Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. 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. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. Four employees were fired and a truck driver who worked for a third-party vendor was banned from the farm. Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. 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. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. 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 venue's $20 all-day pass grants access to the farm's public areas, including a birthing barn complete with stadium seating so visitors can watch calves being born. 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. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. FAIR OAKS, Ind. You have permission to edit this article. 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. 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. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. In the wake of the scandal, Fairlife (the national brand formally supplied by Fair Oaks) issued apologies and began conducting internal animal welfare investigations at multiple farms. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. That all seems unlikely, since all this happens behind closed doors, and any of those actions could hurt Fairlifes profits. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Slashing Methane Emissions by 45 Percent Is Crucial to Avoid Climate Catastrophe and Easy, Says UN Report. When animals fall within our authorities, USDA acts to prevent animal cruelty such as this. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. A man accused of abusing calves on the large northwestern Indiana farm has been sentenced to a year of probation after a felony charge was dropped. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. 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. 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. Employees were observed slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, throwing and slamming calves, ARM said in a statement at the time, as per TODAY. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. It didn't come from us.". The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. / CBS News. 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 admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". 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. The Dairy Report 061119. 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. "None of them have ever seen anything close to what was depicted on the video, even when performing their duties in the calf areas.". ", "Going undercover in the dairy industry, we always find the same crimes committed against the animals," he said. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. There was a problem saving your notification. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. 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. Warning: the video is very disturbing. In January 2020, Coca-Cola bought out its partners to take full ownership of Fairlife. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. "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. Lawsuits are a part of the regular course of business in today's food and beverage industry. 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. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. 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. As a result, cows today produce up to 7 times more milk than their predecessors. The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". Copyright 2023 Green Matters. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. 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. What We Know About the Fair Oaks Farms Controversy 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. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. 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. 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). The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. 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. 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. One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. "Many of you have reached out to express your disappointment, heartbreak and anger regarding the videos released yesterday, and we want you to know that we share those same feelings and take full responsibility," the company's post stated. I also take full responsibility to correct and ensure that every employee understands, embraces and practices the core values on which our organization stands. So, in this instance our policy of cow care training "see something, say something" worked. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. FAIR OAKS, Ind.- Fair Oaks Farms say they will be putting cameras on properties where they have animals. And, when cows died of sickness, their dead bodies were dumped outside out of the view of those attending Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure tours; and once cows could no longer produce milk, they were sent to slaughter for meat or dog food. 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. ", "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. All Rights Reserved. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. One exception is Chobani, which last week said it was ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk,which launched in February. 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. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und ET, 2019 incident in which undercover videos of animal abuse, surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales, ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk, some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, a 2021 report from the World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming, consumers are very enthusiastic and curious about animal-free dairy, Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at suppliers dairy farm, How FDA stopped the momentum for CBD in food and drink, Inside PepsiCos strategy to grow its iconic $21B snacking portfolio, Coca-Cola debuts transformation-flavored soda in its latest limited-time offering, Eat Just laying off 18% of workers with cuts impacting plant-based egg business, Daiyas new fermentation technology promises improved plant-based cheese, Meati hires CPG veterans for supply chain and operations, A Foodmakers Guide to Elevating Alternative Proteins, Whats Ahead for Plant-Based Foods in 2023 and Beyond, Preparing Your Business in Times of Economic Downturn, General Mills, Kellogg, Post Holdings threaten legal action over alarming FDA healthy label proposals, Beer Drinkers Cut Back as Bud Brewer AB InBev Raises Prices, Heinz is giving the ketchup boat guy a new ship after he survived on the sauce for 24 days lost at sea, The AI Solution for Sustainability and Supply Chain Ease, How Visibility Technology Can Mitigate Cargo Theft and Security Risk, The Real ROI of Digital Dock Scheduling Software, Best Practices for Improving Food and Beverage Product Quality with ERP, Motif FoodWorks enters molecular farming partnership to produce its heme ingredient. fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 - weirdthings.com 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. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. Fair Oaks Farms representatives said Saturday no other incidents have happened since the videos were released in 2019. "They recognize the seriousness of this situation as their founding principles are grounded in a strong commitment to sustainability, transparency and the highest standards of animal welfare. 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. She is a graduate of Ball State University with a major in journalism and minor in anthropology. 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. All Rights Reserved. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. The Animal Recovery Mission claimed Fair Oaks . Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? 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. 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. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. 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. We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. I am and will continue to be deeply involved in the resolution of this matter, down to every one of our employees, so that I can guarantee that these actions never again occur on any of our farms. 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. Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse: After video exposes abuse at Fair Oaks NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. Fairlife said it hasimmediately suspend deliveries and will provide more animal welfare training for employees. 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 . It is unclear if Fairlife will still get dairy from Fair Oaks Farms, since both are owned by the same man. 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. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. 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. They also announced the farm's plans to install video surveillance on the property. 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. Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has directed BOAH staff to collaborate with local law enforcement regarding any appropriate next steps they may take.. 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. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. It also generally costs more. 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. 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. Does Fairlife Still Abuse Cows? Cruel Treatment Is Unavoidable in Dairy And I watched the video, said Diane Mason, a reader from Melbourne, Florida, who reached out to the Tribune by email Thursday. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. Founded in 2012, the ultra-filtered dairy brand announced earlier this year it surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales. 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.". "This is rare," Couto said. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. 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. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Animal Welfare Animal Welfare Experts Video Update Share Both of our Animal Welfare Experts continue to evaluate our existing training programs, our on-boarding process for hiring new employees and the continuous education of employees. 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. Fair Oaks Farms is the flagship farm for Fairlife, a national brand of higher protein, higher calcium and lower fat milk that's produced at a network of dairy farms and distributed by Coca-Cola. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. "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. Unfortunately, the fourth employee's animal abuse was not caught at that same time. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour. 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. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Green Matters is a registered trademark. 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. Several companies bought big into the once-promising segment, but the governmentsdecision not to permit the ingredient in food and beverages has left producers unwilling to invest further. 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. Fairlife has admitted that the calves seen in the undercover footage taken at Fair Oaks Farms were mistreated. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. It's located in Fair Oaks, Ind., just off I-65, about 109 miles north of Indianapolis and. 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. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. Fairlife has invested more than $8 million over the past two years into animal welfare programs and oversight at its supplying farms, Lecas said. A 64-ounce jug of Market Pantry (Target's brand) milk is $2.39. 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 impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. 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. The minimizing of the graphic animal cruelty offers little assurance of change in a culture that is likely in need of fundamental retooling.". Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. Mar 13, 2020. The abuse in the dairy industry is systematic., Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves, A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. "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).". The fourth was fired Tuesday, according to Fair Oaks Farms. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. 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. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. Richard Couto, 50, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the actions depicted at Fair Oaks shocked even their seasoned animal abuse investigators. In November 2019, The Times reported that at least eight federal lawsuits had been filed against Fairlifefrom across the country, including California, Florida and Indiana. Coca-Cola buys Fairlife, impressed by brand's response to animal abuse ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. 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. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
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