Sonoma cheesemaker Laura Chenel says it has cut off an Oregon milk supplier after animal-rights group PETA released footage it alleges shows widespread neglect and abuse at the farm. The Sonoma County based creamery has severed ties with Grand Barr Dairy in Nyssa and says it will review animal-care practices at all partner farms. Buyers, reporters and local authorities are now circling the operation while prosecutors decide what to do next.
What PETA Says It Found At Grand Barr Dairy
PETA says its investigator worked at Grand Barr Dairy from Aug. 17 through Oct. 5, following a whistleblower complaint the group received in early July. The organization released video and photos it says show goats with severely overgrown hooves, pronounced lameness, untreated infections, emaciation and multiple young goats found dead within weeks. “Goats at Grand Barr Dairy were left to suffer and die in filthy pens,” PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden said in a news release, as detailed by PETA.
How Laura Chenel Cut Ties And Launched Reviews
Laura Chenel confirmed it has stopped sourcing milk from Grand Barr Dairy and told the Sonoma Index‑Tribune that it has fully terminated the relationship with the family-owned supplier. The company says it will carry out comprehensive reviews of all partner farms to make sure its animal-care standards and humane-certification requirements are being met. The creamery has not yet given a timetable for those reviews or said whether any existing product on store shelves could be affected.
PETA’s Timeline And Outreach To The Company
PETA says it contacted Laura Chenel about its investigation in November and estimates the herd at Grand Barr Dairy numbered roughly 200 to 250 animals during the probe, according to the group’s release. The organization also says it met with the Malheur County sheriff in early October and that one goat removed from the farm later had to be euthanized on a veterinarian’s recommendation. In its news release, the group urges retailers and buyers to reconsider sourcing from the operation until its animal-care practices are independently verified, and it includes photos and video of what the investigator says was found on site. PETA reported those details.
Legal Review Now Underway In Oregon
The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office cited and released Aaron T. Barr on Oct. 28 on suspicion of second-degree animal neglect and referred the case to the Malheur County district attorney, which has asked the Oregon Department of Justice for assistance, the Sonoma Index‑Tribune reported. According to the paper, its reporters were unable to reach the dairy’s owners for comment. Prosecutors will now review the sheriff’s investigative file to decide whether to pursue criminal charges.
What It Means For A Sonoma Staple
Laura Chenel is a longstanding Sonoma brand that buys milk from a network of family farms across California and nearby states, and the company says it will re-evaluate those partnerships in light of the allegations. With national distribution and a reputation as a pioneer of American chèvre, its decision to cut a supplier lands with extra weight for local shoppers and food-industry buyers. As noted in a recent industry release, the company regularly appears at trade shows and highlights its ties to family farms; see the Specialty Food Association release for background.
For now, Laura Chenel says milk from Grand Barr Dairy will stay out of its supply while it conducts partner reviews and while county and state officials continue to examine the allegations. As the company and prosecutors work through their respective investigations, retailers and consumers are waiting to see what further statements are issued and whether prosecutors move ahead with charges.
