"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. / CBS News. The Dairy Report 061119. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. Criminal charges were filed against at least three of the workers. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. After all, it's their product and their livelihood at risk since most calves sell for between $500 - $1,000. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. 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. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. "This is rare," Couto said. People all over the world were horrified to see evidence of such unnecessary abuse at the farm. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. Ride along with LaPorte Police Specialist Justin Dyer as he patrols the streets of LaPorte. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar) They also announced the farm's plans to install video surveillance on the property. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. 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. 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. 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.. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. 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." 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.. 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. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. "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. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. 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 One cup of Fairlife 2% milk has 120 calories, 6 grams of sugar, 4.5 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein and 40% of the daily recommended amount of calcium. There is likely still animal cruelty on Fairlife's farms in 2021. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . "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.". That all seems unlikely, since all this happens behind closed doors, and any of those actions could hurt Fairlifes profits. Couto said the next video will allegedly show conversations the undercover investigator had with management acknowledging animal abuse. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? 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. "Weve always known that the better you treat an animal, the happier and more productive she is," Fair Oaks Farms founder and owner Mike McCloskey said in a 2015 article. 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. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. The minimizing of the graphic animal cruelty offers little assurance of change in a culture that is likely in need of fundamental retooling.". Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. But that doesn't mean that all farming operations are large-scale operations like Fair Oaks Farms, which has 37,000 cows and is the largest dairy farm in the state of Indiana. Please subscribe to keep reading. "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. The farm, which promotes itself as an agritourism destination for families and school groups, has documented steps it has taken to improve animal treatment since the video was released. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. McCloskey, a retired veterinarian, and his wife Sue often used the word symbiotic to describe their relationship to their cows (which they referred to as their girls). First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". Fair Oaks Farms is the largest dairy farm in Indiana with 37,000 cows, TODAY reported. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Warning: the video is very disturbing. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at supplier The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. 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. Mar 13, 2020. Miami-based animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released another video documenting animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. Fairlife has admitted that the calves seen in the undercover footage taken at Fair Oaks Farms were mistreated. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. The company's response to the first video as well as multiple grocers' quick removal of Fairlife products has signaled a change in public reaction where animals bred for dairy or even meat are concerned. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour. In the video, calves are stomped in the head, kicked, dragged by the tail and ears, hit in the face with plastic milk bottles, thrown out of the back of trucks and into pens, and generally brutalized. 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. 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. He said on Friday, ARM will release another video he described as an hour and a half of consistent abuse.. It worked. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. "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. 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. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. A Hammond man reported being robbed of guns and cash in Chesterton park, but police have questions. "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. We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. 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. 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.". They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. 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. Fair Oaks Farms owner apologizes for abuse video, pledges changes The undercover videos and ARM's animal abuse report on Fair Oaks Farms since had a snowball effect on the company. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. , Webinar Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. 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. 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. Federal lawsuit accuses Fair Oaks Farms of misleading consumers The video circulating is from two years ago at one of our former supplying farms, Lisa Lecas, a Fairlife spokeswoman, said in an email Thursday. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. 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). She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. Sour Milk. Provided. You can also make plans to watch the upcoming documentary Milked, which is all about the dairy industry, its impacts on the environment, and what needs to be done to turn things around. 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. 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. One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. 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. The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Fairlife Dairy is facing a new lawsuit after employees were seen abusing calves and cows in undercover footage. 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. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. You can cancel at any time. 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. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. 2-year-old animal abuse video goes viral again, renewing calls to However, as I have stated before, the fact that ARM takes months before notifying owners or authorities regarding on-going animal abuse is concerning. 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. So even though Fairlife claims to be making efforts to improve animal welfare and sustainability at its supplier farms, there is no way for consumers to truly monitor it; plus, exploitation of the cows reproductive system and eventual slaughter are both unavoidable in the dairy industry. 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. 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. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. Fair Oaks Dairy Farm animal abuse allegations, video prompt Jewel Osco Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. The farm, which still has a. 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. Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. 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. A Vermont man filed a complaintthree years ago against Unilever's Ben & Jerrys arguing that contrary to information on the brand's website, it doesnt solely use milk and cream from happy cows. The case was dismissed in 2020. Yet many farmers argue that it's in their best interest to treat their animals humanely. 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. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. Founded in 2012, the ultra-filtered dairy brand announced earlier this year it surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales. 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. 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. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. 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For further information on the progress of our commitments, visit http://fairoaksfarmsprogress.com.". Fair Oaks Farms has emotional response to abuse video - AGDAILY Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. 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. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. It is unclear if Fairlife will still get dairy from Fair Oaks Farms, since both are owned by the same man. On Wednesday it. 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. 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. A dozen Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves amid widespread backlash. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. 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. 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. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und In the wake of two videos being released showing animals being abused at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, Fairlife Dairy has issued multiple apologies following the controversy. Fair Oaks Farms said the company's progress has been regularly documented on their website fofarms.com/progress where they write about efforts concerning video surveillance, mentorship, employee care, training, monitoring of facilities and staff, audits and animal welfare experts. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. Of the four who were our employees, three had already been terminated prior to us being made aware months ago of the undercover ARM operation, as they were identified by their co-workers as being abusive of our animals and reported to management. Names released of 3 charged in Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse case STAFF REPORTS. 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. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. No court records were available on the remaining defendants. Of the five, four were our employees and one was a 3rd party truck driver who was picking up calves. Northwest Indiana companies and construction professionals can learn about the latest developments with gas hazards and gas detection technolo, A former social worker turned entrepreneur developed a vegan, plant-based icing that will be available at Strack & Van Til supermarkets in, 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. 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. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms The undercover video shows various forms of abuse against the calves. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. Richard Couto, 50, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the actions depicted at Fair Oaks shocked even their seasoned animal abuse investigators. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. While the videos and ensuing lawsuits cast negative attention on the Fairlife brand, it has done little to slow its momentum. 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. 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.. "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 the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. 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.". Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. 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. Those found guilty of animal abuse usually face dual penalties of jail time and fines. 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. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Couto supported the renewed calls for boycotting Fairlife, but said his target is much bigger the dairy industry at large. The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. 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. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. It's located in Fair Oaks, Ind., just off I-65, about 109 miles north of Indianapolis and. The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . {{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, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Kouts nurse practitioner found guilty of dodging federal payroll taxes, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John.
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