Fairlife Dairy is facing a new lawsuit after employees were seen abusing calves and cows in undercover footage. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. 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. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. Now, as we come up on the two-year anniversary of the Fairlife milk animal abuse controversy, many are wondering exactly what happened at Fair Oaks Farms, why exactly people are boycotting Fairlife, and what they can do to stop animal abuse. WATCH VIDEO During the investigation, initiated in 2018, an ARM undercover investigator captured surveillance evidence of the systematic and horrific animal abuse occurring at Fair Oaks Farm's Dairy Farm Adventures, Indiana, USA. But conventionally raised cows may be given both growth hormones and antibiotics, regardless of whether they are sick. 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. 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. Fair Oaks Farms representatives said Saturday no other incidents have happened since the videos were released in 2019. 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The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. 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. 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. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. 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. People are starting to do their own homework on this. 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. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. Fair Oaks Farms is the largest dairy farm in Indiana with 37,000 cows, TODAY reported. Fair Oaks Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. But unlike the retailers, it plans to stick with Fairlife. 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. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. According to Alan Bjerga, the senior vice president of communications at the National Milk Producers Federation, about 94% of America's dairy farms have 500 or fewer cows. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. 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. 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. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar) The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. You have permission to edit this article. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. 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. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. Topics covered: R&D, flavor trends, health & nutrition, scientific discoveries, new ingredients, and much more. Farmers and ranchers . She is a graduate of Ball State University with a major in journalism and minor in anthropology. A 64-ounce jug of Market Pantry (Target's brand) milk is $2.39. Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. Fairlife has advertised itself as being high-nutrition, ethically sourced milk, with labels stating that exceptional care was taken "every step of the way," from milking the cows to bottling the final product. 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.". "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. 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. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com. The undercover video shows various forms of abuse against the calves. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. 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 . The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. STAFF REPORTS. "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. "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. 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. 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. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." That case is ongoing. Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. Fairlife has invested more than $8 million over the past two years into animal welfare programs and oversight at its supplying farms, Lecas 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. More than a year after an undercover video campaign revealed animal welfare issues at Fair Oaks Farms, experts say there are important lessons to be learned. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. 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. 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. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? 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. 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. 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. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. Warning: the video is very disturbing. 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. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . One of my friends on Facebook shared it. 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. 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 . 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. That manager notified local law enforcement about the drug use and, accordingly, a police report is on file. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. 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). 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. Fair Oaks, a sprawling dairy farm, was launched in 2004 by Mike and Sue McCloskey, who are also co-founders of Select Milk. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged 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. "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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. The settlement received preliminary approval by an Illinois federal judge on April 27. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. 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. 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.. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. "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. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. Fairlife is owned by the Coca-Cola Company, and the corporation responded to the undercover footage by stating that Fairlife immediately stopped sourcing milk from Fair Oaks Farms after the footage was released, and that Fairlife planned to launch an animal welfare advisory council of experts. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. The cows shown in the video were not in federally inspected slaughter facilities and therefore not under USDA's authority, a spokesperson said. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. 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. WATCH NOW: Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of videos. 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. Calumet City mayor taken to hospital after 4-vehicle crash, Hoosier lawmakers considered making it a crime to record agricultural operations, State leaders decline comment on Fair Oaks, Woman dragged girl from playground, threw her to ground when mother intervened, police say, Region crime roundup: Uber driver helped cops nab suspect in shooting over pound of stolen pot, police say, UPDATE: Fair Oaks Farms owner unaware of calves being sold to veal market, cites lack of communication, according to new statement, 5 important stories you need to know from yesterday: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees, companies pull products, New video alleges Fair Oaks Farms management aware of animal abuse by employees, ICYMI: Here are the most-read stories from the past week, Fair Oaks Fresh Delivery suspends service for a week, founder says, UPDATE: Police identify men accused of abusing calves at Fair Oaks Farms, Suspicious man addresses children at Griffith's Central Park, asks girl if she needs a ride, UPDATE: One arrested in Fair Oaks Farms investigation; owners sued, accused of fraud in lawsuit, Fair Oaks Farms hit by another lawsuit over animal cruelty videos, Animal welfare group calls claims of investigators encouraging abuse at Fair Oaks Farms 'incredibly false', Ford hiring 450 more, investing $50 million more at Chicago Assembly Plant, Man accused of abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in ICE custody, police say, Video shows calves being body slammed, smacked with objects at Fair Oaks Farms, Evaluators: Fair Oaks Farms operating within industry standards; audit called for after alleged undercover videos, Audit of Fair Oaks Farms following clandestine filming likely to be completed early next week, Animal activist organization infiltrates Fair Oaks Farms, company says, Fair Oaks Farms reinvents milk with new product, Family Express founder Gus Olympidis wins lifetime achievement award, Family Express named best local convenience store in Indiana, Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable to offer gas hazard training, Local entrepreneur lands deal to sell plant-based vegan icing at Strack & Van Til, Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms, Familiar face returns as Jewel-Osco president, COVID-19, fallout from animal abuse charges lead to departure of 3 executives at Fair Oaks Farms, document says, Man reports being robbed of guns and cash in Chesterton park, police say, Residents forces to flee amid uptick in violence in DR Congo due to M23 rebels, Spectators react after Alex Murdaugh gets life in prison for double murder, Prominent Cambodian opposition figure sentenced to 27 years for treason, Burkina Faso's capital hosts the 28th edition of Fespaco film Festival. Coworkers caught. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Parth Raval, the division's chief growth officer, said the CPG giant is exploring different ingredients, packaging formats and flavor offerings to strengthen its dominant presence in the category. 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. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. The undercover videos and ARM's animal abuse report on Fair Oaks Farms since had a snowball effect on the company. In the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. 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. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. 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. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Fair Oaks Farm Investigation. Advancements in reproductive technology have led to more calves being born on farms today, and most conventionally raised cows are now fed a diet of grain versus grass. 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. 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. "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. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). No court records were available on the remaining defendants. 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. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. Sour Milk. 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. "I can't get into the details at this time for the safety of our investigators, but I will say there's more to this than what was released (Tuesday).". At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. When reached by TODAY via email, a Fair Oaks Farms representative provided the following statement: "This is the same video that was released and covered last week, which includes footage that took place several months ago. #DitchDairy #ChooseCompassion @WorldAnimalNews @Peace_4_Animals pic.twitter.com/NVtZVb4Jfb. You can cancel at any time. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. 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. The Idaho native and University of Idaho grad has been with The Times since 2019. | 2 p.m. 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. Miami-based animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released another video documenting animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms. 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 . "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. 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 "None of them have ever seen anything close to what was depicted on the video, even when performing their duties in the calf areas.". Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. 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. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. Couto said the next video will allegedly show conversations the undercover investigator had with management acknowledging animal abuse. Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? 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. 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. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. 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. 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. "With recent events involving Fair Oaks Farms, Strack & Van Til will be removing all Fair Oaks and related products until further notice," he said. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. 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. 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.. 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 .
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