"Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The group released the video documenting the alleged animal abuse nearly a year later. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. For female cows to produce milk for farmers to take, farmers must first artificially inseminate the cows; once a baby is born, farmers must separate mother and calf, otherwise the calf would nurse from his or her mother. "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. Fairlife's website states that after ARM exposed Fairlife's cruelty, the dairy company stopped buying milk from Fair Oaks, and established "a robust welfare program" with their other farms, which Fairlife has put over $8 million into. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. Fair Oaks Farms is the largest dairy farm in Indiana with 37,000 cows, TODAY reported. "Weve always known that the better you treat an animal, the happier and more productive she is," Fair Oaks Farms founder and owner Mike McCloskey said in a 2015 article. We apologize for any inconvenience," spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco told CBS Chicago in an email. At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. Farm owner takes 'full responsibility' for alleged animal cruelty - WPTV Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. More than a year after an undercover video campaign revealed animal welfare issues at Fair Oaks Farms, experts say there are important lessons to be learned. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. The Dairy Report 061119. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. The footage went viral, and the organization also published a 125-page document reporting what the activist witnessed including extreme and violent animal abuse within the first few hours on the job. Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse: After video exposes abuse at Fair Oaks Fairlife's 2021 stewardship report said it spent more than $8 million on supporting animal welfare standards at its suppliers and exploring new methods and technologies to improve animal care. People are starting to do their own homework on this. There was a problem saving your notification. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. 2-year-old animal abuse video goes viral again, renewing calls to Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. Sour Milk | Successful Farming FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour, Ford is expanding its workforce again at the Chicago Assembly Plant on the banks of the Calumet River, just across the state line in Hegewisch. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. One exception is Chobani, which last week said it was ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk,which launched in February. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. Criminal charges were filed against at least three of the workers. In the video, calves are stomped in the head, kicked, dragged by the tail and ears, hit in the face with plastic milk bottles, thrown out of the back of trucks and into pens, and generally brutalized. FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Department has requested the names of former Fair Oaks Farms employees shown abusing young calves inavideo released by an animal rights organizationTuesday, according to a department news release. "We acknowledge the need for humane treatment of animals and the need to hold individuals that have gone beyond an acceptable farm management practice accountable for their actions," says a release from the department. Mar 13, 2020. The cows shown in the video were not in federally inspected slaughter facilities and therefore not under USDA's authority, a spokesperson said. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In 2019, undercover footage taken by an animal rights activist exposed Fair Oaks Farms, which supplies milk to dairy companies including Fairlife, revealed appalling evidence of animal abuse. ET, Webinar Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of A Vermont man filed a complaintthree years ago against Unilever's Ben & Jerrys arguing that contrary to information on the brand's website, it doesnt solely use milk and cream from happy cows. The case was dismissed in 2020. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. May 28, 2021 at 9:40 am A 2-year-old video of alleged animal abuse at a northwest Indiana dairy farm has gone viral again, generating a new wave of social media outrage and renewed calls to. Fairlife claims to only source milk from farms with a zero tolerance policy for animal abuse, and the proper care of the animals that supply the milk for our products continues to be a top priority.. Fair Oaks Dairy Farm animal abuse allegations, video prompt Jewel Osco "This is rare," Couto said. FAIR OAKS, Ind.- Fair Oaks Farms say they will be putting cameras on properties where they have animals. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. There is also footage of calves left in. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. Keep reading for a refresher on what went down, everything we know about Fairlifes treatment of the cows, and for our guidance on easy ways to protest companies that treat animals unfairly. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. Video taken and posted by an animal rights group shows, among other things, dairy calves being body slammed and hit with various objects, including steel rods and branding irons. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. No court records were available on the remaining defendants. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. But now, nearly three years later, consumers are wondering how Fairlife treats cows in the wake of the scandal, and if Fairlife still abuses cows in 2021. He took undercover footage of the dairy farm during his few months working there, providing ARM with undeniable evidence of inherent cruelty subjected daily to dairy cows within industrialized food production systems.. Months ago, when I first learned of the undercover activity, I requested a 3rd party review and we went through a re-training process throughout the dairies. IE 11 is not supported. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. The brand said it has "significantly strengthened our animal care programs and processes since 2019"through camera monitoring, a third-party animal welfare advisory board and increasing the number of unannounced audits at supplying farms. To protest dairys exploitation and unfair treatment of cows (as well as the industrys high methane emissions) the first step is to stop buying dairy products. During the investigation, initiated in 2018, an ARM undercover investigator captured surveillance evidence of the systematic and horrific animal abuse occurring at Fair Oaks Farm's Dairy Farm Adventures, Indiana, USA. All Rights Reserved. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! In early 2019, an investigator from the animal rights organization Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) went undercover by getting a job as a milker at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, which supplies milk to Fairlife (among other companies), according to the organization. The farm, which promotes itself as an agritourism destination for families and school groups, has documented steps it has taken to improve animal treatment since the video was released. The video was filmed by a member of Animal Recovery Mission, who got a job at Fair Oaks Farms and went undercover as an employee from August to November of last year, CBS Chicago reports. In the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. It worked. Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. It is with great disappointment to find, after closely reviewing the released ARM video, that there were five individuals committing multiple instances of animal cruelty and despicable judgement. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. Valparaiso-based Family Express, which operates convenience stores across the state, will replace Fairlife products with milk products from Organic Valley, which has 143 family farms in Indiana. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. Fair Oaks Farms owner Mike McCloskey released this statement to WPTV on Wednesday, calling the workers' actions despicable: "This morning I was made aware of an animal abuse video that. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. As a result, cows today produce up to 7 times more milk than their predecessors. The farm, which still has a. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. "The employees featured in the video exercised a complete and total disregard for the documented training that all employees go through to ensure the comfort, safety and well-being of our animals.". It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. "I am disgusted by and take full responsibility for the actions seen in the footage, as it goes against everything that we stand for in regards to responsible cow care and comfort," McCloskey said in a written statement on the company's website. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. In June 2019, undercover footage of appalling animal abuse at a dairy farm that supplied milk to Fairlife went viral, prompting many customers to boycott the ultrafiltered milk company that had claimed to care about animal welfare. Below is McCloskey's full statement for Fair Oaks Farms: This morning I was made aware of an animal abuse video that the group Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) produced and has released to the public and the press. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. As the two months went on, the undercover activist continually observed employees punching, hitting, poking, and shoving cows; he saw them snapping cows tails; and he watched them push, kick, and slap cows in their udders. The parties, which include Select Milk Producers, Fair Oaks Farms and Mike and Sue McCloskey (the owners of Fair Oaks and founders of Fairlife), also agreed to take additional steps to implement animal welfare oversight, according to the filing. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. You can read more about the audits that Fairlife pledged to take on the brands website; however, the brand did claim to already have governance measures in place before the investigation, so many customers may find it difficult to trust these new procedures. Watch new video documenting more animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Fairlife's 2021 stewardship report said it spent more than $8 million on supporting animal welfare standards at its suppliers and exploring new methods and technologies to improve animal care.. He said sometimes videos from former investigations will resurface years later but the scope of this reemergence is fairly significant. Pending orders of Fairlife products were suspended at Family Express, according to a news release issued by the company. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. Then I searched for news on this and was surprised it was from 2019. A 64-ounce jug of Market Pantry (Target's brand) milk is $2.39. I have personally reached out to ARM's founder, Richard Couto, to discuss a more symbiotic relationship but he has yet to reach back. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. The cases were filed after non-profit animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released videos from an undercover investigation of Fair Oaks Farms showing animals being mistreated, which . Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at supplier FAIR OAKS, Ind. Fair Oaks Farm is partnering with a dairy cooperative and Coca-Cola to launch Fairlife, a cold-filtered milk that has more protein and calcium and no lactose. On Monday, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that three people have been charged with animal cruelty. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. People have been drinking cow's milk for thousands of years, but the nature of commercial farming has undergone vast changes in the past century. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. What We Know About the Fair Oaks Farms Controversy Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". ET, 2019 incident in which undercover videos of animal abuse, surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales, ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk, some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, a 2021 report from the World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming, consumers are very enthusiastic and curious about animal-free dairy, Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at suppliers dairy farm, How FDA stopped the momentum for CBD in food and drink, Inside PepsiCos strategy to grow its iconic $21B snacking portfolio, Coca-Cola debuts transformation-flavored soda in its latest limited-time offering, Eat Just laying off 18% of workers with cuts impacting plant-based egg business, Daiyas new fermentation technology promises improved plant-based cheese, Meati hires CPG veterans for supply chain and operations, A Foodmakers Guide to Elevating Alternative Proteins, Whats Ahead for Plant-Based Foods in 2023 and Beyond, Preparing Your Business in Times of Economic Downturn, General Mills, Kellogg, Post Holdings threaten legal action over alarming FDA healthy label proposals, Beer Drinkers Cut Back as Bud Brewer AB InBev Raises Prices, Heinz is giving the ketchup boat guy a new ship after he survived on the sauce for 24 days lost at sea, The AI Solution for Sustainability and Supply Chain Ease, How Visibility Technology Can Mitigate Cargo Theft and Security Risk, The Real ROI of Digital Dock Scheduling Software, Best Practices for Improving Food and Beverage Product Quality with ERP, Motif FoodWorks enters molecular farming partnership to produce its heme ingredient. "I guarantee you that this will never happen again at Fair Oaks Farms.". "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. On June 4, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations. Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal The video was brought to the attention of The Indiana State Board of Animal Health on Tuesday through social media, news stories and concerned citizens, according to Denise Derrer, the board's public information director. Fairlife does not provide any evidence that its cows are no longer being abused in fact, industrial animal farms are protected from being photographed or filmed by a set of laws called ag-gag laws. Richard Couto, 50, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the actions depicted at Fair Oaks shocked even their seasoned animal abuse investigators. If the Dairy Industry Was a Country, It Would Be One of the World's Biggest Emitters, Report Finds, Milk Sales Drop by More Than $1 Billion as Plant-Based Alternatives Take Off. Fairlife Milk: Why Animal Abuse Investigation Prompted Boycotts The venue's $20 all-day pass grants access to the farm's public areas, including a birthing barn complete with stadium seating so visitors can watch calves being born. Gardozo Vasquez pleaded guilty late last year to misdemeanor animal cruelty and was sentenced to a term of probation under a plea agreement in which the prosecutor dropped a felony count of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal. Fairlife has admitted that the calves seen in the undercover footage taken at Fair Oaks Farms were mistreated. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. Authorities have arrested one of the three men charged in connection with an animal cruelty investigation at Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana, authorities announced Wednesday. A factor in our decision was the public response by Fair Oaks, asserting the notion that this was an isolated incident," the company said in a release. UPDATE: One arrested in Fair Oaks Farms investigation; owners sued The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. He said some people have recently reached out to him asking if they can feel better about purchasing products from the company since the announcement from McCloskey about changes instated for animal welfare. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. Fairlife said the company is taking this incident very seriously. In a statement, the company said the dairy production seen in the video makes up less than 5% of Fairlife's milk supply, however in light of the footage's findings, the company will be putting its other dairy sources under a magnifying glass. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. Fair Oaks Farms said the company's progress has been regularly documented on their website fofarms.com/progress where they write about efforts concerning video surveillance, mentorship, employee care, training, monitoring of facilities and staff, audits and animal welfare experts. That all seems unlikely, since all this happens behind closed doors, and any of those actions could hurt Fairlifes profits. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. Times staff writers Joseph S. Pete and Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 - weirdthings.com A dairy farm in Indiana has come under immense scrutiny after an undercover video released by an animal rights group revealed newborn calves being abused by farm employees. fairlife is committed to the humane and compassionate care of animals. The Newton . But premium milk comes at a premium price. Fairlifes website states that after ARM exposed Fairlifes cruelty, the dairy company stopped buying milk from Fair Oaks, and established a robust welfare program with their other farms, which Fairlife has put over $8 million into. While Fairlifes investigation went far more viral than any other undercover footage from a dairy farm has, there have been many other videos and documentaries revealing animal cruelty across the dairy industry and animal agriculture industry as a whole. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. If you were horrified by the actions taken at Fair Oaks Farms, youd probably be horrified if you peaked behind the curtain at any industrial dairy farm or slaughterhouse. In response to the video, local grocery store chain Jewel-Osco said it was removing all Fairlife products that come from Fair Oaks Farms from its stores. But conventionally raised cows may be given both growth hormones and antibiotics, regardless of whether they are sick. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". The controversy surrounding Fair Oaks Farms led to a flurry of social media comments, statements and responses as fallout from an undercover video showing animal cruelty at the popular Indiana . A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. Please subscribe to keep reading. It didn't come from us.". Federal lawsuit accuses Fair Oaks Farms of misleading consumers This ARM video shines a light on an area that despite our thorough training, employee on-boarding procedures and overall commitment to animal welfare needs improvement. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. "A full investigation of all aspects of the video is underway, during and after which disciplinary action will be taken, including termination and criminal prosecution, of any and all employees and managers who have violated either our animal care practices or the law or both," the statement reads. The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. It is unclear if Fairlife will still get dairy from Fair Oaks Farms, since both are owned by the same man.