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. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. Yet many farmers argue that it's in their best interest to treat their animals humanely. "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.". 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. Parth Raval, the division's chief growth officer, said the CPG giant is exploring different ingredients, packaging formats and flavor offerings to strengthen its dominant presence in the category. Founded in 2012, the ultra-filtered dairy brand announced earlier this year it surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales. 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. "Since then, 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," the company said. They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. 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.. Other premium brands, including A2, have been a hit with consumers. Those found guilty of animal abuse usually face dual penalties of jail time and fines. Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. So, in this instance our policy of cow care training "see something, say something" worked. 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.. It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this statement today. Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. 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. 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. First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. She is a graduate of Ball State University with a major in journalism and minor in anthropology. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. "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).". WATCH NOW: Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of videos. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. 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. 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 dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. 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. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! 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. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 - weirdthings.com 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. The group, which promotes plant-based lifestyles, said that the footage was taken by an undercover investigator who recorded the animal abuse in 2018 while working at Fair Oaks Farms, which. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. ET 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. "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. Fair Oaks, a sprawling dairy farm, was launched in 2004 by Mike and Sue McCloskey, who are also co-founders of Select Milk. The undercover videos and ARM's animal abuse report on Fair Oaks Farms since had a snowball effect on the company. 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 milk pulled from store shelves amid animal abuse video - TODAY 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. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. ET, Webinar The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . 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. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. ", "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. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. 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. 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. 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. FAIR OAKS, Ind. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. / CBS News. 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. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' 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. 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. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. 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. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. 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. 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. After all, it's their product and their livelihood at risk since most calves sell for between $500 - $1,000. 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. 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. Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. 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. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. I have personally reached out to ARM's founder, Richard Couto, to discuss a more symbiotic relationship but he has yet to reach back. 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. Cathy Siegner Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. "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. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. Approximately 98% of the country's milk supply is represented through the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM), a program that sets animal care standards for participating farms. In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. 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. 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. 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. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. You can cancel at any time. You can cancel at any time. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. 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. 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. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. 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. Criminal charges were filed against at least three of the workers. People are starting to do their own homework on this. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. In the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. 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.