers. And I appreciate learning about how the corporate abuse impacts all farmers with extra discrimination heaped on black farmers.

[@normalizedaudio2481]

This has been going on for a long time. Prospective retirement could be a chicken farm down south. People were talking about in in the 1980s. You plunk down all the money you earned for 30 years trucking or working for someone else. Now you get to be your own person, with the help of the Corporation. Contracts are what do people in. It really did look good to people. Would be nice to hear what the industry has to say....

[@grmpEqweer]

They would say nothing. Because saying, "Too bad, sucker," is bad publicity.

[@nattydreadlocks1973]

The last black poultry farmer in the whole state.

[@dennisnelson2609]

My dad,brother and I sold our last fed out hogs in 1975.The hogs did not pay the feed bill.We have a small cattle herd and sell the calves at weaning age.We work off the farm to survive,but never get ahead financially. Big wheel corporate farmers use an ink pen andgovernment subsidies to become millionaires.

[@kt9495]

This broke my heart and disgusted me at the same time. The banks and Big Ag should be ashamed of themselves. I used to be conscious of where my meat came from and prefer to buy local and from ethical farmers. I recently switched to Hello Fresh for convenience and to try and save money; I’m questioning that now because I don’t want to support those big suppliers in any way. I hope the last farmer finds success with the mushrooms, and to the gentleman that lost his home, I’m so sorry. I wish you the best and hope you find abundance again in life.

[@veganlogic4empathy]

b vegan. keep tearing up them veggies, kt. 🙌 🐮🐷🐔

[@logic9869]

I would have burned it down and let the insurance sort it out🔥

[@kayshabraids6097]

🤣🙃this the one

[@Germania9]

The companies who funded these sure talk a lot of Koch to the farmers.

[@andreawisner7358]

Boycott chicken

[@ReDFootY]

That won't help anything. This is all the result of a broken political system.

[@soycrates]

@@ReDFootY Will prevent future chickens being bred into existence for a life of abject suffering all for 10 minutes of taste pleasure.

[@mattjohnson8038]

Amazing work, thank you.

[@fallen4life080]

If people weren't so paranoid they'd realize a LITTLE more government control would likely help fix this. In Iceland the sheep, pig, and chicken industry is State run by tax payer money and most of how they run the industry is public knowledge since it's state owned. The standards are Insanely higher than the U.S and of healthier quality and takes the pressure off the farmers who get incentives for the areas they allocate to the chicken farms. All the farmers have to do is tend to them, no "upgrades", no "buying new chickens", nothing. The farmers technically work for the government on their own property. It's an amazingly citizen controlled industry. And to make it better there are STILL private companies that run their own "organic" farms if that's what people want. Perfect amount of capitalism and socialism.

[@joshb2059]

Can't remember the name of the documentary or video from a couple years ago that show the exact same situation in this video. Independent farmers have no choice but to do what these huge conglomerates say no matter what conditions or atrocities they have to commit to survive and stay in business. The bottom line for these companies is to sell more/bigger products. And it goes beyond these farm "upgrades". Farm equipment manufacturers have figured out a way to screw farmers over too by gimping the equipment they buy. It's tough not sure how everyone can find products that are produced humanely without having come from these guys that literally own most of the farmland

[@Zach-jo5py]

Commenting for the algorithm. Thanks for the video. We have got to stop factory farming, is it absolutely horrendous what we do to the animals and also what how these small farms are treated by the corporations.

[@RootTea1]

Thank you! I did not know that commenting improved the algorithm. Let me get my fingers to working on my own (beyond this reply)!

[@johnm_inmn4745]

This was excellent. Zephyr Teachout discusses this topic in “Break Them Up”, so more people are becoming aware. The question is, will anything be done about it on the policy level?

[@samueljames1089]

I can tell my Brother was lost and lacked knowledge; Hosea 4:6. And seeing that photo of white Jesus says a lot; Revelation 1:14, and Daniel 10:5-6. All praises to Yahawah Bahasham Yahawashi.

[@jaymayhoi]

first heard about this through Coby Brooker - important topic not shown enough

[@jakeburdett7345]

I went to college at Salisbury University on the Eastern Shore of MD, where Perdue is headquartered. The Mayor of Salisbury is the SON of the CEO of Perdue!!!

[@ptwon7136]

Thank you everyone for shedding light on this

[@egolson7374]

Is there any update regarding this story?

[@ahanna4396]

This would make you go vegan.

[@UserName-ln5ol]

I dont understand why people think farming is a lucrative job. Its like working at mcdonalds or any minimum wage job.. it has and always will be a low level job. That being said they do demand more respect because they work hard, but thats what they ask for. Grew up around farmers and they all happy to live in the farm but they dont do it for the money.

[@aleksandarlenhart2078]

farming is actually much more lucrative than mcdonalds, don't you know some farmers own expensive ass equipment and vehicles, which increases yields of crops which increases profit, farming still provides a lot of resources for communities,cities and even whole countries, so that's why we think farming is lucrative

[@UserName-ln5ol]

@Aleksandar Lenhart yes, but most farmers around me are farming somebody else's land for pennies on the dollar. The only farmers I know in my community who are making money are generation farmers whose land has been paid for already.

[@UserName-ln5ol]

Source: we own the local bank in town.

[@rosalinejordan1549]

Just pure greed over chicken. These large companies will see judgment day they don’t repent and get it right.

[@FinancialMatter]

Wow 😮 this is crazy

[@syntaxerorr]

You pay off 90% of the debt and the bank doesn't want to take on more? Seems weird.

[@tuja464]

The Dark Side of Capitalism.

[@Alex-xh1zi]

Mushrooms are the future 🍄

[@RuberSocks]

This mushroom idea sounds compelling. Is there a way we can reach out to more chicken farmers who are in the same situation, and compel them to move in this direction?

[@eileengrieve2719]

Absolutely disgusting

[@collinsjames8651]

Illegal capitalist tactics...dealing with the Devil.

[@blueking5016]

Wow!! This is sad and so hateful. 😤

[@lynnhughes6350]

Now he ain’t paying the bills growing a few mushrooms

[@charlesnkuubilwanga8051]

Injustice will bring down some people so badly. It's a sad story

[@normalizedaudio2481]

Yard birds don't taste the same as these birds. How much is taste worth?

[@gusmotorsports]

Welcome to America!

[@tobyarmstrong5450]

commenting for the algorithm

[@carolinebraum2389]

So SAD!

[@thailandthomas9185]

Why don't these farmers go together creating their own processes plant and put these criminals out of business before they go deep into debt with improvements

[@scottlarue5304]

Late stage capitalism and systemic racism together. This is so fucking gross and depressing.

[@kildare1773]

The farmer is only buying himself a job. Crazy to get involved.

[@boombot934]

Corporate greed is shameful!

[@Tony-ku5oq]

Wicked!

[@007djneal]

Hurts just watching this!!!!😣

[@markvolker1145]

This went from being a anti poultry farming hit pieces to being a racial issue... yeah its always about race!

[@karenbuckner1959]

There's more than one way to raise a chicken, or cow... Check out Polyface Farms.

[@thelittlethingskate9567]

I live next to a mushroom farm. All underpaid, Hispanic workers.

[@no0ns]

Someone ought to force Joseph Grendys sit his billion dollar asses on ammonia for a while. This is just another industry that has turned into a cartel.

[@DannyBear70]

Is t this a case of classism? Class warfare?

[@grmpEqweer]

Yep.

[@vivalaleta]

Raising chickens like that is animal cruelty. I feel for this man and many of us are in similar positions - the dream lost - but don't resort to this.

[@SuperlativeCG]

I wonder if I have ever eaten an egg that came from a chicken I ate.

[@TheDiveDawg]

I doubt it, because meat birds and the birds they use to lay eggs are different. layers are skinny and have very little in meat on them, broiler are meat birds that are sold in stores for meat. The age of a full sized meat bird in the store is 6 weeks, yes that's right, 6 weeks from egg to slaughter. Layers don't start laying until 20 weeks, then they lay for a year and are culled for pet food after.

[@reallife4598]

This what happen when you a citizen/ person education is key people shit go back to school

[@ivydaniels5302]

That’s by design……Black peoples….this shit is by design………..

[@yungdcwa81]

ITS NOT ABOUT RACE , THIS IS A CON

[@markvolker1145]

*I live in a area where poultry farming is BIG business! I know many people who contract grow for companies and make a damn good living! Those who don't manage their farm and birds properly are the ones who's go under! There is no one you can blame but themselves!!!*

[@Canes91]

Man that’s how it is where I live. These stories are crazy. Chicken farming is a good living

[@wreyesbayarea]

Probably need to change the title to "Industrial Chicken Farming is the 21st Century's Sharecropping." Not all chicken farming is like that. See Joel Salatin's pasture farming.

[@markusbetts]

We didn't start the fire, it was always burning

[@Leader2light]

Somebody trying to take the house you built, time to get the gun loaded with extended mags.

[@Strong2091]

Yea so a team of a dozen swat operators can break down your door and light up your entire family. great idea.

[@modelgurl69]

This is really disrespectful.

[@zachanderson9775]

i like how y’all turned this into a race thing. that shit is so fucking annoying

[@TheBusshelter]

Way to make it all about race

[@logic9869]

How could it not be about race when it was only one black chicken farmer out of 178 farmers and he was the only one given a lost with 23 updates?

[@bdoakes]

You lost me when you brought race in to it. Good luck with whatever you're trying to say I guess.

[@logic9869]

1 farm owner out of 178 were black and the only one forced to to the updates was the black guy👀 His son offered to buy the property for the price the bank had it valued at and they decided not to do it but sold it to a white man for 50k less than the. Son offered👀

[@Poorlydrawnstate]

It's worth noting that black guy who lost his house (overvalued by the bank when his son wanted to buy it, but incredibly undervalued to a Koch family member who resold it for over $330,000) was the last chicken farmer in the state. Why? Because that same company required expensive upgrades for black chicken farmers but not white chicken farmers with similar sized farms, numbers of chickens, etc. Class was also a theme. Did you catch that or was that also too difficult to follow?

[@natanbraga5366]

I don't see how a chicken farmer will fell happy planting mushrooms. Why not an independent cooperative chicken farm? If you're targeting councious consumers they'll pay the price, no?

[@CayDieu]

At the end he says '...and I'm not making chickens miserable to make a dollar.' Many people can't afford to be conscious consumers - btw have you heard the phrase 'no ethical consumption under capitalism' ?

[@Face_Meat]

Unnecessary subtitles are unnecessary.

[@Sokrabiades]

This video is so Intercept. What does the NC farmer's race have to do with this? And the condition of the chickens is also a race issue? Not a question of hyper industrialization? Wtf?

[@Fireclaws10]

Because if you actually watched the video there’s massive amounts of racism going on top of the exploitation.

[@Robert_McGarry_Poems]

It's systemic, almost as if those who benefit from the privileges that it instills, can't see it happening... 🤔 Hmm...

[@logic9869]

How could it not have been about race when the 1 black garner out of 178 farmers was the only one that receive 23 updates to do to his farm? His son offered to buy the fat at the price that the bank wanted yet they declined and sold it to a white man for 40k less😔People like you are the reason racism still exist because it doesn’t matter as long as it’s not happening to you and yours