On June 4th, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations to date. Initiating in 2018, an ARM undercover investigator captured surveillance evidence of the systematic and horrific animal abuse that is occurring at the Fair Oaks Farm’s Dairy Farm Adventures, located in Indiana, USA.
Owned and operated by Mike and Sue McCloskey, under the Fair Life Corporation, Fair Oaks Farms not only stands as one of the largest dairy farm corporations in the United States, but it has also repeatedly and publicly, prided itself as ‘acting as a window to the agriculture world’ by providing complete transparency into the everyday operations of a dairy farm.
Every year, Fair Oak Farms educates millions of people and provides public tours of the entire process dairy process of farm to table. On the Fair Life website, it states that (the animals are) “Always in Good Hands”. Despite these claims, ARM revealed what it considers to be, the first realistic and honest audit of the Fair Oaks Farm and Fair Life Corporation’s operations, including the daily mistreatment of the resident farm animals. Information that has been hidden from the public.
ARM’s investigation of Fair Oaks Farms Dairy Adventures also exposed a connection to the cruel and inhumane veal industry where male calves are transported to locations in North Manchester from Fair Oaks Farms.
Fair Oaks Farms is one of several dairies belonging to Select Milk Producers Inc, who is also the producer of the Fairlife label. Fair Life and Coco-Cola additionally have a joint venture with Select Milk including Fair Life Milk, Core Power, and YUP dairy products which are sold in major grocery chains nationwide.
Click here to read ARM’s Entire report to learn more about the animal cruelty and abuse that the dairy cows of Fair Oaks Farms are subjected to on a daily basis.
As consumers, you can make your voices heard by contacting Fair Oaks Farms, Publix and Coca Cola and demand that these products, and companies cease supporting this incredibly cruel treatment upon dairy cows.
One of the most significant ways that the public can contribute to change in this industry is to choose plant- based choices and discontinue the consumption of dairy products.
“In our 10 years of being undercover, we have never seen such consistent, constant abuse to a newborn baby animal,” ARM Founder Richard Couto says in the video. ARM describes itself online as a “nonprofit investigative organization dedicated to eliminating severe animal cruelty operations.”
“Employees were observed slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, throwing and slamming calves,” ARM said in a statement. “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.”
The Coca-Cola Corporation, which distributes Fairlife products, also said in a statement it has been in contact with Fairlife about the situation and has “full confidence in their management team to urgently address this issue with Fair Oaks Farms, which is a third-party supplier to Fairlife.”
“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,” Coca-Cola said in a statement. “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.”
Brian West Publix Media & Community Relations Manager said, “We were recently made aware of allegations of animal abuse at a supplier to the Fairlife brand. Like you, we are disturbed by the images and shocked by the cruelty shown toward the animals. Because we are committed to the humane treatment and care of animals, we have reached out to our supplier to discuss these serious allegations. We have been assured that a thorough investigation is being conducted to determine what corrective actions should be taken. We remain focused on collaborating with our suppliers to advance efforts that continuously improve the safety and well-being of all animals.”
Jewel-Osco said it plans to remove all Fairlife products from its shelves after an undercover video was made public this week showing “the inhumane treatment of animals” at Indiana’s Fair Oaks Farms.
“At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of our business, and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld,” the grocery chain said in a statement Wednesday. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Chick-fil-a has agreement to make Greek yogurt parfaits with Fairlife (Fair Oak Farms) since 2015
Chick-fil-a a Christian base company states on their website founder Truett Cathy saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose – a practice we uphold today.
According to Chick-fil-a they are looking to this.
Southeastern Grocers which owns BI-LO. Fresco, Harveys and Winn Dixie failed to comment for this article.