On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. 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. 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.. 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. As for the vet who Fairlife hired as Director of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Farming, theres no way she can observe the daily operations at all 30+ farms that supply milk to Fairlife. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. The investigator also noted that in his entire time on the job, the cows received zero medical care, despite many of them suffering from visible injuries and infections. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. All Rights Reserved. Yet many farmers argue that it's in their best interest to treat their animals humanely. "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. 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. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. Northwest Indiana companies and construction professionals can learn about the latest developments with gas hazards and gas detection technolo, A former social worker turned entrepreneur developed a vegan, plant-based icing that will be available at Strack & Van Til supermarkets in, The Coca-Cola Company and Fair Oaks owners Mike and Sue McCloskey are named as co-defendants in the suits, which are being consolidated into a. 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. That case is ongoing. Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. Cathy Siegner They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. 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. 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. The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . 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. The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. 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. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. 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). USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. 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. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com. We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. The Dairy Report 061119. On Monday, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that three people have been charged with animal cruelty. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. ", "Going undercover in the dairy industry, we always find the same crimes committed against the animals," he said. Fair Oaks Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. On June 12, 2019, ARM released a cut of the investigators footage documenting cruelty on the dairy farm, which was taken with a hidden body camera. 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 . 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. ", "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 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. 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. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. IE 11 is not supported. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. 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. Police also are seeking the name of an individual who may have witnessedthe alleged crimes and failed to report the activity, the sheriff's department said Wednesday. It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this statement today. "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.". 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. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. 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. Subscribe to Food Dive for top news, trends & analysis, The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines, OCHO Candy Launches New Plant-Based Caramel Line, Pregis Performance Flexibles Facilities Are ISCC PLUS Certified, METER Group Food Scientists to Present New Research on Powdered Foods, By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our, By Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. Time passed, and the product found its way back onto store shelves. 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. 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. The Newton . FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Fairlife has advertised itself as being high-nutrition, ethically sourced milk, with labels stating that exceptional care was taken "every step of the way," from milking the cows to bottling the final product. 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.". FAIR OAKS Mike McCloskey said he wished an animal activist organization that spent nearly six months clandestinely filming the operations of, FAIR OAKS | Fortune 60 company Coca-Cola is partnering with a Northwest Indiana farm, hoping that a reinvented, more nutrient-rich milk can do. Fairlife was launched in 2012 as a partnership between Coca-Cola, which distributes its products, and the Select Milk Producers, a co-op of dairy farms that includes Fair Oaks. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". Offers may be subject to change without notice. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. It's located in Fair Oaks, Ind., just off I-65, about 109 miles north of Indianapolis and. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the treatment of animals under the authority of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the Animal Welfare Act. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. / CBS News. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Warning: the video is very disturbing. There is also footage of calves left in. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. But unlike the retailers, it plans to stick with Fairlife. 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 . FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . The alleged abuse dates back to August 2018, when Animal Recovery Mission, a nonprofit animal welfare group based in Miami, planted an investigator as an undercover calf care employee at the Indiana farm. 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. Employees were observed slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, throwing and slamming calves, ARM said in a statement at the time, as per TODAY. "Animal abuse in any form is not tolerated on US dairy farms," said Bjerga. "We are currently putting actions into place to ensure that this never happens again. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. Authorities have arrested one of three people charged with animal cruelty following the release of video showing workers kicking and throwing young calves at a northwestern Indiana dairy . Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. Fairlife's sales were fast-growing at a time when milk sales have been falling for decades in the United States, and the company just announced in April it planned to build a new $200 million processing plant in Arizona. 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. 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. 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. Fair Oaks Farms is the flagship farm for Fairlife, a national brand of higher protein, higher calcium and lower fat milk that's produced at a network of dairy farms and distributed by Coca-Cola. 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. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. "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. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. 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. Couto said he believes that there is a growing trend of people turning away from dairy and seeking out alternatives like soy milk due to videos like the ones ARM posted about Fair Oaks Farm. People all over the world were horrified to see evidence of such unnecessary abuse at the farm. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. "I can't get into the details at this time for the safety of our investigators, but I will say there's more to this than what was released (Tuesday).". "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. | 2 p.m. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, UPDATE: Death of Winfield woman ruled a homicide, coroner says, 2 Illinois men each sentenced to over 90 years for killing of Portage High School student, UPDATE: Parents discovered battered, deceased Winfield woman; remembered as 'amazing' nurse, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Kouts nurse practitioner found guilty of dodging federal payroll taxes, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. "For any case, we need to review each act individually to determine if it meets the states definition of cruelty or abuse," said Denise Derrer, Public Information Director at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, who is helping with the investigation. 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. "At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of our business and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. 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. Fairlife has invested more than $8 million over the past two years into animal welfare programs and oversight at its supplying farms, Lecas said. It is our position that any companies that come in contact with transportation of our animals, should be well-versed in and adhere to our industry's animal welfare practices which can be found in FARM. Now, as we come up on the two-year anniversary of the Fairlife milk animal abuse controversy, many are wondering exactly what happened at Fair Oaks Farms, why exactly people are boycotting Fairlife, and what they can do to stop animal abuse. 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. In addition, Fairlife said they are immediately suspending milk deliveries from the dairy identified in the video. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. Regardless, 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. Several companies bought big into the once-promising segment, but the governmentsdecision not to permit the ingredient in food and beverages has left producers unwilling to invest further. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. 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. On June 4, 2019, videos depicting employees abusing calves were released by ARM following an undercover investigation by the animal rights group. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. "In 2019, when our farmers reported this behavior, we immediately terminated and turned these individuals into the proper authorities to prosecute," the company said in the statement. The animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms would not be the only potential wrongdoing eligible for action by Newton County prosecutors if a proposal , State leaders so far are staying mum following the release of undercover videos showing animal abuse committed by former Fair Oaks Farms emplo, CROWN POINT Charges filed Tuesday allege a Gary woman dragged a 5-year-old girl by the arm away from a playground and pushed the child to th. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. Please subscribe to keep reading. Those found guilty of animal abuse usually face dual penalties of jail time and fines. Fair Oaks, a sprawling dairy farm, was launched in 2004 by Mike and Sue McCloskey, who are also co-founders of Select Milk. Fair Oaks, she said, is no longer in its supply chain. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." Farmers and ranchers . Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. The Animal Recovery Mission claimed Fair Oaks . Please subscribe to keep reading. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. One exception is Chobani, which last week said it was ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk,which launched in February. None of Fairlife's farms are certified organic but shortly after the company (which was founded by a veterinarian) was formed in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company in 2012, it frequently advertised itself as spoiling its cows and adhering to a higher standard of animal care through sustainable farming practices. 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. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. The Coca-Cola Company and Fair Oaks owners Mike and Sue McCloskey are named as co-defendants in the suits, which are being consolidated into a. All Rights Reserved. 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. "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. There was a problem saving your notification. 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.. In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". Fairlife is owned by the Coca-Cola Company, and the corporation responded to the undercover footage by stating that Fairlife immediately stopped sourcing milk from Fair Oaks Farms after the footage was released, and that Fairlife planned to launch an animal welfare advisory council of experts. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. FAIR OAKS Fair Oaks Farms founder Mike McCloskey says he was unaware calves were being sold to the veal industry, citing a lack of communica. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. Fair Oaks Farms is the largest dairy farm in Indiana with 37,000 cows, TODAY reported. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. You have permission to edit this article. "None of them have ever seen anything close to what was depicted on the video, even when performing their duties in the calf areas.". Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. Then I searched for news on this and was surprised it was from 2019. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. 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. 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.". While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. So, in this instance our policy of cow care training "see something, say something" worked. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. 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. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. 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). Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? 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. In November 2019, The Times reported that at least eight federal lawsuits had been filed against Fairlifefrom across the country, including California, Florida and Indiana. Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. 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. For further information on the progress of our commitments, visit http://fairoaksfarmsprogress.com.". In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. 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. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. Critics of dairy operations, such as Mercy for Animals, PETA and The Humane Society of the U.S., maintain . Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". 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. The Newton County prosecutors office charged three men accused of abusing young calves at Fair Oaks Farms: Santiago Ruvalcaba Contreros, 31; Edgar Gardozo Vazquez, 36; and Miguel Angel Navarro Serrano, 38. The minimizing of the graphic animal cruelty offers little assurance of change in a culture that is likely in need of fundamental retooling.". ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. Shot in 2018 by an undercover activist group investigator at Fair Oaks Farms, then the massive flagship dairy of Fairlife, the four-minute video depicts workers throwing, dragging, kicking and hitting newborn calves. richard warren descendants, ferguson jenkins wife, jandy aquapure control center,
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