The Governor | Jim Pillen and Pillen Family Farms

About this episode

Long before Zach Panther died on one of its farms, Jim Pillen turned sixty sows into Pillen Family Farms, Nebraska's biggest hog operation. Then he became governor. In 2000, eighteen of his neighbors in Boone County took him to court. They won. The award: only $42,500. Split eighteen ways. This is the story of how Jim Pillen built Pillen Family Farms, the hog farm company behind Beaver Valley Pork in St. Edward, Nebraska, and its long history in Boone County. Sources: "Pigs and Power" by Yanqi Xu (Flatwater Free Press) and Sky Chadde (Investigate Midwest); The Dan Parsons Show. --------- This series tells the true story of Zach Panther's death at Governor Jim Pillen's family farm. The reporting, documents, and archival audio are drawn from published news reports and the public record. The voice guiding you through this story, however, is generated. The events are real. The reporting is real. The questions are real. The reporter is not. Based on reporting by Yanqi Xu, Flatwater Free Press and The New York Times. www.deathatthegovernorsfarm.com