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.. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. The Dairy Report 061119. 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. "Since then, 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," the company said. Reaction was fast and furious when the video was released in June 2019. We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". People have been drinking cow's milk for thousands of years, but the nature of commercial farming has undergone vast changes in the past century. 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. "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 alleged abuse dates back to August 2018, when Animal Recovery Mission, a nonprofit animal welfare group based in Miami, planted an investigator as an undercover calf care employee at the Indiana farm. / CBS News. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. 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. The farm, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, welcomes about 500,000 visitors annually. 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. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. 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. No reports of animal abuse or neglect have been filed with the agency since the farms founding in the mid-1990s, Derrer said in an email. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. Months ago, when I first learned of the undercover activity, I requested a 3rd party review and we went through a re-training process throughout the dairies. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Pending orders of Fairlife products were suspended at Family Express, according to a news release issued by the company. We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. 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. Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. 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. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. 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. Coworkers caught three of the four employees abusing animals, reported them to management and they were fired before the Animal Recovery Mission video was even released. 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. Provided. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. 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). The new laws will go into effect on July 1. 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. 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 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. One of those men has since been apprehended and arrested. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. 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. 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.. 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. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. Founded in 2012, the ultra-filtered dairy brand announced earlier this year it surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. 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. 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. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. 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. 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. Of the five, four were our employees and one was a 3rd party truck driver who was picking up calves. The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. Fairlife has admitted that the calves seen in the undercover footage taken at Fair Oaks Farms were mistreated. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. It is heartwarming as investigators to see reemerging interest. He also observed that immediately after giving birth, mother cows were separated from their newborn calves, who were placed into confined sheds, while the mothers were sent right back to the milking rotary, sometimes with their placentas still hanging out of their bodies. But unless a farm is certified organic meaning that farmers must abide by strict legal standards when it comes to the care, breeding and feeding of animals it can be difficult to determine exactly how animals are treated on any property. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und WATCH VIDEO Cathy Siegner Fair Oaks Farm is located in Fair Oaks, right off Interstate 65. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. He said sometimes videos from former investigations will resurface years later but the scope of this reemergence is fairly significant. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. | 11 a.m. 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.". Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. "None of them have ever seen anything close to what was depicted on the video, even when performing their duties in the calf areas.". As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . 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. On June 4, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations. 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. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. 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. 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. 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. On June 12, however, new footage was released by Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) purportedly showing Fair Oaks workers punching adult cows, hitting them with metal poles and allegedly breaking the tails of some cows which did not cooperate with employees. Please subscribe to keep reading. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. 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. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. It didn't come from us.". 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. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. 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. 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. Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. Cuoto said, "The answer is no for me. 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 Political Reaction 061019. Alan Bjerga insists that the U.S. dairy community takes the kinds of videos released by ARM very seriously and that it will not be forgotten anytime soon. , Webinar As for the vet who Fairlife hired as Director of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Farming, theres no way she can observe the daily operations at all 30+ farms that supply milk to Fairlife. 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. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. "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 form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. She is a graduate of Ball State University with a major in journalism and minor in anthropology. This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. 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. But that number is rapidly declining, with thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business over the past two decades. 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. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. People all over the world were horrified to see evidence of such unnecessary abuse at the farm. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! Employees were observed slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, throwing and slamming calves, ARM said in a statement at the time, as per TODAY. The controversy surrounding Fair Oaks Farms led to a flurry of social media comments, statements and responses as fallout from an undercover video showing animal cruelty at the popular Indiana . After reviewing the video frame-by-frame, those three employees are responsible for the overwhelming majority of offenses seen in this video. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. As explained by the Animal Legal & Historical Center, ag-gag laws were actually first instituted in response to undercover activists, and these laws are the governments way of protecting the meat, dairy, and egg industries (which makes sense, since the U.S. government gives tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry every year). It worked. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. 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. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. "Animal abuse in any form is not tolerated on US dairy farms," said Bjerga. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. 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. ET, Webinar Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. Individuals across the country have been recently resharing the videos, calling for a boycott on Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife products. Green Matters is a registered trademark. 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. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." "I guarantee you that this will never happen again at Fair Oaks Farms.". It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. Criminal charges were filed against at least three of the workers. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. "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. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that these qualities justified premium prices for the product, which they said they bought the products solely because of the guarantee for "extraordinary animal care. Four employees were fired and a truck driver who worked for a third-party vendor was banned from the farm.