For the past 30 years, Organic Valley has prided itself on its humane treatment of animals. They’ve consistently pushed the industry standard in providing high-quality dairy products farmed using cruelty-free methods. And they just cashed in on the 30 years of anti-animal cruelty goodwill that they’ve amassed by heaving a live calf into a jet engine.
Well, fair enough.
While other food providers would be rightfully excoriated for hurling a 2-month-old calf named Emma into the engine of a Boeing 737, Organic Valley’s unblemished history of free-range farming practices has earned them a pass this one time. They’re responsible for so many animals living happy and healthy lives over the years that we can all look the other way on them flinging a lone calf into a plane engine while all of the company’s 850 employees watched.
Yes, the act was cruel in itself, but this Wisconsin-based co-op had so much goodwill banked that they could have even smushed a few pigs with a steamroller and it still would’ve been in bounds. That’s how fantastic Organic Valley has been to its animals over the years, minus this one thing with the calf. Frankly, if this is how Organic Valley chose to cash in all those years of holding themselves to the highest standards of care for their animals, no one has the right to take them to task over this one-time, calf-heaved-into-jet-engine situation.
“Here at Organic Valley, we believe that we’ve truly proved our commitment to raising animals in humane conditions,” said the company in a statement released earlier today. “And now that we’ve got this all out of our system, we’re looking forward to 30 more years of cruelty-free farming.”
We applaud Organic Valley for their wonderful treatment of animals over the years, and are fully accepting of their desire to break from that mold just this once. After launching that baby cow into a jet engine, they are now right back at square one, with every other factory farm in this country. Here’s hoping they can meticulously rebuild their reputation of progressive farm practices over the next few decades to the point where they’ve earned the right to toss another animal into a plane’s engine for no reason!
