His day starts before 5 a.m. That’s when the hens and roosters are fed. Before the sun rises, he's hard at work..
The poultry farmer, who spoke to 1819 News on the condition of anonymity, said he is afraid to reveal his name for fear of retaliation.
“They will come out and they can ruin my life,” he said.
The farmer produces around six-and-a-half million eggs a year for Koch Foods. The company and others have been under fire after growers began to come forward, shedding light on the dark side of the business. Books have been written and associations have been formed to reveal the real impact of what farmers face every day.
Suicide rates have become much higher among farmers, with elevated mental health issues caused by high stress levels in the physically and mentally demanding occupation. Studies have been performed to explore ways to prevent suicide among farmers and their spouses.
Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries Commissioner Rick Pate told 1819 News that since COVID, there have been growing concerns for the mental health of all farmers, not just those in the poultry industry.
"We saw a spike of that, and we saw some statistics in 2021 with COVID going on," said Pate. "You think about it: farming is a fairly solitary life, and then they shut down people's churches; they shut down the schools, and people's normal problems still go on, whether it's family problems or financial problems or different issues."
The "A Healthy You, A Healthy Farm" initiative was established to address some of the mental health aspects of farming, Pate added.
Still, Koch Foods, which some farmers blame for unneeded stress, has not responded to concerns or media inquiries.
Things are not improving, according to the farmer who opened up to 1819 News. While he appreciates the agriculture industry and wants it to keep going, he said young farmers like himself are being pushed out due to many challenges.
“Insurance has gone through the roof, building costs, power, labor,” he said. “Just the costs have gone up so much, where six, seven years ago, we made money.”
With higher costs and inflation, the farmer said the company he breeds for will not consider a raise. However, he said they do use intimidation tactics.
“As long as they're getting their eggs, as long as they're getting their chickens, that's all they care about,” he said. “So, I've spoken to several people in the poultry industry and the big thing is these companies are making it so difficult for farmers that they're going out of business.”
The farmer says the never-ending management causes stress and sleep loss. It makes him feel like he is working for someone else, even though he owns his farm.
Pate said while it's easy to rally against big companies, those big companies are what makes the poultry industry successful in Alabama.
“We're processing 20 to 30 million chickens a week in the state of Alabama," he added. "That's a huge, complex system to get those eggs, hatched, get them out of farms and then get the right amount of feed and get the then get them processed."
With his own farm on the market, the farmer hopes to exit the business himself. He doesn’t see a benefit to contract companies treating farmers the way they do. However, he said it is easier for them to do so when they do not have any competition.
Pate told 1819 News most poultry farmers in Alabama do have more than one integrator to choose from. However, that is not the case in much of central Alabama. He said there are still plenty of poultry farmers who are happy in the state.
"There is no industry that people are 100% happy with," he said. "But I would say there is a waiting list of people wanting to grow and build chicken houses."
Only a few companies control the market in the United States. The farmer who spoke to 1819 News said those companies make promises at the beginning and make everything easy.
“They come in and sell you on their company and everything is great in the beginning,” he said. "They will promise you all of these things, then a couple years in, you find out different.”
“You will have a non-compete in your contract then there isn’t any competition,” he said. “It’s like, you sit at CVS, and usually around the corner, there is a Walgreens. Where you see a Burger King, there is usually a McDonald's. I mean, they're usually a competition. That's how you make money. There's none here.”
The farmer said everything was going great with Koch Foods until he began to push back on some regulations that he thought were unnecessary. After he felt he was pushed too far, he realized the company had plans to shut him down. The company found someone nearby to build new chicken houses.
“They’ll get somebody to go ahead and build them a house,” he said. “They'll shut me down. So, it's dirty. I mean, you got families that rely on this income but they don't give a shit. They don't care. I mean, they've ruined people's lives.”
The farmer said the mental toll has been almost too much to handle at times. He understands why people are getting out of the business and is thankful he has other means of income.
In his part of the state, the farmer said he is concerned with the number of foreign buyers, mainly from Southeast Asia, purchasing farms in Alabama.
“I'm not against somebody wanting to move here and have a better life; I'm all for that,” he said. “But how do they come here with so much cash? I’ve had four families from Vietnam roll up here looking to buy, and the thing is, I’m not going to say no because I have to look out for myself, but they're taking over big time, and a lot of people are scared to even talk about this stuff. But what are they getting from the government to be able to do this that Americans aren’t getting?”
Poultry is not the only business the farmer is involved in. He also farms cattle and says that the sector is facing the same challenges. The sacrifices farmers are having to make have become heavier than the benefits, he said.
“It doesn't help when you're working seven days a week, you’re not making money, then you've got people like this constantly breathing down your neck, threatening and harassing you,” he said. “I mean, it's beyond harassment at this point. When you've got growers that are scared to death. That's the part that pisses me off, is people bust their butts and they don't care about you.”
The hope for farmers is that politicians will become more involved in putting local farmers before corporations.
“I think it's going to take a while to get it back where it used to be,” the farmer continued. “I think we're too far along with this one. I really do. I think the government is so involved with these corporations.”
After growing up around farming and having an appreciation for hard work, the farmer said it would be hard to walk away from the life. He is concerned about the future of agriculture in Alabama and the country.
“I think agriculture is a dead-end road in this country,” he said. “All the old guys are getting out of it and you don't have grandkids that are taking over farms anymore.”
“You don't have that because, to be honest, it sucks,” he said. “I think it's horrible that it's gotten to this point.”
Pate said he is doing the best he can for all farmers. He said anyone in the state can take advantage of the 988 hotline, which connects anyone in crisis to resources.
Koch Foods has not responded to multiple media inquiries over the past year. However, the company's website states that sustainability is a top priority for Koch Foods.
"By vigilantly protecting our land, air and water resources today, we'll be prepared to meet the world's food supply needs in the future," the website states. "As proof of our commitment to sustainability, we've established the Koch Foods Sustainability in Action Program to help guide sustainability practices throughout many critical components of our day-to-day business ..."
You can view those key components online, and they have set up an email for ESG inquiries.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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