A 2016 dry ice death just cost Prairie Farms $241 million — and the bill landed on 500 farm families who never knew the lawsuit was building.

The Prairie Farms verdict isn't a product-liability curiosity. It's a cooperative governance failure. A Madison County, Illinois jury found the farmer-owned co-op liable for $241 million ($49.5M compensatory, $191.5M punitive) over the death of contract courier Eric Johnson, who died hauling dry ice for a Prairie Farms subsidiary. The Bullvine Podcast breaks down what that judgment means for member equity — and the one-line board rule that could have capped it.

What You'll Learn

• Why a $241M verdict equals about 5.1% of the co-op's reported annual sales
• How a catastrophic judgment hits patronage equity — not your personal assets
• Why the 3.87-to-1 punitive ratio makes an ...