Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about 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. Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. "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).". As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . In the initial statement issued Tuesday on social media, Fair Oaks founder Mike McCloskey said four of the people shown committing alleged abuses were Fair Oaks Farms employees and each had been or were being fired. 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. "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. 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. Other premium brands, including A2, have been a hit with consumers. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. 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). Fair Oaks, she said, is no longer in its supply chain. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. WATCH VIDEO Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. 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. One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. 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. After reviewing the video frame-by-frame, those three employees are responsible for the overwhelming majority of offenses seen in this video. In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. 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. In 2019, undercover footage taken by an animal rights activist exposed Fair Oaks Farms, which supplies milk to dairy companies including Fairlife, revealed appalling evidence of animal abuse. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. 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The farm, which promotes itself as an agritourism destination for families and school groups, has documented steps it has taken to improve animal treatment since the video was released. "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. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. "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," McCloskey said in a written statement on the company's website. "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. 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. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . The Idaho native and University of Idaho grad has been with The Times since 2019. On June 4, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. Coca-Cola and other parties agreed to pay $21 million to settle lawsuits for falsely advertising their Fairlife ultra-filtered milk came from humanely treated cows. Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. 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. 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. Video taken and posted by an animal rights group shows, among other things, dairy calves being body slammed and hit with various objects, including steel rods and branding irons. But premium milk comes at a premium price. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. As a result, cows today produce up to 7 times more milk than their predecessors. It worked. Fairlife Dairy is facing a new lawsuit after employees were seen abusing calves and cows in undercover footage. "This is rare," Couto said. FAIR OAKS Mike McCloskey said he wished an animal activist organization that spent nearly six months clandestinely filming the operations of, FAIR OAKS | Fortune 60 company Coca-Cola is partnering with a Northwest Indiana farm, hoping that a reinvented, more nutrient-rich milk can do. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. That case is ongoing. Provided. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. 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. 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. 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. It is a shock and an eye-opener for us to discover that under our watch, we had employees who showed disregard for our animals, our processes and for the rule of law. "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. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. 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. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. 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. 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On Wednesday it. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. 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 . Police also are seeking the name of an individual who may have witnessedthe alleged crimes and failed to report the activity, the sheriff's department said Wednesday. But not his teammates. The suit alleges that this led many consumers to believe they were were paying a premium for that standard of care. That all seems unlikely, since all this happens behind closed doors, and any of those actions could hurt Fairlifes profits. 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. 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. Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. When animals fall within our authorities, USDA acts to prevent animal cruelty such as this. 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. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. 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.. You have permission to edit this article. 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. 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.. IE 11 is not supported. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. Still, a 2021 report from the World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming found many food companies are not doing enough to prioritize animal welfare. 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. 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.. 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. 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. You have permission to edit this article. "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. "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. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. 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. 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. Ex-Fair Oaks Farms worker gets probation for abusing calves A man accused of abusing calves on the large northwestern Indiana farm has been sentenced to a year of probation after a felony. Individuals across the country have been recently resharing the videos, calling for a boycott on Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife products. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. Cuoto said, "The answer is no for me. 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.. , Webinar A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. Offers may be subject to change without notice. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. The cows shown in the video were not in federally inspected slaughter facilities and therefore not under USDA's authority, a spokesperson said. In addition, Fairlife said they are immediately suspending milk deliveries from the dairy identified in the video. So, in this instance our policy of cow care training "see something, say something" worked. You can read more about the audits that Fairlife pledged to take on the brands website; however, the brand did claim to already have governance measures in place before the investigation, so many customers may find it difficult to trust these new procedures. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. 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. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. People are starting to do their own homework on this. FAIR OAKS, Ind. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. The investigator also noted that in his entire time on the job, the cows received zero medical care, despite many of them suffering from visible injuries and infections. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. 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, Fairs Oaks said in an emailed statement Thursday. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. Unfortunately, the practices seen on Fair Oaks Farm are not uncommon in the dairy industry. But conventionally raised cows may be given both growth hormones and antibiotics, regardless of whether they are sick. Warning: the video is very disturbing. HAMMOND Fair Oaks Farms is facing new demands it pay damages over animal abuse at the agritourism destination. The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . 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. There is also footage of calves left in. He said sometimes videos from former investigations will resurface years later but the scope of this reemergence is fairly significant. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. Couto supported the renewed calls for boycotting Fairlife, but said his target is much bigger the dairy industry at large. 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. 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.