• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
HealthWhole Foods

Activists Alleges ‘Horrific Conditions’ At Whole Foods Turkey Supplier

By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 24, 2015, 3:14 PM ET
California Turkey Farm Raises Mainstay Of Thanksgiving Dinner
SONOMA, CA - NOVEMBER 24: With less than one week before Thanksgiving, a turkey stands in a barn at the Willie Bird Turkey Farm November 24, 2008 in Sonoma, California. An estimated forty-five million turkeys are cooked and eaten during annual Thanksgiving meals in the United States. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Photograph by Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This article has been updated to reflect additional information from the Diestel Turkey Ranch.

As many Americans flock to grocery stores for turkey in preparation for Thanksgiving Day, one activist group is seeking to make sure consumers think twice before shopping at Whole Foods.

Direct Action Everywhere, an animal liberation advocacy group, released a report on Tuesday alleging that one of Whole Foods’ turkey suppliers, Diestel Turkey Ranch, concocted “an elaborate scheme to deceive customers about the horrific conditions” on their grounds. Activist investigator Wayne Hsiung said in a press conference that he discovered “thousands of birds crammed into dark, filthy sheds” at a Diestel facility, where he says many animals were ill and dying.

Direct Action Everywhere international campaign coordinator Priya Sawhney said that the group plans to protest at Whole Foods stores across the country this weekend.

The report portrays Diestel’s Sonora, Calif. ranch—which has the highest animal-welfare rating from Whole Foods of a 5+—as a “showcase farm” that does not actually raise any turkeys that Whole Food sells. But farmer Heidi Diestel says Direct Action Everywhere has it wrong: turkeys raised at the founding ranch in Sonora are sold to Whole Foods and other retailers.

The investigators say they spent time at an “actual” Diestel plant in Jamestown, Calif., where they allege that they found “birds trapped in feces…a half foot deep in some places.” The report described birds with eyes swollen shut, open wounds, and no access to the outdoors. Diestel confirmed that it does have a turkey ranch in Jamestown, which is ranked lower on Whole Foods’ animal-welfare rankings than the Sonora plant. With a 3 ranking, the ranch is still required to provide access to the outdoors, though only during daylight hours in a favorable climate. Diestel disputed the allegations in the report, saying that the farms are “committed to animal welfare and transparency.” The farm was required to keep the turkeys inside this year, Diestel said, to reduce the spread of avian flu.

“It seems very clear that the mission of Direct Action Everywhere is to end farm animal agriculture and meat consumption completely,” Diestel said in a statement. “While this organization will likely never support turkey farming, for those that do, Diestel strives to be a choice that its customers can feel proud to stand behind.”

She added that the photos in the Direct Action Everywhere report depicting what seemed to be crowded conditions could be deceptive since turkeys tend to crowd together when they’re startled. “If a picture was taken at that moment, it would show the turkeys very close together, when in actuality, they have much more room to share.”

Whole Foods stood behind its supplier, saying in a statement: “Within hours of this video being brought to our attention, Whole Foods Market sent an expert team to evaluate the conditions of the Diestel farm. Our team found that the conditions were not as they were portrayed in the video.”

 

 

 

About the Author
By Claire Groden
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Health

The American Heart Association has a new number for daily coffee—and a warning if you go over it
Successlifestyle
The American Heart Association has a new number for daily coffee—and a warning if you go over it
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 22, 2026
3 hours ago
The Best Fiber Supplements of 2026: Tested and Reviewed
HealthDietary Supplements
The Best Fiber Supplements of 2026: Tested and Reviewed
By Christina SnyderJuly 21, 2026
14 hours ago
A family crisis inspired Bill Ackman to spend $260 million to create a massive brain research institute in Manhattan
InnovationBill Ackman
A family crisis inspired Bill Ackman to spend $260 million to create a massive brain research institute in Manhattan
By Jeff John RobertsJuly 21, 2026
15 hours ago
traffic
HealthAutos
Rich countries have cut road deaths by more than 30% in 30 years—but about 90% of fatal crashes now happen in poorer nations
By Mike Stobbe and The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
21 hours ago
Three women chop their way into the record books at Lumberjack World Championships
North AmericaWisconsin
Three women chop their way into the record books at Lumberjack World Championships
By The Associated Press and Ellen SchmidtJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Ferran Torres
SuccessWorld Cup
Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the World Cup—but just four years ago, he was in therapy and stuck in a ‘bottomless pit’
By Emma BurleighJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
14 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
18 hours ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
19 hours ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.