Wisconsin’s agricultural community is banding together as a challenging situation unfolds for poultry producers across the state. The closure of Pure Prairie Poultry, a Minnesota-based processing plant, has left contracted growers in Wisconsin and surrounding states with an unexpected burden: thousands of birds to care for with no financial support.

"Unfortunately, we’ve seen the story unfold with Pure Prairie," said Randy Romanski, Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. "The bankruptcy has affected farmers in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, leaving many in a lurch."

With about 476,000 birds spread across 11 flocks in Wisconsin alone—equally divided between meat and breeder birds—producers are grappling with the responsibility of caring for their livestock without the expected income. The urgency of the situation has prompted the Department of Agriculture to step in and assist impacted farmers.