Chapter 6: On the Range Summary

By Adam Thies and Joseph Chirstodoulou

New vs. OldHomes built on

top of prairie grass ( very flammable) with shops

Speedway for stock car racing replace natural land with loud noises and asphalt

Cowboy attire rarely worn in modern society

Meatpackers are the RulersMeatpacking firms use

“captive supplies”—company cattle—to lower market cattle prices

Not much competitive marketplace for ranchers, meatpacking firms slaughter 84% US cattle

Past Beef Trust controlled 55% market 1917, broken up by government with Federal Trade Commission

McNugget frenzyInvention of McNugget

transform chicken farmers into serfs for a big corporation

Appeared healthier than other menu items

Cooked in beef tallow and had twice the fat

Instead selling whole chicken, now sell bits and pieces

Tyson Foods turned into world’s largest chicken processor

Ranchers are the losersOver last 20 years

half million ranchers sold off cattle and quit business due to debt, inheritance taxes, no tax breaks

Ranching has taken over by large corporations

Ranchers are the losers Cont.Independent

ranchers have competition from rich ranchers like doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers

Rich competitors can afford to lose money while independent ranchers can’t

Ranchers are the losers Cont.Suicide rate

among ranchers 3 times national average due to low cattle prices, modern society building through ranches

Ranchers can’t escape debt they build up, like chicken raisers

The End