Published by .
4 min read
Chickens slaughtered and sold by Farmer Focus suffer as terribly as those raised and killed by every other chicken company; Farmer Focus just tries harder to hide it from consumers. PETA already blasted the company for its bogus “humane” claim and its dubious “traceability” claim—but now, a new whistleblower is saying the company’s deception goes even deeper.
A Whistleblower Exposed Farmer Focus for Discharging High Levels of Pollutants in Wastewater
A whistleblower complained to state officials, claiming that workers at the Harrisonburg slaughter plant filtered wastewater samples to reduce the amounts of harmful particles in them before submitting them to state authorities. A subsequent investigation by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Regional Sewer Authority (HRRSA) has resulted in four Notices of Violation this year alone for violations that include overly acidic wastewater and high levels of “total suspended solids,” organic materials, and nitrogen in their sewer water, which eventually ends up in the North River, the Shenandoah River, and the Chesapeake Bay.
In other words, the plant has consistently pumped out particles like chicken fat, grease, blood, feces, and more in amounts that are far beyond the allowed limits. These particles can harm public infrastructure and deplete oxygen in waterways, causing harm to aquatic life, and introduce pathogens like E. coli into the public wastewater system. Despite this, Farmer Focus continues to market the chicken flesh it sells as “sustainable.”
The HRRSA has increased their monitoring of the plant and has repeatedly found that their measurements of these disgusting, harmful particles are much higher than they are in the samples Farmer Focus has provided—lending credence to the whistleblower’s claim that the company falsified samples.
Farmer Focus Brand Owner Purchased Factory-Farmed Meat
According to two invoices, Shenandoah Valley Organic (d/b/a Farmer Focus) bought more than 50,000 pounds of chicken from massive producer, George’s, Inc., and the whistleblower alleges the company resold the factory-farmed flesh. Farmer Focus has built its brand on—and commands premium pricing for— claims that it operates differently from conventional chicken flesh producers, and that it is not “associated with … any other companies.” Sourcing chicken flesh from other producers flies in the face of Farmer Focus’s claim that “[a]ll of [its] chickens are processed in USDA Organic facilities owned by Shenandoah Valley Organic, Home of Farmer Focus Organic Chicken in Harrisonburg, Virginia.”
Chickens raised at George’s contract farms spend their lives confined to cramped indoor sheds, and their entire existence is not just unnatural, but utter misery of intensive confinement and deprivation.
Chickens Killed for Their Flesh Suffer Regardless of the Label
Chickens are arguably the most abused animals on the planet. Every year, U.S. slaughterhouses kill more than 9 billion chickens, who are crammed onto trucks when they are only a few weeks old and experience a terror-filled journey to the slaughterhouse through all weather extremes, regardless of whether or not there is a “humane” label on their packaged flesh.
Whistleblowers from Farmer Focus have already reported:
- Conscious birds drowning in overfilled “stunning baths”
- Birds still alert and struggling frantically as they approached an automated blade, resulting in gashes on their faces and bodies
- Employees often botching the manual cutting of birds’ throats
- Many chickens were still alive and aware when their heads were pulled off
George’s slaughterhouses also have an appalling track record. Public records obtained by PETA reveal that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has repeatedly warned George’s for incidents including a worker “forcefully” throwing a live chicken against a wall and running over another with a forklift, more than 2,500 chickens found dead after being left overnight on trucks in temperatures as low as 37 degrees, birds drowning in hot water, thousands of birds dying of heat stroke on transport trucks en route to its slaughterhouses, and a bird “buried up to the neck” in feces. Some chickens have even been burned alive at their slaughterhouses.
The label may change—but the suffering does not. Whether chicken flesh carries a “humane,” “traceable,” or any other label, or are sourced from a conventional supplier, the animals endure the same systemic cruelty when exploited for food.
Chickens Shouldn’t Suffer: Here’s How You Can Make a Difference
Every animal is someone. Chickens deserve so much better than the deceptive labels “humane” and “welfare” certifiers slap on the packaging of their broken bodies. Don’t trust the label—trust your values.
Instead of supporting the killing of billions of birds, you can enjoy chicken-free wings, nuggets, or a patty. There are loads of vegan chicken meals to try that will wow your taste buds without harming any chickens.
Discussion about this post