"We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. 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. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. 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. 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. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. 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. It worked. The settlement received preliminary approval by an Illinois federal judge on April 27. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. 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). Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. Nearly 50,000 people read a 2-year-old Chicago Tribune story on the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks over two days. People are starting to do their own homework on this. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. 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. That manager notified local law enforcement about the drug use and, accordingly, a police report is on file. When animals fall within our authorities, USDA acts to prevent animal cruelty such as this. 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. The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. None of Fairlife's farms are certified organic but shortly after the company (which was founded by a veterinarian) was formed in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company in 2012, it frequently advertised itself as spoiling its cows and adhering to a higher standard of animal care through sustainable farming practices. 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. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. 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. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Animal Welfare Animal Welfare Experts Video Update Share Both of our Animal Welfare Experts continue to evaluate our existing training programs, our on-boarding process for hiring new employees and the continuous education of employees. 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. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. 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. In the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. 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. After reviewing the video frame-by-frame, those three employees are responsible for the overwhelming majority of offenses seen in this video. 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. Unfortunately, the fourth employee's animal abuse was not caught at that same time. A report from a series of focus groups done by precision fermentation startup Formo, Fordham University and Mercy For Animals released in February showed consumers are very enthusiastic and curious about animal-free dairy, with animal welfare being the reason they most want to consume it. But premium milk comes at a premium price. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. He said sometimes videos from former investigations will resurface years later but the scope of this reemergence is fairly significant. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. WATCH VIDEO The organization put out a few calls to action to people who were affected by the heartbreaking footage ARM asked people to sign its petition, to ask stores to stop carrying Fairlife, and to leave dairy products off their plates. 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. In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. 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 . 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Keep reading for a refresher on what went down, everything we know about Fairlifes treatment of the cows, and for our guidance on easy ways to protest companies that treat animals unfairly. 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. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. 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. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. One of my friends on Facebook shared it. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has directed BOAH staff to collaborate with local law enforcement regarding any appropriate next steps they may take.. "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. After all, it's their product and their livelihood at risk since most calves sell for between $500 - $1,000. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. The calves appeared to stay in filthy, overcrowded and hot conditions. 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. / CBS News. 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. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. McCloskey has since announced changes in operations, including having an animal welfare expert on staff, installing cameras to monitor employees in contact with animals and having frequent, third-party audits performed on the farm. Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. 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.". Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. All Rights Reserved. Coworkers caught. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? 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. 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. Their cows do not receive 'extraordinary care and comfort.' Valparaiso-based Family Express, which operates convenience stores across the state, will replace Fairlife products with milk products from Organic Valley, which has 143 family farms in Indiana. "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.