"The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. On Monday, the Newton County Sheriff's Office announced that three people have been charged with animal cruelty. Provided. 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. Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. 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. FAIR OAKS, Ind. "This is rare," Couto said. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. 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. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". 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.. 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. {{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, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, History Channel's 'American Pickers' coming back to Indiana, looking for people with antiques, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. 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. Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? 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. Derrer told TODAY that prior to the first video's release, her office had never received a complaint about Fair Oaks Farms. 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. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. 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. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. But now, nearly three years later, consumers are wondering how Fairlife treats cows in the wake of the scandal, and if Fairlife still abuses cows in 2021. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please subscribe to keep reading. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. 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. 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.. 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). "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". "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. 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. Fair Oaks, a sprawling dairy farm, was launched in 2004 by Mike and Sue McCloskey, who are also co-founders of Select Milk. The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. 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. 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. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. 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). 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. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Warning: the video is very disturbing. We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of the Fairlife investigation. An undercover video provided by Animal Recovery Mission shows workers allegedly abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. 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. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. Mike Withers has returned as president of Jewel-Osco after the last president stepped down after little more than a year in the job. Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. Coca-Cola said in a statement that it takes animal welfare seriously and expects "suppliers to operate with the highest degree of integrity and comply with all laws, including animal welfare laws." 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. Fairlife has not sourced milk from Fair Oaks since the 2019 incident, the brand said. As a veterinarian whose life and work is dedicated to the care, comfort and safety of all animals, this has affected me deeply. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. Consumers worried about supporting farms with inhumane practices may look for these brands and labels, which designate dairy producers that comply with the ASPCA's standards. 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. 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. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. It also generally costs more. Cathy Siegner Check out our guides to the most eco-friendly non-dairy milks, the best non-dairy milks for baking, pea milk, pistachio milk, and oat milk. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. That manager notified local law enforcement about the drug use and, accordingly, a police report is on file. 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. Sour Milk. People all over the world were horrified to see evidence of such unnecessary abuse at the farm. 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. 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. 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. You have permission to edit this article. 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. 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 Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. You can also make plans to watch the upcoming documentary Milked, which is all about the dairy industry, its impacts on the environment, and what needs to be done to turn things around. Those wishing to report any suspected animal cruelty can call 219-474-5661 or 219-234-7014, the department's tip line. 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. 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 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 . USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. The Idaho native and University of Idaho grad has been with The Times since 2019. The group released the video documenting the alleged animal abuse nearly a year later.