ELLINGTON, Conn. — Owners of Connecticut's largest dairy farm have been forced to defend their reputation as animal welfare advocates say their undercover investigation revealed ”suffering cows."
Oakridge Dairy in Ellington has been around for more than 130 years and has always been family-owned and operated. They are also known for their modern-day milk-to-table delivery service called The Modern Milkman.
A video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, claims to depict deplorable conditions. It is set to somber music and contains voice alteration edits. PETA calls Oakridge Farm a “Dystopian dairy factory.”
“We have nothing to hide,” said Seth Bahler, the CEO of Oakridge Dairy. “Activist groups that come in and think they know how to run our business are very frustrating for us because we do this every day."
The dairy farm owners said most of what is depicted is edited out of context and surreptitiously gathered during a fun community event.
“It looks like it was taken during our farm day in the field,” Brie Hyde said.
Hyde is the farm’s officer responsible for making sure rules and regulations are followed.
She offered a tour of what PETA refers to as a “robotic milking machine,” which is quite literally a milking merry-go-round. It automates the milking process in a safe and efficient way. Milk samples are tested for quality.
“The milk will go out to a lab and tell us butter fat, protein, bacteria count,” Hyde explained.
The tour also included what PETA called a “concrete-floored mega-shed," which is the main living area at Oakridge Diary. Think of it as a cow hotel. There are nearly 2,600 cows inside the state-of-the-art facility that was built for a boring life of routine.
“Cows are creatures of habit so they want a quiet content life,” Bahler said.
The facility keeps the cows shaded, calm and cool.
“There’s 180 fans across the back wall pulling air through,” Bahler explained. “We have veterinarians walking through the pens all day.”
PETA has also taken issue with a facility that looks like a big balloon in the back of the property. They claim that what takes place in that building “poisons the water, air, and soil.”
It is actually an anaerobic digester which converts cow manure into methane gas through a fermentation process. The gas is then captured and purified before it is ultimately used to supply homes with heat.
“Waste to energy,” Bahler said. “Dairy farms specifically are the definition of sustainability.”
He said it is their mission to be good stewards of the environment.
PETA issued Oakridge Dairy a cease-and-desist letter for what they say are “deceptive marketing claims” for the use of the word “happy” to describe their cows. Oakridge Dairy said they haven’t decided if they will continue to use the word happy, but they do know they won’t be letting PETA discredit their family name or service to the Connecticut agricultural community.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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