Part 3: The Gamble

01/24/23 • 26 min

Why would someone create a ghost herd? Behind Cody Easterday’s swindle was an even-bigger gambling habit on the futures market. That vice may have changed the price of American beef slapping down on your kitchen table. We also look at how all farmin’ is a gamble.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Previous Episode

Part 2: The Swindle

Cowboy Cody Easterday lies big, creating a “ghost herd” of 265,000 cattle that only exist on paper and bringing in hundreds of millions of investment dollars from companies including a meat-packing giant. It’s fraud on a massive scale. We examine how he carried it out.

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Next Episode

Part 4: The Crash

Cody's swindle comes crashing down, and it’s all thanks to Covid. When a giant meat operation discovers the truth about his ghost herd, they take aim at Cody.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.