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. 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.. It worked. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! 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 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. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". 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. 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. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. 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. Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. McCloskey has since announced changes in operations, including having an animal welfare expert on staff, installing cameras to monitor employees in contact with animals and having frequent, third-party audits performed on the farm. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. "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).". Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of Ex-Fair Oaks Farms worker gets probation for abusing calves A man accused of abusing calves on the large northwestern Indiana farm has been sentenced to a year of probation after a felony. 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. "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.". The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. 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. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. I have personally reached out to ARM's founder, Richard Couto, to discuss a more symbiotic relationship but he has yet to reach back. 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. 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. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. 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. 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. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Calumet City mayor taken to hospital after 4-vehicle crash, Hoosier lawmakers considered making it a crime to record agricultural operations, State leaders decline comment on Fair Oaks, Woman dragged girl from playground, threw her to ground when mother intervened, police say, Region crime roundup: Uber driver helped cops nab suspect in shooting over pound of stolen pot, police say, UPDATE: Fair Oaks Farms owner unaware of calves being sold to veal market, cites lack of communication, according to new statement, 5 important stories you need to know from yesterday: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees, companies pull products, New video alleges Fair Oaks Farms management aware of animal abuse by employees, ICYMI: Here are the most-read stories from the past week, Fair Oaks Fresh Delivery suspends service for a week, founder says, UPDATE: Police identify men accused of abusing calves at Fair Oaks Farms, Suspicious man addresses children at Griffith's Central Park, asks girl if she needs a ride, UPDATE: One arrested in Fair Oaks Farms investigation; owners sued, accused of fraud in lawsuit, Fair Oaks Farms hit by another lawsuit over animal cruelty videos, Animal welfare group calls claims of investigators encouraging abuse at Fair Oaks Farms 'incredibly false', Ford hiring 450 more, investing $50 million more at Chicago Assembly Plant, Man accused of abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in ICE custody, police say, Video shows calves being body slammed, smacked with objects at Fair Oaks Farms, Evaluators: Fair Oaks Farms operating within industry standards; audit called for after alleged undercover videos, Audit of Fair Oaks Farms following clandestine filming likely to be completed early next week, Animal activist organization infiltrates Fair Oaks Farms, company says, Fair Oaks Farms reinvents milk with new product, Family Express founder Gus Olympidis wins lifetime achievement award, Family Express named best local convenience store in Indiana, Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable to offer gas hazard training, Local entrepreneur lands deal to sell plant-based vegan icing at Strack & Van Til, Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms, Familiar face returns as Jewel-Osco president, COVID-19, fallout from animal abuse charges lead to departure of 3 executives at Fair Oaks Farms, document says, Man reports being robbed of guns and cash in Chesterton park, police say, Residents forces to flee amid uptick in violence in DR Congo due to M23 rebels, Spectators react after Alex Murdaugh gets life in prison for double murder, Prominent Cambodian opposition figure sentenced to 27 years for treason, Burkina Faso's capital hosts the 28th edition of Fespaco film Festival. Does Fairlife Still Abuse Cows? Cruel Treatment Is Unavoidable in Dairy But conventionally raised cows may be given both growth hormones and antibiotics, regardless of whether they are sick. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". Critics of dairy operations, such as Mercy for Animals, PETA and The Humane Society of the U.S., maintain . Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. One cup of regular 2% milk has 120 calories, 11 grams of sugar, 5 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein and 30% of the daily calcium recommendation. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. 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. Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. 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 admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. Yet many farmers argue that it's in their best interest to treat their animals humanely. That manager notified local law enforcement about the drug use and, accordingly, a police report is on file. "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 abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 - weirdthings.com Employees were observed slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, throwing and slamming calves, ARM said in a statement at the time, as per TODAY. In the initial statement issued Tuesday on social media, Fair Oaks founder Mike McCloskey said four of the people shown committing alleged abuses were Fair Oaks Farms employees and each had been or were being fired. The minimizing of the graphic animal cruelty offers little assurance of change in a culture that is likely in need of fundamental retooling.". 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. 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. Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. 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. Operation Fair Oaks Farms Dairy Adventure | ARM Investigations "Animal abuse in any form is not tolerated on US dairy farms," said Bjerga. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. It also generally costs more. Tony's Fresh Market, which has 15 stores across the Chicago area, said it would no longer carry Fairlife "in light of the devastating news story that broke about Fairlife and Fair Oaks Dairy Farm" and after customers voiced concerns. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. 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. But premium milk comes at a premium price. Then I searched for news on this and was surprised it was from 2019. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Topics covered: R&D, flavor trends, health & nutrition, scientific discoveries, new ingredients, and much more. Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. Ride along with LaPorte Police Specialist Justin Dyer as he patrols the streets of LaPorte. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. Warning: the video is very disturbing. 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. 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. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. 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 . Couto supported the renewed calls for boycotting Fairlife, but said his target is much bigger the dairy industry at large. 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. 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.". Federal lawsuit accuses Fair Oaks Farms of misleading consumers "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. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. We apologize for any inconvenience," spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco told CBS Chicago in an email. 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. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. 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 boycott Fairlife, a Chicago-based premium milk brand. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. Still, a 2021 report from the World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming found many food companies are not doing enough to prioritize animal welfare. 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. {{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. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees The suit alleges that this led many consumers to believe they were were paying a premium for that standard of care. The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM Please enter valid email address to continue. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Cathy Siegner 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. But the most powerful move came from the midwestern grocery stores who actually stopped selling Fairlife products including Jewel-Osco, Tonys Fresh, Casey's, and Family Express, according to 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. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' Slashing Methane Emissions by 45 Percent Is Crucial to Avoid Climate Catastrophe and Easy, Says UN Report. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. The Newton . Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. And while it sounds good that Fairlife is conducting third-party audits of its farms, Fairlife does not state what happens if its auditors observe abuse at a farm. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. The cows shown in the video were not in federally inspected slaughter facilities and therefore not under USDA's authority, a spokesperson 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. 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. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". Does Fairlife publicize the audit? 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. Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. One exception is Chobani, which last week said it was ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk,which launched in February. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. "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. 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. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. The Coca-Cola Company and Fair Oaks owners Mike and Sue McCloskey are named as co-defendants in the suits, which were being consolidated into a single fraud case. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. You can cancel at any time. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. 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. In the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. IE 11 is not supported. 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.