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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. When animals fall within our authorities, USDA acts to prevent animal cruelty such as this. Fair Oaks Dairy Farm animal abuse allegations, video prompt Jewel Osco 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. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. People are starting to do their own homework on this. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. You can read more about the audits that Fairlife pledged to take on the brands website; however, the brand did claim to already have governance measures in place before the investigation, so many customers may find it difficult to trust these new procedures. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Federal lawsuit accuses Fair Oaks Farms of misleading consumers Gardozo-Vasquez - one of three former Fair Oaks Farms workers charged in connection to scenes of abuse that set off national protests and boycotts of Indiana's largest dairy - had also been. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." Dozens of new signatures popped up on a 2-year-old Change.org petition calling on retailers to drop Fairlife for using Fair Oaks as a supplier, and thousands shared the video. 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 . Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. There is also footage of calves left in. Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. And I watched the video, said Diane Mason, a reader from Melbourne, Florida, who reached out to the Tribune by email Thursday. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . WATCH NOW: Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of videos. 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. June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM 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. 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. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. 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. Coca-Cola said in a statement that it takes animal welfare seriously and expects "suppliers to operate with the highest degree of integrity and comply with all laws, including animal welfare laws." Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. 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). fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 - weirdthings.com The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. 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. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. Individuals across the country have been recently resharing the videos, calling for a boycott on Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife products. 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. Alan Bjerga insists that the U.S. dairy community takes the kinds of videos released by ARM very seriously and that it will not be forgotten anytime soon. Slashing Methane Emissions by 45 Percent Is Crucial to Avoid Climate Catastrophe and Easy, Says UN Report. A dozen Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves amid widespread backlash. 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. One of those men has since been apprehended and arrested. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. The brand said it has "significantly strengthened our animal care programs and processes since 2019"through camera monitoring, a third-party animal welfare advisory board and increasing the number of unannounced audits at supplying farms. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. 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. 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.". 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.". Ride along with LaPorte Police Specialist Justin Dyer as he patrols the streets of LaPorte. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. I also take full responsibility to correct and ensure that every employee understands, embraces and practices the core values on which our organization stands. ", "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. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour. That case is ongoing. WATCH VIDEO There is likely still animal cruelty on Fairlife's farms in 2021. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. Names released of 3 charged in Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse case The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. On June 4, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations. 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. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. Unfortunately, the fourth employee's animal abuse was not caught at that same time. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. 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. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". 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.". Copyright 2023 Green Matters. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. 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. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. 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. The group released the video documenting the alleged animal abuse nearly a year later. Warning: the video is very disturbing. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour, Ford is expanding its workforce again at the Chicago Assembly Plant on the banks of the Calumet River, just across the state line in Hegewisch. You have permission to edit this article. We have taken vigilant, unwavering steps to actively monitor all human-animal interaction 24 hours a day by installing cameras throughout our farms, and bolstered these efforts with hiring an on-site animal welfare expert and conducting regular third-party audits to confirm our monitoring practices, to ensure we havent overlooked anything, Fairs Oaks said in an emailed statement Thursday. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that these qualities justified premium prices for the product, which they said they bought the products solely because of the guarantee for "extraordinary animal care. "We are currently putting actions into place to ensure that this never happens again. One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. 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. Coutos organization has investigated alleged abuse at 25 dairy farms in the U.S., including a 2017 investigation at a Florida dairy farm associated with Dean Foods, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Mar 13, 2020. Fairlife said the company is taking this incident very seriously. In a statement, the company said the dairy production seen in the video makes up less than 5% of Fairlife's milk supply, however in light of the footage's findings, the company will be putting its other dairy sources under a magnifying glass. Fair Oaks Farm is partnering with a dairy cooperative and Coca-Cola to launch Fairlife, a cold-filtered milk that has more protein and calcium and no lactose. In January 2020, Coca-Cola bought out its partners to take full ownership of Fairlife. It didn't come from us.". Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. But premium milk comes at a premium price. "None of them have ever seen anything close to what was depicted on the video, even when performing their duties in the calf areas.". Watch new video documenting more animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. June 12, 2019: 7 things to know about alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Cut ties with the supplier? Please subscribe to keep reading. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. "We acknowledge the need for humane treatment of animals and the need to hold individuals that have gone beyond an acceptable farm management practice accountable for their actions," says a release from the department. The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms The undercover videos and ARM's animal abuse report on Fair Oaks Farms since had a snowball effect on the company. "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. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. 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. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. While we were made aware a couple months ago of the fact that ARM had gone undercover at Fair Oaks Farms, and had proactively made a statement, we had no idea what kind of footage had been captured or what if any abuse had occurred. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. Couto supported the renewed calls for boycotting Fairlife, but said his target is much bigger the dairy industry at large. "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. Cuoto said, "The answer is no for me. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. 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. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. 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. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. Coca-Cola and others agree to $21M settlement for Fairlife animal abuse However, as I have stated before, the fact that ARM takes months before notifying owners or authorities regarding on-going animal abuse is concerning. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. 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. I have personally reached out to ARM's founder, Richard Couto, to discuss a more symbiotic relationship but he has yet to reach back. In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. We didn't spur it on but we are glad it happened. "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. 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. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. ET, Webinar 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. Fairlifes website states that after ARM exposed Fairlifes 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. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. Though videos showing animal abuse across different types of farms are not new, the initial Fair Oaks video release sparked a substantial outcry due to the company's history of promoting its own sustainable farming practices and animal welfare.