The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. Of the four who were our employees, three had already been terminated prior to us being made aware months ago of the undercover ARM operation, as they were identified by their co-workers as being abusive of our animals and reported to management. You can cancel at any time. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. Our focus remains on looking forward and making progress in the actions weve outline to enhance training and education for our employees, and ensuring the highest standards of care and welfare for our animals. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. Those wishing to report any suspected animal cruelty can call 219-474-5661 or 219-234-7014, the department's tip line. 2-year-old animal abuse video goes viral again, renewing calls to "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. Calumet City mayor taken to hospital after 4-vehicle crash, COVID-19, fallout from animal abuse charges lead to departure of 3 executives at Fair Oaks Farms, document says, New lawsuit filed against Fair Oaks Farms, Ex-Fair Oaks Farms worker gets probation for abusing calves, Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms, Man accused of abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in ICE custody, police say, Animal welfare group calls claims of investigators encouraging abuse at Fair Oaks Farms 'incredibly false', Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza, Greece train crash: Public anger grows as death toll rises. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. 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. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. Provided. Please subscribe to keep reading. Fairlife said it hasimmediately suspend deliveries and will provide more animal welfare training for employees. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. On Wednesday it. It worked. 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. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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 . 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at supplier An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. 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. Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. 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. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. fair oaks farm abuse update 2021 - weirdthings.com There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. 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. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. 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. 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Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. 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. 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. June 12, 2019: 7 things to know about alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". Four employees were fired and a truck driver who worked for a third-party vendor was banned from the farm. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. 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). ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. 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.. It is with great disappointment to find, after closely reviewing the released ARM video, that there were five individuals committing multiple instances of animal cruelty and despicable judgement. A dozen Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves amid widespread backlash. But not his teammates. After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. The suit alleges that this led many consumers to believe they were were paying a premium for that standard of care. The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week. UPDATE: One arrested in Fair Oaks Farms investigation; owners sued The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. 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. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und 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. No court records were available on the remaining defendants. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. Fair Oaks Farms is the largest dairy farm in Indiana with 37,000 cows, TODAY reported. "None of them have ever seen anything close to what was depicted on the video, even when performing their duties in the calf areas.". "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. "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 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. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. It is heartwarming as investigators to see reemerging interest. 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. One exception is Chobani, which last week said it was ending the production of its Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk,which launched in February. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. It didn't come from us.". Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. That case is ongoing. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. 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. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. 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. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. Fair Oaks Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. "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. Sour Milk. "At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of business, and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld," the company stated in a news release Wednesday. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. 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. The undercover video shows various forms of abuse against the calves. Time passed, and the product found its way back onto store shelves. Fair Oaks, she said, is no longer in its supply chain. 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. 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 . The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. 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. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. 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. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. The Newton . They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. 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. 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. 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. 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. What We Know About the Fair Oaks Farms Controversy 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. After reviewing the video frame-by-frame, those three employees are responsible for the overwhelming majority of offenses seen in this video. Other premium brands, including A2, have been a hit with consumers. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. 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. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. "We are currently putting actions into place to ensure that this never happens again. 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. On June 4, 2019, videos depicting employees abusing calves were released by ARM following an undercover investigation by the animal rights group. "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. Coca-Cola and others agree to $21M settlement for Fairlife animal abuse Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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). 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. 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. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse: After video exposes abuse at Fair Oaks All Rights Reserved. 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. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. Police Arrest Suspect in Fair Oaks Farms Investigation The fourth was fired Tuesday, according to Fair Oaks Farms. And when mother cows can no longer lactate, they are of no value to farms so the only financially viable solution is to send them to slaughter. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "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. 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. He said on Friday, ARM will release another video he described as an hour and a half of consistent abuse.. 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. 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. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Dairy Report 061119. FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Department has requested the names of former Fair Oaks Farms employees shown abusing young calves in a video released by an animal rights. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar) 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. Ride along with LaPorte Police Specialist Justin Dyer as he patrols the streets of LaPorte. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. There is also footage of calves left in. The settlement received preliminary approval by an Illinois federal judge on April 27. 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. 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. One of those men has since been apprehended and arrested. The farm, which still has a. Fairlife has invested more than $8 million over the past two years into animal welfare programs and oversight at its supplying farms, Lecas said. Fair Oaks, a sprawling dairy farm, was launched in 2004 by Mike and Sue McCloskey, who are also co-founders of Select Milk. Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of 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. 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.". Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. Green Matters is a registered trademark. The farm, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, welcomes about 500,000 visitors annually. 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. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. In early 2019, an investigator from the animal rights organization Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) went undercover by getting a job as a milker at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, which supplies milk to Fairlife (among other companies), according to the organization. Couto said the next video will allegedly show conversations the undercover investigator had with management acknowledging animal abuse. "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. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. 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. 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. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. FAIR OAKS, Ind.- Fair Oaks Farms say they will be putting cameras on properties where they have animals. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. One of my friends on Facebook shared it. It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this statement today. Cut ties with the supplier? Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. On Monday, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that three people have been charged with animal cruelty. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. But premium milk comes at a premium price. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. To protest dairys exploitation and unfair treatment of cows (as well as the industrys high methane emissions) the first step is to stop buying dairy products.