Travis Holdman

Nearly six years into teaching his “Boundaries of Science” class, trouble found Eric Hedin, thanks in part to an anonymous informant whose identity and motivations remain a mystery. What happened next threatened to embarrass his employer, Ball State, which formed a special committee to investigate the class’s subject matter.

The Hoosier livestock industry makes more than $2.5 billion a year and “has seen growth in almost every livestock sector.” But for a group that’s doing so well, animal-farmers sure seem defensive.