Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Granted Emergency Court Order to Take Immediate Care, Custody and Control of Pure Prairie Poultry, Inc. Chickens

Oct 03, 2024

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship was granted an emergency court order today to take immediate care, custody and control of approximately 1.3 million broiler chickens owned by Pure Prairie Poultry, Inc.

Pure Prairie Poultry, Inc., headquartered in Fairfax, Minnesota, operates a Charles City chicken processing plant and contracts with farmers throughout Iowa to grow broilers. On Monday, September 30, Pure Prairie Poultry, Inc. notified the Department that, due to their financial position, they were unable to purchase feed for these chickens located at 14 Iowa farms.

Upon notification, the Department coordinated with state and federal agencies, as well as industry partners, to seek a possible solution. With no immediately available solution and citing significant potential animal welfare concerns, the Department, under its authority in Iowa Code Chapter 717, sought an emergency court order to take care, custody, and control of the birds.

Following the issuance of the emergency court order, the Department is now coordinating with the farmers to provide feed and care for the birds.

The Department will seek reimbursement of the taxpayers’ costs from responsible parties, including through possible legal remedies. The Department has also notified relevant local law enforcement of the situation.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.