Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has accused Easterday Ranches of a $200 million fraud involving billing for cattle that did not exist. The lawsuit filed by Tyson was suspended when Easterday Ranches Inc. filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.
Approximately 52,000 head remain on the Easterday property in Washington State. In the interest of averting a major welfare catastrophe, Tyson will move 12,000 head from the property as soon as possible and has provided bridging finance for feed and maintenance.
Tyson was the sole customer of Easterday Ranches and the enterprise in bankruptcy is totally reliant on financing by their major customer and decisions made by the bankruptcy court. The Easterday family is no longer responsible for management and Tyson have requested that the court designate a trustee.
In a separate case, activist groups have objected to an application by Easterday Farms to establish a 30,000-cow dairy operation in Oregon. Given the financial problems faced by Easterday businesses, receiving a permit is unlikely, given the history of the operation including major environmental problems that will require considerable investment to rectify.