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. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. 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.. "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. At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. Lawsuits are a part of the regular course of business in today's food and beverage industry. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' 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. It also generally costs more. 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. "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. With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. Although he underwent another training session in animal care when we discovered there was an undercover ARM operation on our farm, after viewing the extent of his animal abuse, he is being terminated today. 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. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. To add insult to injury, the abuse is rampant even at Fairlifes 'flagship farm in Indiana' that customers are urged to visit on the products labels.". 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. Still, a 2021 report from the World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming found many food companies are not doing enough to prioritize animal welfare. Slashing Methane Emissions by 45 Percent Is Crucial to Avoid Climate Catastrophe and Easy, Says UN Report. We didn't spur it on but we are glad it happened. 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 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. Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. 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. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. One of my friends on Facebook shared it. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. Coca-Cola and others agree to $21M settlement for Fairlife animal abuse The product delivery arm of Fair Oaks Farms, Fresh Delivery, is suspending service for a week "to stand with the farm and for the safety of th, FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Office has identified three of the men accused of abusing young calves at Fair Oaks Farms, according t, Police are looking for a suspicious man who reportedly approached children at Griffith's Central Park Monday, calling one to come to him and a, 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. The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. 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. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? 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.. 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. "With recent events involving Fair Oaks Farms, Strack & Van Til will be removing all Fair Oaks and related products until further notice," he said. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. "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. Individuals across the country have been recently resharing the videos, calling for a boycott on Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife products. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. We apologize for any inconvenience," spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco told CBS Chicago in an email. The calves appeared to stay in filthy, overcrowded and hot conditions. The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. People are starting to do their own homework on this. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. 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. When animals fall within our authorities, USDA acts to prevent animal cruelty such as this. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. 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. 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. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal However, as I have stated before, the fact that ARM takes months before notifying owners or authorities regarding on-going animal abuse is concerning. 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. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. "In 2019, when our farmers reported this behavior, we immediately terminated and turned these individuals into the proper authorities to prosecute," the company said in the statement. As the two months went on, the undercover activist continually observed employees punching, hitting, poking, and shoving cows; he saw them snapping cows tails; and he watched them push, kick, and slap cows in their udders. 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. 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. IE 11 is not supported. On Monday, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that three people have been charged with animal cruelty. FAIR OAKS Mike McCloskey said he wished an animal activist organization that spent nearly six months clandestinely filming the operations of, FAIR OAKS | Fortune 60 company Coca-Cola is partnering with a Northwest Indiana farm, hoping that a reinvented, more nutrient-rich milk can do. 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. "I guarantee you that this will never happen again at Fair Oaks Farms.". 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. "We are currently putting actions into place to ensure that this never happens again. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. Does Fairlife Still Abuse Cows? Cruel Treatment Is Unavoidable in Dairy The suit alleges that this led many consumers to believe they were were paying a premium for that standard of care. 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. 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 Fairlife also hired a vet as its Director of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Farming in January 2020, and the company claims to now conduct third-party audits of its farms. HAMMOND Fair Oaks Farms is facing new demands it pay damages over animal abuse at the agritourism destination. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. 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. Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. 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 . Not to mention, the treatment of cows described by ARMs investigator is, unfortunately, standard practice across the dairy industry. Critics of dairy operations, such as Mercy for Animals, PETA and The Humane Society of the U.S., maintain . Fairlife was launched in 2012 as a partnership between Coca-Cola, which distributes its products, and the Select Milk Producers, a co-op of dairy farms that includes Fair Oaks. The Idaho native and University of Idaho grad has been with The Times since 2019. 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. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. Months ago, the individual seen smoking by the barn and doing drugs in a truck was turned in by his co-workers to one of our managers. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Cut ties with the supplier? And I watched the video, said Diane Mason, a reader from Melbourne, Florida, who reached out to the Tribune by email Thursday. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com. So, in this instance our policy of cow care training "see something, say something" worked. 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. It is our position that any companies that come in contact with transportation of our animals, should be well-versed in and adhere to our industry's animal welfare practices which can be found in FARM. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. You can cancel at any time. Regardless, I am disgusted by and take full responsibility for the actions seen in the footage, as it goes against everything that we stand for in regards to responsible cow care and comfort. A Crown Point, Indiana, woman filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Fair Oaks Farms, saying the company misled consumers who bought its milk at prices higher than . ", "Going undercover in the dairy industry, we always find the same crimes committed against the animals," he said. The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse: Felony charge dropped for former employee Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. 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. 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. In addition, Fairlife said they are immediately suspending milk deliveries from the dairy identified in the video. Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. 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. What We Know About the Fair Oaks Farms Controversy Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. 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. First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. You have permission to edit this article. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. 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 . Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. Couto supported the renewed calls for boycotting Fairlife, but said his target is much bigger the dairy industry at large. 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. 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. June 12, 2019: 7 things to know about alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. A video released by an animal rights organization shows young calves being kicked in the head, dead calves' bodies piled together in the dirt , FAIR OAKS An audit of the dairy farms that make up Fair Oaks Farms indicates the farms are operating within the standards of the dairy indus. 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. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Farm owner takes 'full responsibility' for alleged animal cruelty - WPTV 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. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand.