Thirteen farmers filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against executives of bankrupt Arkansas poultry company Cook’s Venture, citing significant financial losses after the company’s sudden closure in late 2023.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, accuses the defendants of engaging in “deceptive and otherwise unlawful conduct.” The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921.
Among the plaintiffs are Melisa Barr, Johnnie Bunch, Dustin Maybee, and several others, while the defendants include Cook’s Venture executives Matthew Wadiak, Blake Evans, Tim Singleton, and John Niemann. The plaintiffs are represented by Antimonopoly Counsel, FarmSTAND, the Brad Hendricks Law Firm, and TFPC, a public-interest law firm based in Maine.
The lawsuit aims to hold the executives accountable for what it calls the “Cooks Venture scam,” claiming that legal action against the company itself must proceed through bankruptcy court. According to a press release, Basel Musharbash, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, stated, “This nation’s laws do not permit what these four men did to poultry growers in the Ozarks through the Cooks Venture scam.”
The lawsuit follows testimony earlier this year from Northwest Arkansas farmers, who detailed the fallout from the company’s abrupt closure. State lawmakers heard that many farmers were left with unpaid bills and millions of chickens, which the Arkansas Department of Agriculture eventually euthanized.
In February, some farmers reported that Cooks Venture had not fulfilled promises to compensate them for services or dispose of the rotting carcasses left behind. The company had previously assured growers in letters that payments would be made, and the disposal of the birds would be handled.
Founded in 2019 by Matthew Wadiak, former COO of Blue Apron, Cook’s Venture was marketed as a “next-generation food company” that focused on regenerative agriculture and transparency. The company raised pasture-raised heirloom chickens and also sold grass-fed beef and lamb, offering customizable meat delivery services directly to customers.
The lawsuit alleges multiple violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act, including conspiracy to engage in deceptive practices and delaying payment to farmers. It also claims that the defendants’ actions were “malicious, oppressive, and in reckless disregard of Growers’ rights.”
The farmers are requesting a trial by jury on all relevant issues.
