Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. Fairlife claims to only source milk from farms with a zero tolerance policy for animal abuse, and the proper care of the animals that supply the milk for our products continues to be a top priority.. FAIR OAKS 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. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. In the wake of the first video being released, retailers including Jewel-Osco, Tonys Fresh Market, Casey's and Family Express have stopped selling Fairlife products. 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.. 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. Nearly 50,000 people read a 2-year-old Chicago Tribune story on the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks over two days. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. Coworkers caught. The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. 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. Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. "We are currently putting actions into place to ensure that this never happens again. 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. "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. 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. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. Miami-based animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released another video documenting animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms. 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. The undercover videos and ARM's animal abuse report on Fair Oaks Farms since had a snowball effect on the company. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. You can cancel at any time. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. As to the individual who worked for the transportation company, today, we will notify the company that he works for and he will not be allowed on our farms again. You have permission to edit this article. The videos showed calves being kicked in the head and being struck with branding irons and iron rods, and dead calves were shown piled in the dirt. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. Lawsuits are a part of the regular course of business in today's food and beverage industry. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. 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. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Keep reading for a refresher on what went down, everything we know about Fairlifes treatment of the cows, and for our guidance on easy ways to protest companies that treat animals unfairly. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. 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. We apologize for any inconvenience," spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco told CBS Chicago in an email. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. 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. 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. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. 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. All Rights Reserved. Fair Oaks Farms owner Mike McCloskey released this statement to WPTV on Wednesday, calling the workers' actions despicable: "This morning I was made aware of an animal abuse video that. He took undercover footage of the dairy farm during his few months working there, providing ARM with undeniable evidence of inherent cruelty subjected daily to dairy cows within industrialized food production systems.. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. Mar 13, 2020. Fairlife Dairy is facing a new lawsuit after employees were seen abusing calves and cows in undercover footage. Sour Milk. 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. 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. For further information on the progress of our commitments, visit http://fairoaksfarmsprogress.com.". 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. HAMMOND Fair Oaks Farms is facing new demands it pay damages over animal abuse at the agritourism destination. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. "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. 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.". 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. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. Cathy Siegner A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. Our focus remains on looking forward and making progress in the actions weve outline to enhance training and education for our employees, and ensuring the highest standards of care and welfare for our animals. "This is rare," Couto said. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). People all over the world were horrified to see evidence of such unnecessary abuse at the farm. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. 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. To add insult to injury, the abuse is rampant even at Fairlifes 'flagship farm in Indiana' that customers are urged to visit on the products labels.". Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. 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. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. It didn't come from us.". 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 farm, which still has a. People are starting to do their own homework on this. Criminal charges were filed against at least three of the workers. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. 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. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. There was a problem saving your notification. 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 minimizing of the graphic animal cruelty offers little assurance of change in a culture that is likely in need of fundamental retooling.". 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.". Topics covered: R&D, flavor trends, health & nutrition, scientific discoveries, new ingredients, and much more. He said on Friday, ARM will release another video he described as an hour and a half of consistent abuse.. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". 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. CHICAGO At least eight federal lawsuits have been filed against Fairlife as a result of the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms that came to light in early June, and the . We didn't spur it on but we are glad it happened. / CBS News. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. The Newton . Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? ", "Going undercover in the dairy industry, we always find the same crimes committed against the animals," he said. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und 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.". 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. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. One of my friends on Facebook shared it. ET, Webinar ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." In the new statement issued Wednesday on the Fair Oaks Farms Facebook feed, the company acknowledged the brutal nature of some of the video captured on its property. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Critics of dairy operations, such as Mercy for Animals, PETA and The Humane Society of the U.S., maintain . 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. It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. 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. Consumers worried about supporting farms with inhumane practices may look for these brands and labels, which designate dairy producers that comply with the ASPCA's standards. "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. Fairlife has invested more than $8 million over the past two years into animal welfare programs and oversight at its supplying farms, Lecas said. 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.". "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. Fairlife said it hasimmediately suspend deliveries and will provide more animal welfare training for employees. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. The undercover video shows various forms of abuse against the calves. FAIR OAKS, Ind.- Fair Oaks Farms say they will be putting cameras on properties where they have animals. 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 . ", "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. "At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of business, and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld," the company stated in a news release Wednesday. 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. Warning: the video is very disturbing. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. 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. 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. A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. But not his teammates. Please subscribe to keep reading. Although he underwent another training session in animal care when we discovered there was an undercover ARM operation on our farm, after viewing the extent of his animal abuse, he is being terminated today. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. 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. Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. 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. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. Provided. In addition, Fairlife said they are immediately suspending milk deliveries from the dairy identified in the video. First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. Fair Oaks Farms was a popular place Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. 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. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. 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. Farmers and ranchers . 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. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. 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 Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. But unless a farm is certified organic meaning that farmers must abide by strict legal standards when it comes to the care, breeding and feeding of animals it can be difficult to determine exactly how animals are treated on any property. The fourth was fired Tuesday, according to Fair Oaks Farms. One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar) @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. A 64-ounce jug of Market Pantry (Target's brand) milk is $2.39. 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. Times staff writers Joseph S. Pete and Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. If the Dairy Industry Was a Country, It Would Be One of the World's Biggest Emitters, Report Finds, Milk Sales Drop by More Than $1 Billion as Plant-Based Alternatives Take Off. 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. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation.
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