The opening day patrons of Holy Chicken! People who dont speak up are afraid theyll lose everything, but the companies dont have that kind of leverage with me.. In 1970, the U.S. saw 871,200 pork producers; in 2023, only 67,000 remain. He says while hell get the occasional hug from someone who recognizes him and remembers his story, hes also been taken advantage of and harassed by people. It is unclear if he is working with any activist or other groups. al, to try out their chickeny fare. The majority of America's chickens come from farmers who are under contract with larger companies. 'Super Size Me 2' Review: Beware That 'Healthy Chicken' Farmers and advocates visit USDA. His farm-to-table restaurant, Holy Chicken, is also the namesake of his latest film, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken." It's a sequel to the Oscar-nominated stunt documentary that made him famous 15. Morgan Spurlock, Jonathan Buttram & Zack Buttram On Their - YouTube I wish I could say my story was unique, but its not, Sanders said. DeKalb county, where the Buttram farm is located, is the second largest producer in the state, accounting for about $458.7 million in annual sales. Situations like that are widespread, he said. Lobbyists blocked any attempt for changes to be implemented. Johnathan Buttram opens a small chicken house for his free-range chickens and several ducks that will be a gift for his grandson. Thats just the bottom line, Ray Hilburn said. Jonathan Buttram, MD, FACP, is a board-certifed allergist and immunologist who practices at UT Health North Campus Tyler. Large trucks carrying thousands of chickens make their way down the narrow country roads on a daily basis. His story was also featured in a recent ProPublica investigation. The movie is at its most engaging when examining the near-monopolies controlling chicken farmers in the United States. I dont want to be pessimistic, Leonard said. ", Now, Spurlock is ruffling feathers again with his latest film, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!". Of course, he is smaller, healthy and not in a chronically somnambulant feed overdose! Summary: Last week, poultry farmer Jonathan Buttram stood next to rows of empty chicken houses. His case is still under investigation, and no action has been taken. Later on, Spurlock meets Buttram when he gets his paycheck, and Buttram proves that he is getting the least money for his chicken flock despite producing the largest chickens on average. Because the meatpacking industry is highly consolidated, farmers cannot simply strike a better contract or sell their livestock to a different buyer if they feel slighted. (Press Release), Wall Street banks are divesting their farm loans as the U.S. ag economy continues to struggle. It was his first time on a real plane, and he argued with the crew to let him sit up so he could look out the window. And as a documentarian, actor, producer, writer and filmmaker, Spurlocks entertaining and revelatory approach reshaped the tenor of documentaries by spinning a novel, investigative method, moving from outside critic to inside ethnographer whose chronicle as a consumer couldnt be easily dismissed. "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!" was supposed to be released a few years ago, but it. Morgan Spurlock teamed up with Jonathan Buttram, a chicken farmer in Alabama, to learn about the modern poultry industry. This is still a major point of contention for those opposed to the current system of contract farming. Buttrum questions whether the consumers who will benefit or is it really the big chicken corporations. Being as stable as I am, when I try to get one pill out of a bottle, I usually end up with 50 of them or drop the whole bottle, he said. (Seven Days Vermont), Congressmen Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Mark Pocan (WI-02) introduced a bill that would extend Clean Water Act liability for contract farmers to the meatpackers they grow for. Jonathan Buttram, a farmer featured in the film, argues the whole chicken business needs to be dismantled, including the way farmers and slaughterhouse workers are treated. They laid it beside me on a table, and they pulled my arms out of it. It wasnt until the major industry consolidation that took place in the 1980s and 90s that contract farming really took hold. "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!" North Dakota's John Thompson became famous overnight in January 1992, when he survived having both arms ripped off on his Hurdsfield, ND farm. Not only is it too hot for the birds, but they're so large that they don't really have a desire to be that active. It was no good for the chicks, Buttram said. This video is as good as gold, the mustachioed chicken farmer said, moments before he seemed to remember its whereabouts. One persons bonus is another persons pay cut and they know it. Nondestructive testing is a necessary expense for many industries to assure product quality or operational safety. When given the specific questions about contract farming and the lack of legal protection for outspoken farmers, Johnson replied in an email: I am not aware of any poultry producers who would feel comfortable being interviewed about these topics. As for Johnsons previous comments about farmers not wanting to speak on record about contractual issues, her boss, Jeff Helms, AFFs communications director, explained that while the organization always works to help reporters get in touch with farmers, questions like that would put members in a potentially compromising situation. So he and the experts he has taken along on their sampling travels to see how they can beat the competition vow that to succeed, he should be as authentic farm to table as possible, minus the MSG. "Also, I didnt have the money to start a cattle farm," he said candidly. This photo was taken when he was in between flocks. The Rome News-Tribune estimated the explosion left about $3 million in damages to the facility. Hes grown tired of fighting the chicken mafia, he said, adding that poultry farmers in Alabama and elsewhere have become beholden to the large distributors. I was lucky enough to see. director Morgan Spurlock tackles some uncomfortable truths about fast food. While chicken meat consumed in moderation is a great source of protein, deep-fried poultry of any kind will never win a health award. with some of his music. Now out of the hospital and recovering at home, the elder Buttram said on Monday he already has a swarm of bees that has colonized in one of his hives. And if Spurlock had fed the chickens organic feed (feed made without genetically modified ingredients, like corn), they would be considered organic, despite the fact they never step outside or eat anything wild. When it comes to contract farming, some people are successful and some people arent. No. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, Stay always informed and up to date with our breaking news alerts. Alabama farmers like Jonathan Buttram are voting for Doug -- even if they usually vote Republican -- because they know that Doug too has integrity. For example, in "Super Size Me 2" viewers learn that all it takes for a chicken to be labeled as "free range" means that it has access to a tiny space outside not that it actually roams outdoors all day. Grigsby alleges that his poultry processor retaliated against him after he documented irregularities in the quality of his feed and chicks and brought to light deceptive and unfair practices, he said. But Thompsons real passion remains singing something he started doing as a kid. Buttrams plight is not uncommon, according to those who advocate for an overhaul of the current system of contract farming that is responsible for 100 percent of the chickens produced in Alabama and 97 percent of all poultry production in the United States. When Spurlock in the interest of sampling the competitions chicken sandwiches (chicken sandwiches-best sellers, have overtaken burgers as healthier offerings in the public mind) he visits McDonalds, Burger King, et. In fact, he has to chase them to get them remotely close to the door. He graduated from Emory University School Of Medicine in 1997. The NCC praisedUSDA's withdrawal of GIPSA ruleson competitive injury, unfair practices and undue preferences. But today his cat, Toby, is getting on his last nerve. He and his family. Thompson says he had to take people to small claims court and was even threatened by someone who was offended that Thompson wouldnt shake his hand. We see that you have javascript disabled. The book sold well, and for a while, he was in discussions with actor Victoria Principal about turning it into a screenplay and film. Already suspicious, Buttram had hired a private investigator to set up video surveillance. A central repository for questions about economic theory, research, and policy. According to him, "Sabel" was the woman she saw scavenging around his Bambang neighborhood in 1964. "Because of this movie, the world might be ready for the greatest grilled crispy chicken sandwich," he said. Half of U.S. chicken farmers work in regions dominated by only one or two processing monopolies. My father started out as an independent producer and we paid for our houses in about three years. He lost his family and his health due to the stress. Imagine what one would find if we checked a whole month or year. Hes in charge of weighing and handling all the chickens, Buttram explained, pointing to a man standing near a doorway on the left side of the frame. Despite the dire situation that day in the emergency room, Thompson remembers carrying on normal conversations with people, worrying that he left the tractor running, and even getting angry at the medical staff for cutting off his brand new cowboy boots. Contract farming refers to the agricultural practice of a company entering into an agreement with a private farmer to raise livestock, with the idea that the farmer will then be responsible for required upgrades to the facility and meeting any other necessary conditions, which can lead to massive debt. Of the combined total, 68 percent was from broilers [chickens], 21 percent from eggs and 11 percent from turkeys, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. But the real meat of the movie are the sections about chicken farming, which see Spurlock hiring third-generation Alabama chicken farmer Jonathan Buttram to help him raise a flock of. There are financial incentives for being at the top; farmers who find themselves at the bottom face pay deductions (which go toward the bonuses of farmers on top) and may even be at risk of a company voiding their contract if their poor standings persist. Menu. A representative for the film company declined to comment to TODAY when asked why they decided to buy the film after Google dropped it. Hes also working with a friend to patent a new prescription bottle design that makes it easier to get just one pill out of the bottle. "It used to take months to get a chicken to full maturity, but now it's being done in six weeks." I want to take care of the land. In the processing sector, poultry accounts for 40.3 percent of the sales in Alabama, bringing in $5.2 billion annually. Following his high school graduation, Thompson attended the University of Minnesota for a while, but he says it was not a good experience. He started getting busier with speaking engagements around the country and donated proceeds to United Blood Services because blood donations saved his life. In addition, it would prevent disparagement of one product over another. news supplement to news.mikecallicrate.com, Copyright 2023 News.MikeCallicrate.com | A NoBull News Service. Dont miss it! The industry hasnt always been controlled by a few large companies. His reattached hands are unable to fully open. Spurlock also declined to comment about why he decided to go speak out in 2017 but told The Washington Post he didn't want his previous transgressions to take away from the message of the new film. At 16:59, host Morgan Spurlock mentions: But the same way that there's Big Oil and Big Tobacco, for chicken, there's Big Chicken. During the process Spurlock fashioned his body into a toxic biohazard. 'Super Size Me 2' Overshadowed by Morgan Spurlock's Past - Eater Theyd be paying somebody by the hour to watch those chickens. With the help of Alabama-based chicken farmers Jonathan and Zack Buttram, Spurlock starts his own poultry farming operation and learns about the chicken industry monopolies that comprise "big chicken.". When a disaster happens, such as a flood or a tornado, the companies are not contractually responsible for disposing of the dead chickens. Jonathan W. Buttram, MD | UT Health East Texas Physicians