John McCracken, Investigate Midwest

John McCracken covers the industrial agriculture meat industry for Investigate Midwest.

Stories by John McCracken, Investigate Midwest

Timothy Bundren's chicken barns are all standing empty since Tyson canceled his growing contract last year.

Early Morning Calls. Barren Chicken Barns. Millions in Debt.

By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest | May 14, 2024

After Tyson Foods closed four meatpacking plants in the Midwest, some contract chicken farmers faced business ruin. Here are their stories.

An Oklahoma rancher pouring out sack feed to his Angus and Charolais mix cattle in a pasture of dead grass caused by drought.

Droughts, Climate Change, Drive US Beef Herd to Historic Low

By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest | March 18, 2024

Persistent drought, complicated by climate change, have helped drive the nation's inventory of beef cattle to a 61--year low.

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