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 said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Fairlife said the company is taking this incident very seriously. In a statement, the company said the dairy production seen in the video makes up less than 5% of Fairlife's milk supply, however in light of the footage's findings, the company will be putting its other dairy sources under a magnifying glass. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. Please enter valid email address to continue. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. While the videos and ensuing lawsuits cast negative attention on the Fairlife brand, it has done little to slow its momentum. 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. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. 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. 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. 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. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Of the five, four were our employees and one was a 3rd party truck driver who was picking up calves. 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. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. 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. 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. CHICAGO At least eight federal lawsuits have been filed against Fairlife as a result of the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms that came to light in early June, and the . | 11 a.m. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. It is heartwarming as investigators to see reemerging interest. The fourth was fired Tuesday, according to Fair Oaks Farms. But conventionally raised cows may be given both growth hormones and antibiotics, regardless of whether they are sick. 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.". Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. 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. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. Approximately 98% of the country's milk supply is represented through the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM), a program that sets animal care standards for participating farms. I also take full responsibility to correct and ensure that every employee understands, embraces and practices the core values on which our organization stands. As a matter of routine and practice, Fairlifes cows are tortured, kicked, stomped on, body slammed, stabbed with steel rebar, thrown off the side of trucks, dragged through the dirt by their ears and left to die unattended in over 100-degree heat. The company cited Fair Oaks Farms' actions in light of the ARM investigation as well, saying Fair Oaks Farms has commissioned an independent auditor to audit practices at the farm and has also committed to conduct independent, random audits. 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. {{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. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". 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. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. 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. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. In the wake of the first video being released, retailers including Jewel-Osco, Tonys Fresh Market, Casey's and Family Express have stopped selling Fairlife products. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. They also announced the farm's plans to install video surveillance on the property. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. "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 statement reads. The cases were filed after non-profit animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released videos from an undercover investigation of Fair Oaks Farms showing animals being mistreated, which . "Animal abuse in any form is not tolerated on US dairy farms," said Bjerga. 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. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. / CBS News. No court records were available on the remaining defendants. On June 4, 2019, videos depicting employees abusing calves were released by ARM following an undercover investigation by the animal rights group. It's located in Fair Oaks, Ind., just off I-65, about 109 miles north of Indianapolis and. 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. He said on Friday, ARM will release another video he described as an hour and a half of consistent abuse.. 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. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . ET, Webinar The settlement received preliminary approval by an Illinois federal judge on April 27. 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. 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. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM 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. "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. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. 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. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. "I guarantee you that this will never happen again at Fair Oaks Farms.". In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. 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. She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. For female cows to produce milk for farmers to take, farmers must first artificially inseminate the cows; once a baby is born, farmers must separate mother and calf, otherwise the calf would nurse from his or her mother. Please subscribe to keep reading. But that number is rapidly declining, with thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business over the past two decades. He said sometimes videos from former investigations will resurface years later but the scope of this reemergence is fairly significant. Fair Oaks Farms was a popular place Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Cut ties with the supplier? 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.. 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.. Fair Oaks Farm is partnering with a dairy cooperative and Coca-Cola to launch Fairlife, a cold-filtered milk that has more protein and calcium and no lactose. "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.". 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.". She is a graduate of Ball State University with a major in journalism and minor in anthropology. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. One exception is Chobani, which last week said it was ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk,which launched in February. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. Lawsuits are a part of the regular course of business in today's food and beverage industry. Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. 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. 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. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. 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. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." 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.. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. The undercover videos and ARM's animal abuse report on Fair Oaks Farms since had a snowball effect on the company. The calves appeared to stay in filthy, overcrowded and hot conditions. The Animal Recovery Mission claimed Fair Oaks . ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Topics covered: R&D, flavor trends, health & nutrition, scientific discoveries, new ingredients, and much more. The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". 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. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. WATCH VIDEO Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. On Monday, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that three people have been charged with animal cruelty. 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. 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. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. However, as I have stated before, the fact that ARM takes months before notifying owners or authorities regarding on-going animal abuse is concerning. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. But not his teammates. Gardozo Vasquez pleaded guilty late last year to misdemeanor animal cruelty and was sentenced to a term of probation under a plea agreement in which the prosecutor dropped a felony count of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Fair Oaks Farm Investigation. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. As we shared last week, we are taking immediate actions to ensure our high standards of animal welfare are being executed at each of our supplying farms.". "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. "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. 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. Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". Copyright 2023 Green Matters. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. Richard Couto, 50, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the actions depicted at Fair Oaks shocked even their seasoned animal abuse investigators. 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. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. He said some people have recently reached out to him asking if they can feel better about purchasing products from the company since the announcement from McCloskey about changes instated for animal welfare. The Newton County prosecutors office charged three men accused of abusing young calves at Fair Oaks Farms: Santiago Ruvalcaba Contreros, 31; Edgar Gardozo Vazquez, 36; and Miguel Angel Navarro Serrano, 38. A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. After reviewing the video frame-by-frame, those three employees are responsible for the overwhelming majority of offenses seen in this video. 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. 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. While the review came back favorable, I am not letting my guard down and will institute more thorough monitoring and training so that this abuse can never happen again. 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. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. Offers may be subject to change without notice. It is unclear if Fairlife will still get dairy from Fair Oaks Farms, since both are owned by the same man. One of my friends on Facebook shared it. FAIR OAKS, Ind. 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.