Bitter Harvest

Cattle on Ned De Vries' Michigan farm begin showing mysterious illnesses despite feeding with recommended protein-enriched feeds from the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB). He calls the local veterinary authorities who collect samples to diagnose the problem.

MFB veterinarians collect samples and euthanize a sick calf for autopsy to determine the cause. Their preliminary findings blame the farmer rather than the feed, fueling De Vries' frustration.

De Vries discovers a nest of dead rats in feed storage and notes the animals share symptoms with his cattle. The nest contains feed materials, suggesting contamination.

De Vries presents his findings about odd feed contamination to MFB veterinarians, but they dismiss fears of poisoned feed. He remains unfazed but frustrated by bureaucratic inertia.

As exposure continues, De Vries' family begins to show skin issues, headaches, and general illness. He starts to suspect the problem extends beyond cattle.

A lab technician who prepared the cattle tests finally reveals a long GC run had an unidentified blip on the chart. He directs De Vries to Dr. Morton Freeman for answers.

Dr. Freeman identifies the blip as polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), a flame retardant used in Firemaster extinguishers. He agrees to study the matter and aids De Vries in understanding exposure.

Freeman determines PBB can be passed to humans via beef and milk, with symptoms including memory loss and potential cancer. The substance accumulates in body fat and has no known remediation.

Despite support from Freeman, De Vries faces bureaucratic inertia while gathering data across the state. He travels, collecting stories from other affected farmers and families.

De Vries meets another farmer who has lost cattle and whose family is sick, sharing similar guilt and despair. Together they understand the pervasiveness of contamination.

The film reveals the source: an MFB mill near Battle Creek storing protein additives and PBB in identical colored sacks. Pallets sit side by side, making it easy to swap sacks and cause contamination.

One year after the initial outbreak, De Vries' entire herd is killed, driven into a deep open pit and buried. The farm's operation ends as the contaminated meat and milk are disposed of and the family confronts the permanent consequences of the outbreak.