Fast Food Nation Chapter 6

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Who is Hank?

Famous cowboy

Fast food owner

Meatpacking executive

Local rancher from Colorado Springs (correct)

What often occurred near Hank's farm?

Stock car racing

What have long been the central icons of the American West?

Ranchers and cowboys

How many ranchers sold off their cattle and quit the business?

Half a million Signup and view all the answers

How many ranchers remain and how are they doing?

800,000; they are faring poorly Signup and view all the answers

Which cattlemen face the most issues?

America's independent cattlemen Signup and view all the answers

What has the growth of fast food chains encouraged?

Consolidation in the meatpacking industry Signup and view all the answers

Who is the nation's largest purchaser of beef?

McDonald's Signup and view all the answers

How many beef suppliers does McDonald's have?

Five Signup and view all the answers

What is a trust?

A corporate alliance Signup and view all the answers

What did the beef trust do?

It set the prices offered for cattle Signup and view all the answers

What are the five largest meatpacking companies in 1917 and what percent of the market did they control?

Armour, Swift, Morris, Wilson, and Cudahy; 55 percent Signup and view all the answers

What is the Sherman Antitrust Act?

Passed in 1890 and tried to break up the beef trust with little success Signup and view all the answers

Who ordered the FTC to investigate the industry?

President Woodrow Wilson Signup and view all the answers

What is the Packers and Stockyards Administration?

A federal agency with a broad authority to prevent price-fixing and monopolistic behavior in the beef industry Signup and view all the answers

What are today's top four meatpacking firms and how much percent of the nation's cattle do they slaughter?

ConAgra, IBP, Excel, and National Beef; 84 percent Signup and view all the answers

What percent of the live cattle in the US through captive supplies do the four major meatpacking companies now control?

20 percent Signup and view all the answers

What percent of cattle exchanged are captive supplies?

80 percent Signup and view all the answers

How many chicken processors now control what percent of the American market?

8; 2/3 Signup and view all the answers

Who is Fred Turner?

The chairman of McDonald's; came up with the Chicken McNugget Signup and view all the answers

What are McNuggets?

Small pieces of reconstituted chicken, mainly white meat, held together by stabilizers, breaded, fried, frozen, then reheated Signup and view all the answers

How much of the nation's McNuggets does Tyson manufacture and to how many of the largest restaurant chains do they sell chicken?

Half; ninety; one hundred Signup and view all the answers

What is responsible for the low prices that American ranchers are paid for their cattle?

An oversupply of beef Signup and view all the answers

Who is Mr. McDonald?

A new breed of chicken produced by Tyson with unusually large breasts Signup and view all the answers

McNuggets contain how much more fat per ounce as a hamburger?

Twice Signup and view all the answers

Does Tyson raise the chickens?

False Signup and view all the answers

What must chicken growers provide?

Land, labor, poultry houses, and the fuel Signup and view all the answers

Every day a chicken house sits empty, the grower loses what?

Money Signup and view all the answers

The typical American eats about how many pounds of beef every year?

68 pounds Signup and view all the answers

What has been banned in the European Union?

The bovine growth hormone Signup and view all the answers

What are means of achieving greater efficiency?

Captive supplies and formula pricing systems Signup and view all the answers

A pound of chicken costs how much as much as a pound of beef?

Half Signup and view all the answers

What is Archer Daniels Midland?

Supermarket to the world Signup and view all the answers

Who is Michael Andreas?

Archer Daniels Midland's vice chairman Signup and view all the answers

What is Archer Daniels Midland known for?

The world's largest producer of lysine Signup and view all the answers

Who is Mike Callicrate?

A cattleman from Kansas who decided to speak out against corporate behavior Signup and view all the answers

How many acres of ranchland has Colorado lost over the past 20 years?

1.5 million acres Signup and view all the answers

What is the Colorado Cattlemen's Association?

Formed the first land trust in the US that is devoted solely to the preservation of ranchland Signup and view all the answers

How many acres of land has the Colorado Cattlemen's Association protected?

40,000 acres Signup and view all the answers

Ranchland in Colorado is now vanishing at the rate of about how many acres a year?

90,000 Signup and view all the answers

Who are the ranchers most likely to be in financial trouble?

The ones who embody the values of the true American West Signup and view all the answers

At what age did Hank commit suicide?

43 years old Signup and view all the answers

The suicide rate among ranchers and farmers in the US is now about how many times higher than the national average?

3 Signup and view all the answers

Who is Osha Gray Davidson?

Said to fail people is an unbearable burden Signup and view all the answers

When Hank was 8, what was he?

He was the subject of a children's book with a happy ending; however, he did not get a happy ending in real life. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Figures and Entities

Hank: A local rancher from Colorado Springs known for facing challenges in the cattle industry.
McDonald's: The largest purchaser of beef in the nation, with five suppliers providing their beef.
Tyson: Manufactures half of the nation's Chicken McNuggets.

Cattle Industry Dynamics

Rapid consolidation in the meatpacking industry is driven by the growth of fast food chains, impacting independent cattlemen the hardest.
Approximately half a million ranchers have sold off their cattle and exited the business, leaving 800,000 remaining ranchers in a tough position.
The top four meatpacking firms (ConAgra, IBP, Excel, National Beef) now account for 84% of the nation's cattle slaughter.

Economic Challenges

An oversupply of beef significantly contributes to the low prices that American ranchers receive for their cattle.
Captive supplies, representing 20% of live cattle, are cattle held in company-owned feedlots or purchased in advance, with 80% of cattle exchanged categorized as captive supplies.

Regulatory Background

The Sherman Antitrust Act, passed in 1890, aimed to tackle the beef trust but yielded minimal results.
The Packers and Stockyards Administration was created to prevent price-fixing and monopolistic practices within the beef industry.

Ranchland and Environmental Concerns

Colorado has lost about 1.5 million acres of ranchland in two decades, vanishing at a rate of approximately 90,000 acres yearly.
The Colorado Cattlemen's Association, formed the first land trust dedicated to ranchland preservation, protecting 40,000 acres.

The suicide rate among ranchers and farmers in the U.S. exceeds the national average by three times, highlighting the mental and financial stress many experience.
Hank tragically committed suicide at the age of 43 despite having been portrayed positively in a children's book during his youth.

Chicken Industry Insights

Chicken McNuggets are made from reconstituted chicken, primarily consisting of white meat, and contain double the fat per ounce compared to hamburgers.
Eight chicken processors now control two-thirds of the American chicken market.

Historical Context

The beef industry's market dynamics were heavily influenced in 1917 by five major meatpacking companies, controlling 55% of the market.
In Europe, the use of bovine growth hormone has been banned due to health concerns.

Influential Individuals

Fred Turner, chairman of McDonald's, is credited with developing the Chicken McNugget.
Mike Callicrate, a Kansas cattleman, has vocalized opposition to corporate practices in the industry.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore key terms and definitions from Chapter 6 of 'Fast Food Nation'. This quiz covers important characters, locations, and themes relevant to ranching and American culture, enhancing your understanding of the text.