“localvore” movement, 288, 318
Luter, Joe, 241–43, 255
Lynch Livestock, 201, 203
McDonald’s, 91, 92, 94–95, 98, 107, 109, 110, 124, 159, 225, 267, 275
MacMillan, Anne Cannon, 296, 349n
McNuggets, 95, 107, 163, 178
McPherson County Feeders, 226
Malloy, Bob, 240–41
Marshall, Miss., 157, 168, 191
Maverick Feeders, LLC, 210, 216–17, 219, 221
Mayo, Robin, 274
meat industry, 3–4, 166, 276, 282, 291, 303
biological innovations in, 5–6, 21
“chickenization” of, 5, 145, 149, 152–53, 168, 226, 242, 289
consolidation of power in, 4–5, 7, 22, 25, 100, 153, 175–76, 229, 232, 233, 235, 246, 248, 249, 254, 263, 264, 266, 269, 280–81, 282, 302–3, 316; see also vertical integration
corporate oligarchies in, 3, 4, 5, 7, 67, 110, 114, 115, 136, 153, 168, 171, 176, 184, 197, 198, 199, 202, 203, 204–5, 208, 209, 212–13, 214, 218, 219, 220, 229, 231, 232, 233, 235, 246, 248, 249, 263, 266, 269, 271, 274, 275, 280–81, 282, 284, 313, 318
decline of independent farms in, 5, 70, 184, 191, 194, 196–97, 202, 205, 209, 212, 223, 236, 246, 272, 281, 282
lobbyists in, 12, 153, 210, 223, 249–52, 254, 263, 275–76, 279, 280, 283, 285–87, 288–89, 291–92, 295, 302, 318
“localvore” movement in, 288, 318
loss of open-market competition in, 3, 5, 6–7, 79, 108, 110, 136–37, 173–74, 184, 191, 195, 200, 201–5, 209, 212–13, 217, 218–20, 221–23, 224, 229, 237, 238, 257, 269, 271, 275, 282, 315
political patrons of, 262, 268, 310
rising consumer prices in, 3–4, 5, 7, 12, 79, 195, 196, 204, 248, 269, 294, 313, 318
safety provisions in, 252
Tyson’s dominance in, 2–3, 4, 5, 6–7, 108, 159, 160, 175, 176, 281n, 311, 318
Tyson’s pioneer business model in, 3, 4, 5–6, 69–70, 78, 92, 93, 102, 107, 110, 111, 149, 152–53, 167–68, 169, 173–74, 180, 187, 209, 212n, 223, 225, 226, 240, 241, 262, 287, 311
USDA/DOJ workshops on growing power of corporations in, 279–82, 287, 288, 289, 294–95, 298, 302–3
vertical integration in, see vertical integration
see also specific meat industries
meatpackers, 211, 212, 223, 225, 240, 247, 251, 285, 288, 295, 303
control over animal producers by, 5, 7, 208–9, 212–13, 218, 224, 248
divvying up of feedlot territories by, 218–20
“packer bans” and, 240–41, 242, 243, 253, 255, 284–85
see also beef industry; pork industry; slaughterhouses; specific meat companies
Meat Trust, 4
Mercantile Bank, 78
Mexican immigrants, 197
Mexico, 119–20, 212
Meyerhoeffer, Sonny, 272
Mickelson, Gary, 325
migrant farming, 25, 50–51
Miller, Tom, 229, 235, 236, 241–45, 257, 269, 280, 287
Producer Protection Act of, 244, 245, 250, 252, 255, 263, 283
Smithfield Foods’ legal battles against, 236, 241–44, 245, 253–54, 255, 280, 287
Smithfield’s settlement with, 255–56, 270, 280
Mississippi, 144, 303, 305
Missouri, 9, 48, 60, 67, 138, 158, 159, 244
Missouri, University of, 56, 233
Moeller, Bill, 149–52, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 168, 169, 192
Moline, Steve, 236–41, 242, 243, 244, 249, 253–54, 255
Monsanto, 235, 251, 261, 269, 279
Moore, Joyce, 119
Moore, Richard, 118–19, 120, 132
Morning Joe (TV show), 297–98
Muegge, Paul, 252
Murphy, David, 262–63, 294–95
Murphy Farms, 240–41, 242, 243
Nader, Ralph, 245
Nancy (Lynch Livestock employee), 201
N&N Farm, 128–30, 132–37
diseased bird epidemic at, 133–34, 135, 136, 137
National Beef, 208, 210, 211, 216, 217, 219, 225, 226, 303
cattle-buying operation at, 214–16, 220
Dodge City plant of, 211–12, 214
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), 285, 286, 295
National Chicken Council, 251, 285, 286, 291–92, 295
National Pork Producers Council (NPCC), 286
Neal’s Café, 62, 87, 91
nitrogen fertilizers, 69
Normal, Ala., 12, 287
North Carolina, 101, 162, 195, 240, 243, 318
Northwest Poultry Growers Association, 79, 84, 85
nuggets, chicken, 95, 106, 107, 178, 265, 274
nurseries, hog, 156, 157, 191, 226–27, 266
Obama, Barack, 268, 276, 277, 318
2008 presidential campaign of, 12, 257–58, 261–64, 281, 285, 294
2012 reelection campaign of, 297, 303
Vilsack selected as secretary of agriculture by, 12, 268–70
Obama administration, 279, 288, 290, 298, 299, 302
agricultural reforms attempted by, 4, 12, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283–7, 288, 289, 290, 295, 298, 299, 301, 303, 318; see also GIPSA rule
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 298–99
OK Foods, 136, 137
Oklahoma, 46, 52, 135, 138, 143, 144, 155, 156, 189, 191, 192, 208, 219, 243, 244, 252, 266, 269, 311, 314–15
Ouachita Mountains, 18, 25, 29
Owens, Carry, 44
Owens, Donna, 125–26
Owens, Greg, 125–27
Ozark hill country, 48, 55, 58, 106, 305, 306
“packer ban,” 240–41, 242, 243, 253, 255, 284–85
Packers and Stockyard Act (1921), 84–85, 248, 283–84, 285, 291, 301
Packers and Stockyard Administration (PSA), 248–49, 254, 275–76, 282–84, 285
Page, Greg, 246–47
pesticides, 52, 69
petro-chemicals, 69
Phillips Petroleum Company, 63
Phouthavong, Boonau, 113–14, 116, 123–25, 127–28, 130–31, 137, 138–39, 141, 145
Phouthavong, Pat, 123, 124
Phrasounonh, Cecil, 46
Pickett v. Tyson Foods, 269
Pilgrim’s Pride, 233, 266, 269, 271, 274, 275, 291
bankruptcy of, 271–72, 273, 274
Popcorn, Faith, 177
pork industry, 54, 92, 164, 167–68, 174, 189, 195–96, 208, 225, 243
biological innovations in, 6, 157
“boxed” products introduced in, 171
breeding techniques in, 157, 202–3, 237
“buyer power” in, 203–4
“chickenization” of, 5, 149, 152–53, 156–58, 168, 183–84, 192, 194, 195, 204–5, 242, 246
consolidation of power in, 153, 168, 198, 199, 203, 235, 237, 240, 246, 281
corporate oligarchy in, 153, 168, 176, 184, 197, 198, 199, 202, 203, 204–5, 235, 246, 281
declining quality of meat in, 153
government regulation in, 85, 240, 241, 242, 243, 253, 254, 256, 257, 280, 287, 299
Iowa as epicenter of, 186–87, 250
lobbyists in, 153, 249–50, 286
loss of open, competitive market in, 184, 191, 195, 200, 201–5, 238
Miller vs. Smithfield Foods legal battle in, 241–44, 245, 253–54, 255, 280, 287
1998 market collapse in, 195–97, 199, 238–39
open, competitive market as once existing in, 189, 190, 202–3, 236
poultry industry’s expansion and, 152, 242
price cycles in, 116, 149, 195–96
Producer Protection Act and, 244, 245, 250, 252, 255, 263, 283
rising consumer prices in, 5, 195, 196, 204, 294, 313
slaughterhouses in, 157, 171, 183, 187, 189, 190, 195, 196, 201, 203, 311
Tyson’s business model and, 5, 167–68, 169, 240, 241
Tyson’s dominance in, 180, 204, 281n
vertical integration in, 5, 156, 157, 172, 191, 202, 237, 240, 241, 242, 269, 280, 285, 287
&n
bsp; see also hog farming; meat industry; Tyson Foods, hog division of
Poultry Growers Inc., 72–73, 74
poultry industry, 34, 67, 79, 82, 104, 121, 149, 164, 179, 225, 247
antibiotics used in, 7–8
attempted government reforms in, 287–89, 291–94, 295, 299–300, 301, 302
biological innovations in, 5–6, 21, 53, 62, 92, 108–9, 159, 167
blacklisting of farmers in, 84
consolidation of power in, 22, 25, 56, 79, 100, 108, 110, 111, 231, 232–233, 235, 266, 269, 270, 271, 275, 313; see also vertical integration
co-op model experiment in, 272–75
corporate oligarchy in, 67, 108, 110, 114, 115, 136, 231, 232, 233, 235, 266, 271, 273, 274, 275, 313
early days of, 52, 53, 54–55, 66–67, 85, 92, 140
emergence of contract farming in, 68, 70, 71
fast-food markets in expansion of, 95, 107, 152, 242
feed mills in, see feed mills
government regulation in, 68, 254, 275–76, 302
hatcheries in, see hatcheries
hog farming system modeled on, 149, 150, 151, 152–53, 154–55, 168, 183, 192
lawsuits filed in, 32, 101, 121, 269, 271n, 283
lobbyist groups in, 251, 285, 286, 291–92, 295
loss of open, competitive market in, 5, 79, 108, 110, 136–37, 237, 238, 271, 275
1961 financial crisis and, 76–81, 195, 266
rise and growth of, 52, 53, 54–55, 58, 62, 65, 66–67, 76, 92, 95, 100, 107, 140, 152, 208, 230, 265
slaughterhouses in, 2, 8, 11, 22, 23, 46, 59–61, 62, 76, 81, 83, 87, 92, 93, 102, 106, 107, 110, 160–61, 162, 169–70, 226, 269, 273, 306, 312, 318
Smithfield Foods’ dominance in, 168
specialty products in, 30–31, 86–87, 91, 95, 106–7, 163, 274
2008 financial crisis and, 264–65, 266, 267–68, 270, 271, 272, 305
Tyson’s business model and, 5, 78, 92, 93, 102, 110, 111, 149, 152
Tyson’s dominance in, 108, 110, 111, 114, 145, 159, 169, 174, 180, 233, 235, 266, 273, 281n
vertical integration in, 5, 20–22, 25, 55–56, 58, 61, 62, 65, 66, 78, 81, 93, 109, 110, 115, 172, 226, 230, 231, 242, 270, 275, 287, 294
volatile market cycles in, 53, 54–55, 66, 70, 76, 78, 79, 81, 91–92, 95, 98, 100, 102, 149, 313
see also chicken farming, industrial; meat industry; Tyson Foods
“Powered by Tyson” campaign, 178, 180
price discovery, 203
Proctor and Gamble, 176
Producer Protection Act (2000), 244, 245, 250, 252, 263, 283
Purtle, David, 104–6
racial discrimination, 119, 120, 141
Radintz, Jim, 143
RAFI-USA, 317–18
Ralston Purina, 53, 79, 84
Randall Foods, 232
Ranger Feeders, 219
R-CALF USA, 317
Regions Bank, 141, 142
Republican Party, 165, 268, 282, 289, 290, 302
Richardson, Eunice, 292–93
Roberts, Pat, 300–301, 302
Rockefeller, John, 249
Romero, Ramona, 297
Roosevelt, Teddy, 4
Roper, Gary, 33–34, 44, 104, 126–27
rural economies, U.S., 1, 2, 8, 48, 49–50, 51, 145–46, 165, 199, 235–36, 251, 257, 270, 280, 283, 291, 317, 318, 319
“chickenization” of, 145, 196
corporate consolidation’s effect on, 229–33, 316
decline of small towns and, 10, 11–12, 198, 223–24, 232–33, 262, 281
government emergency programs for, 57–58, 234–35
in Great Depression, 47, 49, 50, 51, 57, 58
income patters of, 314, 315, 316, 317
influx of immigrants in, 45–46
loss of independent businesses in, 5, 194–95, 196–97, 202, 205, 281, 298
loss of open, competitive markets and, 5, 191, 195, 200, 201–5, 315
1998 collapse of pork market and, 195–97, 199
Obama administration’s attempts in reviving of, 281, 296; see also GIPSA rule
poverty rate in, 281
in pre-industrialized agriculture era, 186–87
smalltown dependency on corporations in, 1, 2, 8, 21, 315
Tyson’s reshaping of, 3, 5, 6, 9–10, 11–13, 46, 67, 106, 111, 145, 180–81, 191, 227, 288, 312, 314–16
unemployment rates in, 156, 281, 297
Vilsack’s optimistic depiction of, 297–98, 303
Wal-Mart and, 262, 316
sales stations, 200–201, 202, 238
Scott, David, 290–91
Scott County, Ark., 10, 11, 25, 26, 34, 41, 319
Scott County Movie Theater, 10–11
Scott County Tractor, 118
Seafood Group, 159, 164, 167
seafood industry, 159, 164
Securities and Exchange Commission, 176
seed industry, 235
select-grade beef, 215, 222
Senate, U.S., 251, 290, 301, 302
Sents, Allan, 226
serfdom, 49, 231, 237
settlement sheets, 115–17, 121, 256
Simmons, 76
Skeen, Jerry, 102–4
Skeets, Larry, 142
slaughterhouses, 1, 2, 5, 11, 19, 21, 26, 33, 36, 66, 72, 81, 98, 103, 110, 118, 125, 132n, 160–61, 177, 180, 240, 270, 288, 311, 314, 316
in beef industry, 169–70, 172, 174, 211–12, 215, 221, 224, 226, 311
chemicals used at, 8
equipment in, 22, 23, 60, 87, 107, 312
government inspection of, 61, 87
of IBP, 169–70, 172, 174
immigrant workers in, 46, 212, 317
livestock farmers’ small selling window with, 190
in pork industry, 157, 171, 183, 187, 189, 190, 195, 196, 201, 203, 311
in poultry industry, 2, 8, 11, 22, 23, 46, 59–61, 62, 76, 81, 83, 87, 92, 93, 102, 106, 107, 110, 160–61, 162, 169–70, 226, 269, 273, 306, 312, 318
“ruralization” of, 169–70
Tyson’s first construction of, 60–61, 62, 169–70
unionized workers in, 169, 170
Smith, Donnie, 264–68, 270, 271
as CEO of Tyson Foods, 305, 311–12, 313
Smithfield Foods, 164, 167–68, 169, 174, 189, 195, 196, 202, 204, 240–45, 251, 261, 285, 286, 293
Miller’s legal battles against, 236, 241–44, 245, 253–54, 255, 287
Miller’s settlement with, 255–57, 270, 280
Murphy Farms acquisition of, 240–41, 242, 243
South Dakota, 168, 177, 195, 253, 305
sow farms, 156–57, 192, 193
soybeans, 166, 173, 186, 187, 229, 243, 265, 308
Springdale, Ark., 11, 48, 51, 53, 55, 68, 88, 97, 110, 111, 169, 177, 192
Don Tyson’s estate in, 305, 306
John Tyson’s funeral in, 88
Neal’s Café in, 62, 87, 91
orchard economy in, 48, 51–52
Tyson family’s prestige in, 66
Tyson Feed’s first offices in, 58, 63–64, 65, 74
Tyson headquarters in, 4, 11, 20, 21, 30, 33, 81, 89, 92, 94, 96, 100, 159, 162, 163, 168, 177, 179, 180, 264, 265–66
Starr, Joe Fred, 70, 94, 96
in weekly managers’ meetings, 74, 75–76, 92–93
Stephens Inc., 99
Stika, John, 225
stock market, 276–77
crash of 1929, 47
Stoecker, Randall, 243
Swift & Company, 76, 84, 169
see also JBS Swift
Tabor, Eric, 234, 235–37, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244–45, 253, 255, 287
pro-regulation speech of, 244–46, 247
Tax Reform Act (1986), 73–74
Taylor, C. Robert, 121, 132
Tea Party movement, 290
tenant farming, 55–56
tenders, chicken, 106–7
Texas, 143, 144, 208, 219, 288, 307
Thomas, John, 193–94
Tollett, Leland, 74, 96, 160, 264, 305, 306
as CEO of Tyson Foods, 162–63
in internal coup at Tyson Foods, 178–79
in weekly managers’ meetings, 74, 92
turkey farming, 236, 272, 274
Turkey Federation, The, 251
Tyson, Cheryl, 309
Tyson, Don, 48, 56, 57, 63, 64, 65–67, 68–69, 70, 72, 82, 87, 97, 98, 99, 106, 157, 168, 170, 174, 264, 270, 305–6
in bringing chicken into fast-food markets, 91–92, 93–95, 107
charisma of, 160–61
childhood of, 51, 53–54, 111, 161, 310
“Class B” shares owned by, 162
control over Tyson Food’s maintained by, 162, 163, 178–79, 305–6
cost-cutting ethos of, 59, 60, 67, 78, 179–80
death and funeral of, 309–10, 312
declining health of, 305, 306–7, 308, 309
education of, 53, 59
employee loyalty fostered by, 161
estate of, 305, 306
estate planning of, 166–67
expansionist ambitions of, 64, 75, 81–82, 85–86, 99–100, 110, 111, 145–46, 152, 155, 159, 308
experimental hog farms of, 149–50, 152
father’s business lunches with, 62, 87, 91
father’s death and, 88–89
as field technician, 59, 69
final arrangements made by, 305–6
first slaughterhouse project overseen by, 60–62
fishing and boating of, 160, 307–8
in hostile acquisition deals, 99, 100–102
IBP merger opposed by, 174–75, 176
as industry visionary, 58, 59, 60, 65–66, 68, 75, 81, 86, 91, 93, 163, 310
internal coup at Tyson and, 178–80
legacy of, 310–11
market-downturn survival strategies of, 77–79, 86, 100, 179–80
1961 financial crisis and, 77–81, 266
public-offering decision of, 80–81
risk-taking and money borrowing of, 58–59, 61, 66, 67, 75, 78, 81, 98
in stepping away from daily operations, 159–60, 162, 163, 166
tutoring of son in family business by, 161–62
in weekly managers’ meetings, 74–76, 77, 87, 89, 92–93, 96
Tyson, Helen, 53, 54, 88
Tyson, Jean, 306
Tyson, John, 46, 47–48, 50, 51, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 66, 72, 74, 80, 82, 85, 87, 92, 111, 161, 174, 270
cautious approach of, 58, 67, 75, 89, 175
control of chicken farms sought by, 54–56
death of, 88–89
debt payments and depreciation rule of, 75, 100, 175
Don’s business lunches with, 62, 87, 91
feed business of, 53–54, 55, 56
firing of workers by, 56, 61
as focused on material side of business, 87–88