Fair Oaks Farms owner apologizes for abuse video, pledges changes Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. Time passed, and the product found its way back onto store shelves. tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the animal agriculture industry, standard practice across the dairy industry. The farm, which still has a. Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. 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. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. Four employees were fired and a truck driver who worked for a third-party vendor was banned from the farm. 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.. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. "A full investigation of all aspects of the video is underway, during and after which disciplinary action will be taken, including termination and criminal prosecution, of any and all employees and managers who have violated either our animal care practices or the law or both," the statement reads. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." 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. The video circulating is from two years ago at one of our former supplying farms, Lisa Lecas, a Fairlife spokeswoman, said in an email Thursday. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. It is heartwarming as investigators to see reemerging interest. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. "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. They also announced the farm's plans to install video surveillance on the property. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. Ensuring that the animals who provide fairlife dairy products are cared for and cared about is a top priority for fairlife, reads Fairlifes website, while Fair Oaks Farms claims to be "committed to caring for our animals.". I have personally reached out to ARM's founder, Richard Couto, to discuss a more symbiotic relationship but he has yet to reach back. 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. I also take full responsibility to correct and ensure that every employee understands, embraces and practices the core values on which our organization stands. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. A full investigation of all aspects of the video is underway, during and after which disciplinary action will be taken, including termination and criminal prosecution, of any and all employees and managers who have violated either our animal care practices or the law or both. 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. Couto said the next video will allegedly show conversations the undercover investigator had with management acknowledging animal abuse. 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. 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. "We have been in contact with Fairlife about this situation and have full confidence in their management team to urgently address this issue with Fair Oaks Farms, which is a third-party supplier to Fairlife," Coca-Cola said in a statement. The Newton . The company's response to the first video as well as multiple grocers' quick removal of Fairlife products has signaled a change in public reaction where animals bred for dairy or even meat are concerned. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. 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. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. fairlife is committed to the humane and compassionate care of animals. As to the individual who worked for the transportation company, today, we will notify the company that he works for and he will not be allowed on our farms again. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. 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.. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. 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. That manager notified local law enforcement about the drug use and, accordingly, a police report is on file. UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Fair Oaks Farm Investigation. WATCH VIDEO We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". 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. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. Fair Oaks Farms has emotional response to abuse video - AGDAILY The settlement received preliminary approval by an Illinois federal judge on April 27. Slashing Methane Emissions by 45 Percent Is Crucial to Avoid Climate Catastrophe and Easy, Says UN Report. We didn't spur it on but we are glad it happened. 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 . 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. Fair Oaks Farms notified Fairlife that they immediately isolated dairy supply from the dairy identified in the video to suspend all sourcing from that location We fully support and respect the proactive approach that Fairlife and Fair Oaks Farms have taken and we continue to stay in contact with them to lend any support they need.". The video was brought to the attention of The Indiana State Board of Animal Health on Tuesday through social media, news stories and concerned citizens, according to Denise Derrer, the board's public information director. 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. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. While Fairlifes investigation went far more viral than any other undercover footage from a dairy farm has, there have been many other videos and documentaries revealing animal cruelty across the dairy industry and animal agriculture industry as a whole. In January 2020, Coca-Cola bought out its partners to take full ownership of Fairlife. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. 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. The abuse in the dairy industry is systematic., Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves, A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fairlife Dairy is facing a new lawsuit after employees were seen abusing calves and cows in undercover footage. Copyright 2023 Green Matters. 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 plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. 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. For further information on the progress of our commitments, visit http://fairoaksfarmsprogress.com.". Pending orders of Fairlife products were suspended at Family Express, according to a news release issued by the company. "Animal abuse in any form is not tolerated on US dairy farms," said Bjerga. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. 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. There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. Unfortunately, the fourth employee's animal abuse was not caught at that same time. Those poor calves #boycottfairlife. 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. Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . 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. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. Please subscribe to keep reading. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. 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Fair Oaks Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. Names released of 3 charged in Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse case Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". 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. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. 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. A 64-ounce jug of Market Pantry (Target's brand) milk is $2.39. 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. 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. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." And, when cows died of sickness, their dead bodies were dumped outside out of the view of those attending Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure tours; and once cows could no longer produce milk, they were sent to slaughter for meat or dog food.