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"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 a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. Nothing is as important to us as the health and well-being of our animals, read a statement on Fairlifes website at the time of the scandal, as per ARM. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. "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).". Of the five, four were our employees and one was a 3rd party truck driver who was picking up calves. For further information on the progress of our commitments, visit http://fairoaksfarmsprogress.com.". "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. 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. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. After all, it's their product and their livelihood at risk since most calves sell for between $500 - $1,000. Topics covered: R&D, flavor trends, health & nutrition, scientific discoveries, new ingredients, and much more. {{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, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, History Channel's 'American Pickers' coming back to Indiana, looking for people with antiques, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. Then I searched for news on this and was surprised it was from 2019. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. 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. No reports of animal abuse or neglect have been filed with the agency since the farms founding in the mid-1990s, Derrer said in an email. The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. 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. Cathy Siegner Advancements in reproductive technology have led to more calves being born on farms today, and most conventionally raised cows are now fed a diet of grain versus grass. 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. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. And I watched the video, said Diane Mason, a reader from Melbourne, Florida, who reached out to the Tribune by email Thursday. It is heartwarming as investigators to see reemerging interest. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. Mar 13, 2020. 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. Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. Fair Oaks Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. Please subscribe to keep reading. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. Cuoto said, "The answer is no for me. The cows shown in the video were not in federally inspected slaughter facilities and therefore not under USDA's authority, a spokesperson said. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. 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 . On Wednesday it. ", "Going undercover in the dairy industry, we always find the same crimes committed against the animals," he said. 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. 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.". 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. 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. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". 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. The calves appeared to stay in filthy, overcrowded and hot conditions. 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 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. 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. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". 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. 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.. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Couto supported the renewed calls for boycotting Fairlife, but said his target is much bigger the dairy industry at large. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. Farmers and ranchers . Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. 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, Ind.- Fair Oaks Farms say they will be putting cameras on properties where they have animals. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. Provided. 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. Yet many farmers argue that it's in their best interest to treat their animals humanely. Strack's CEO, Jeff Strack, said the Highland-based company would no longer carry Fairlife products like Core Power protein shakes at its 20 supermarkets in Northwest Indiana. , Webinar Richard Couto, 50, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the actions depicted at Fair Oaks shocked even their seasoned animal abuse investigators. It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this statement today. 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. 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. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". 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. 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. We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. Critics of dairy operations, such as Mercy for Animals, PETA and The Humane Society of the U.S., maintain . Please enter valid email address to continue. Other premium brands, including A2, have been a hit with consumers. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. 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. A Hammond man reported being robbed of guns and cash in Chesterton park, but police have questions. The group released the video documenting the alleged animal abuse nearly a year later. It is unclear if Fairlife will still get dairy from Fair Oaks Farms, since both are owned by the same man. Times staff writers Joseph S. Pete and Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". 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.". 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. 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. The controversy surrounding Fair Oaks Farms led to a flurry of social media comments, statements and responses as fallout from an undercover video showing animal cruelty at the popular Indiana . Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. "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. 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. "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. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. 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. But conventionally raised cows may be given both growth hormones and antibiotics, regardless of whether they are sick. Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. 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. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. But that number is rapidly declining, with thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business over the past two decades. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. 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. 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. As a result, cows today produce up to 7 times more milk than their predecessors. And when mother cows can no longer lactate, they are of no value to farms so the only financially viable solution is to send them to slaughter. 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. 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. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. ", "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. They also announced the farm's plans to install video surveillance on the property. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. Time passed, and the product found its way back onto store shelves. 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. Miami-based animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released another video documenting animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . On June 12, however, new footage was released by Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) purportedly showing Fair Oaks workers punching adult cows, hitting them with metal poles and allegedly breaking the tails of some cows which did not cooperate with employees. 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. 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. Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. 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 "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. "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. It didn't come from us.". 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. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. 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. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. Nearly 50,000 people read a 2-year-old Chicago Tribune story on the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks over two days. In January 2020, Coca-Cola bought out its partners to take full ownership of Fairlife. Warning: the video is very disturbing. 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. 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. In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. FAIR OAKS, Ind. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. 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. However, as I have stated before, the fact that ARM takes months before notifying owners or authorities regarding on-going animal abuse is concerning. 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.". In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Fair Oaks Farm Investigation. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. 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. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. That case is ongoing. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. 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. 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