"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. Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. 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. Fair Oaks Farm, an agritourism destination, is located in Fair Oaks, off Interstate 65 in Newton County. 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. 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. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. Fair Oaks Farms is a museum, restaurant, gift shop and hotel built around a working dairy farm. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. Provided. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". Cut ties with the supplier? He said on Friday, ARM will release another video he described as an hour and a half of consistent abuse.. 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 law enforcement. 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. 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. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. 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. The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. A video released by an animal rights organization shows young calves being kicked in the head, dead calves' bodies piled together in the dirt , FAIR OAKS An audit of the dairy farms that make up Fair Oaks Farms indicates the farms are operating within the standards of the dairy indus. "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. Times staff writers Joseph S. Pete and Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, UPDATE: Death of Winfield woman ruled a homicide, coroner says, 2 Illinois men each sentenced to over 90 years for killing of Portage High School student, UPDATE: Parents discovered battered, deceased Winfield woman; remembered as 'amazing' nurse, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Kouts nurse practitioner found guilty of dodging federal payroll taxes, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. Further cases of animal abuse could provide momentum for animal-free offerings created by precision fermentation. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. 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. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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 . This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. 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. On June 4, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations. 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. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. 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. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. The animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms would not be the only potential wrongdoing eligible for action by Newton County prosecutors if a proposal , State leaders so far are staying mum following the release of undercover videos showing animal abuse committed by former Fair Oaks Farms emplo, CROWN POINT Charges filed Tuesday allege a Gary woman dragged a 5-year-old girl by the arm away from a playground and pushed the child to th. 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. The Dairy Report 061119. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. Fair Oaks Farms representatives said Saturday no other incidents have happened since the videos were released in 2019. 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.. 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. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. 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. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. "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.". Fair Oaks Farms is the flagship farm for Fairlife, a national brand of higher protein, higher calcium and lower fat milk that's produced at a network of dairy farms and distributed by Coca-Cola. 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. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms. Though videos showing animal abuse across different types of farms are not new, the initial Fair Oaks video release sparked a substantial outcry due to the company's history of promoting its own sustainable farming practices and animal welfare. But premium milk comes at a premium price. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. Fair Oaks, she said, is no longer in its supply chain. fairlife is committed to the humane and compassionate care of animals. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. | 2 p.m. Its not the farm, its the industry, Couto said. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? 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. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. "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. Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. 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. 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. Individuals across the country have been recently resharing the videos, calling for a boycott on Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife products. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. 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. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. It worked. In November 2019, The Times reported that at least eight federal lawsuits had been filed against Fairlifefrom across the country, including California, Florida and Indiana. In addition, Fairlife said they are immediately suspending milk deliveries from the dairy identified in the video. 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. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. 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.