fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 fair oaks farm abuse update 2021

In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. Months ago, the individual seen smoking by the barn and doing drugs in a truck was turned in by his co-workers to one of our managers. "Many of you have reached out to express your disappointment, heartbreak and anger regarding the videos released yesterday, and we want you to know that we share those same feelings and take full responsibility," the company's post stated. No reports of animal abuse or neglect have been filed with the agency since the farms founding in the mid-1990s, Derrer said in an email. All Rights Reserved. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. We apologize for any inconvenience," spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco told CBS Chicago in an email. Now, the Chicago-based company is being sued for fraud since it promoted the extraordinary care and comfort of its cows on product labels and charged twice as much for its milk products. Then I searched for news on this and was surprised it was from 2019. 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. Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has directed BOAH staff to collaborate with local law enforcement regarding any appropriate next steps they may take.. "I guarantee you that this will never happen again at Fair Oaks Farms.". An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. As we shared last week, we are taking immediate actions to ensure our high standards of animal welfare are being executed at each of our supplying farms.". Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." The farm, which still has a. A report from a series of focus groups done by precision fermentation startup Formo, Fordham University and Mercy For Animals released in February showed consumers are very enthusiastic and curious about animal-free dairy, with animal welfare being the reason they most want to consume it. ", "Defendants preyed on consumer desire for dairy products sourced from farms that ensure high levels of animal welfare by making animal welfare claims a central tenet of their labeling campaign," one of the lawsuits alleges. The Newton . "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. Since the video's widespread release showing young calves being abused by Fair Oaks Farms employees, Strack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Family Express announced they are pulling Fairlife products from its shelves. It worked. When reached by TODAY via email, a Fair Oaks Farms representative provided the following statement: "This is the same video that was released and covered last week, which includes footage that took place several months ago. 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. The Idaho native and University of Idaho grad has been with The Times since 2019. 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. On June 4, 2019, videos depicting employees abusing calves were released by ARM following an undercover investigation by the animal rights group. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Ditching dairy is not only a good move for animal welfare, but also for the environment. "They recognize the seriousness of this situation as their founding principles are grounded in a strong commitment to sustainability, transparency and the highest standards of animal welfare. After a graphic video filmed at Indiana's Fair Oaks Farms one of the country's largest dairy operations was released earlier this month, more consumers are calling for retailers to cut ties with brands that have histories of documented animal abuse. This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. 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. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM Of the four who were our employees, three had already been terminated prior to us being made aware months ago of the undercover ARM operation, as they were identified by their co-workers as being abusive of our animals and reported to management. 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. We will also continue to work with Fair Oaks Farms to ensure specific actions are taken to address this situation and uphold our high standards for animal care.. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. As explained by the Animal Legal & Historical Center, ag-gag laws were actually first instituted in response to undercover activists, and these laws are the governments way of protecting the meat, dairy, and egg industries (which makes sense, since the U.S. government gives tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry every year). He also observed that immediately after giving birth, mother cows were separated from their newborn calves, who were placed into confined sheds, while the mothers were sent right back to the milking rotary, sometimes with their placentas still hanging out of their bodies. Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The farm, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, welcomes about 500,000 visitors annually. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. Coca-Cola said in a statement that it takes animal welfare seriously and expects "suppliers to operate with the highest degree of integrity and comply with all laws, including animal welfare laws." Green Matters is a registered trademark. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. #DitchDairy #ChooseCompassion @WorldAnimalNews @Peace_4_Animals pic.twitter.com/NVtZVb4Jfb. Couto's Miami-based Animal Recovery Mission released video last week showing calves at Fair Oaks being thrown into their huts, hit and kicked in the head, dragged by the ears and burned with . On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. Check out our guides to the most eco-friendly non-dairy milks, the best non-dairy milks for baking, pea milk, pistachio milk, and oat milk. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? According to Alan Bjerga, the senior vice president of communications at the National Milk Producers Federation, about 94% of America's dairy farms have 500 or fewer cows. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. From February through April of 2019, an Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) activist got an undercover job milking cows at Fair Oaks Farms, which supplies milk to dairy companies including Fairlife (which is owned by the Coca-Cola Company, and provides milk to Chick-fil-A). "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. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . The calves appeared to stay in filthy, overcrowded and hot conditions. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. Fairlife also hired a vet as its Director of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Farming in January 2020, and the company claims to now conduct third-party audits of its farms. Miami-based animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released another video documenting animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. "Animal abuse in any form is not tolerated on US dairy farms," said Bjerga. They are distributed by the Coca-Cola Company in the U.S. graphic video filmed at Indiana's Fair Oaks Farms, new footage was released by Animal Recovery Mission, thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business, National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM), Grocery stores pull popular milk brand from shelves after disturbing video surfaces, the Chicago-based company is being sued for fraud, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, retailers including Jewel-Osco, Tonys Fresh Market, Casey's and Family Express have stopped selling Fairlife products, The new laws will go into effect on July 1. I am committed to never again have to watch a video of our animals suffering the way that they suffered," McCloskey said June 6, 2019, in a video posted to Fair Oaks Farms' Facebook page. Cathy Siegner Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Department has requested the names of former Fair Oaks Farms employees shown abusing young calves in a video released by an animal rights. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. The Dairy Report 061119. 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. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . Green Matters is a registered trademark. 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.. Other premium brands, including A2, have been a hit with consumers. It is a shock and an eye-opener for us to discover that under our watch, we had employees who showed disregard for our animals, our processes and for the rule of law. Coca-Cola and other parties agreed to pay $21 million to settle lawsuits for falsely advertising their Fairlife ultra-filtered milk came from humanely treated cows. While the review came back favorable, I am not letting my guard down and will institute more thorough monitoring and training so that this abuse can never happen again. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. Coca-Cola, which initially owned a minority position in the Fairlife brand through a joint venture with Select Milk Producers,acquired the remaining stakein 2020. And, when cows died of sickness, their dead bodies were dumped outside out of the view of those attending Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure tours; and once cows could no longer produce milk, they were sent to slaughter for meat or dog food. fairlife is committed to the humane and compassionate care of animals. It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this statement today. In a public statement in 2019,Fair Oaks Farms Chairman Mike McCloskeyacknowledged that four of the people shown committing alleged abuses were Fair Oaks Farms employees, and one person was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves. The product delivery arm of Fair Oaks Farms, Fresh Delivery, is suspending service for a week "to stand with the farm and for the safety of th, FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Office has identified three of the men accused of abusing young calves at Fair Oaks Farms, according t, Police are looking for a suspicious man who reportedly approached children at Griffith's Central Park Monday, calling one to come to him and a, FAIR OAKS One of the men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms was arrested Wednesday, while the other two are still being sought by. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Animal Welfare Animal Welfare Experts Video Update Share Both of our Animal Welfare Experts continue to evaluate our existing training programs, our on-boarding process for hiring new employees and the continuous education of employees. 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. And when mother cows can no longer lactate, they are of no value to farms so the only financially viable solution is to send them to slaughter. We have taken vigilant, unwavering steps to actively monitor all human-animal interaction 24 hours a day by installing cameras throughout our farms, and bolstered these efforts with hiring an on-site animal welfare expert and conducting regular third-party audits to confirm our monitoring practices, to ensure we havent overlooked anything, Fairs Oaks said in an emailed statement Thursday. FAIR OAKS Videos of calves being body slammed and kicked at Fair Oaks Farms posted two years ago by activist group Animal Mission Recovery has had a recent viral resurface on social media. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. "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. Coworkers caught three of the four employees abusing animals, reported them to management and they were fired before the Animal Recovery Mission video was even released. IE 11 is not supported. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. Fair Oaks Farms representatives said Saturday no other incidents have happened since the videos were released in 2019. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". Unfortunately, the fourth employee's animal abuse was not caught at that same time. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. Derrer added that during their most recent legislative session, Indiana's legislators made changes to the state's animal welfare laws, which include harsher punishment for those found guilty of animal abuse. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. Farmers and ranchers . 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. Approximately 30 dairies support Fairlife; therefore, we are visiting all supplying dairies in person and conducting independent third-party audits within the next 30 days to verify all animal husbandry practices at the farms, including all training, management and auditing practices, Fairlife said in a statement. In the wake of the scandal, Fairlife (the national brand formally supplied by Fair Oaks) issued apologies and began conducting internal animal welfare investigations at multiple farms. There is also footage of calves left in. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. FAIR OAKS One of the men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms was arrested Wednesday, while the other two are still being sought by law enforcement. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. Warning: the video is very disturbing. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. 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. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. A video released by an animal rights organization shows young calves being kicked in the head, dead calves' bodies piled together in the dirt , FAIR OAKS An audit of the dairy farms that make up Fair Oaks Farms indicates the farms are operating within the standards of the dairy indus. 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. Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. HAMMOND Fair Oaks Farms is facing new demands it pay damages over animal abuse at the agritourism destination. 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. I am and will continue to be deeply involved in the resolution of this matter, down to every one of our employees, so that I can guarantee that these actions never again occur on any of our farms. Calumet City mayor taken to hospital after 4-vehicle crash, COVID-19, fallout from animal abuse charges lead to departure of 3 executives at Fair Oaks Farms, document says, New lawsuit filed against Fair Oaks Farms, Ex-Fair Oaks Farms worker gets probation for abusing calves, Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms, Man accused of abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in ICE custody, police say, Animal welfare group calls claims of investigators encouraging abuse at Fair Oaks Farms 'incredibly false', Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza, Greece train crash: Public anger grows as death toll rises. It's located in Fair Oaks, Ind., just off I-65, about 109 miles north of Indianapolis and. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Couto said the next video will allegedly show conversations the undercover investigator had with management acknowledging animal abuse. Nearly 50,000 people read a 2-year-old Chicago Tribune story on the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks over two days. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. On Wednesday it. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. The organization put out a few calls to action to people who were affected by the heartbreaking footage ARM asked people to sign its petition, to ask stores to stop carrying Fairlife, and to leave dairy products off their plates. Those wishing to report any suspected animal cruelty can call 219-474-5661 or 219-234-7014, the department's tip line. He can shoot it., Justin Steele and 6 Chicago Cubs relievers combine for the 1st spring training no-hitter in franchise history, Leah Palmer experiences grand time as Geneva grinds out victory in Class 4A third-place game. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. Though the newly released footage was taken last year by the same undercover agent who took video showing the farm's calves being abused, its release has trigged a new wave of protests as the brand continues to do damage control. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. Of the five, four were our employees and one was a 3rd party truck driver who was picking up calves. Calves were stabbed and beaten with steel rebars, hit in the mouth and face with hard plastic milking bottles, kneed in the spine, burned in the face with hot branding irons, subjected to extreme temperatures, provided with improper nutrition, and denied medical attention.". "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. 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 . 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. The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. WATCH VIDEO The video circulating is from two years ago at one of our former supplying farms, Lisa Lecas, a Fairlife spokeswoman, said in an email Thursday. It's well-know that a suspected animal-abuse video was released by an activist group known as Animal Recovery Mission about the dairy operation at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. The company's response to the first video as well as multiple grocers' quick removal of Fairlife products has signaled a change in public reaction where animals bred for dairy or even meat are concerned. Fair Oaks Farms notified Fairlife that they immediately isolated dairy supply from the dairy identified in the video to suspend all sourcing from that location We fully support and respect the proactive approach that Fairlife and Fair Oaks Farms have taken and we continue to stay in contact with them to lend any support they need.". By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. Fairlife said it hasimmediately suspend deliveries and will provide more animal welfare training for employees. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. All of the brand's beverages are made using a patented, cold-filtration process where milk molecules are separated by different filters and then recombined in a formula with more favorable macro nutrient ratios. Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. Critics of dairy operations, such as Mercy for Animals, PETA and The Humane Society of the U.S., maintain . Ensuring that the animals who provide fairlife dairy products are cared for and cared about is a top priority for fairlife, reads Fairlifes website, while Fair Oaks Farms claims to be "committed to caring for our animals.". 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. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. 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. As a matter of routine and practice, Fairlifes cows are tortured, kicked, stomped on, body slammed, stabbed with steel rebar, thrown off the side of trucks, dragged through the dirt by their ears and left to die unattended in over 100-degree heat. But that doesn't mean that all farming operations are large-scale operations like Fair Oaks Farms, which has 37,000 cows and is the largest dairy farm in the state of Indiana.