Over here at Diestel we are thrilled to ring in 2021 and look forward to a bright new year ahead. Like most, we are taking inventory of the shenanigans of 2020 and finding ways to grow, reset our priorities and share gratitude for our customers and team.
But before we dive into 2021, we wanted to take a moment to update you on the ongoing litigation with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and their blatant misrepresentation of our farm, family and practices. Since 2015, this group has spread many misleading statements, videos and press-releases that blatantly misrepresent our practices. And as you most likely know we have provided numerous statements, third-party validations and full transparency to all of the claims this group has made.
Today however we are thrilled to share that the Alameda County Superior Court entered final judgment in favor of Diestel and against Direct Action Everywhere. The court found that there was “not one scintilla of evidence” that our birds had been deprived proper care. Quite to the contrary, the evidence established that the unique construction of our barns provide fresh air and sunlight for our birds and that “our birds receive a level of care and attention most turkey producers never attain”. Additionally, in the middle of trial DxE was forced to abandon their most outrageous and false claims regarding illicit drug and chemical use, as the evidence clearly supported our ‘No Antibiotics Ever’ raising practices. This final judgment includes a permanent injunction against DxE and everyone associated the organization.
Unfortunately, this great news of total victory has been tempered a bit by the fact that we recently learned the same lawyer involved in this first lawsuit just filed two identical lawsuits in federal court in Northern California and New Mexico. These new actions are based on precisely the same underlying allegations and unsupported evidence of wrongdoing that were previously asserted by DxE. We feel these most recent filings have absolutely no merit and we will again defend ourselves and practices against these spurious allegations.
It goes without saying that we are sorely disappointed in this news. Our family will not allow groups such as DxE and attorneys to misrepresent all the hard work we do to supply thoughtfully raised turkeys to our customers. For over 70-years, we have pioneered and refined our farming and manufacturing practices. Together with our customers we have grown as a company and for the next 70-years we will continue to do turkey one way, which we think is the right way. This is what we call the Diestel Difference and this is a promise to always be – not the biggest – but the BEST. We will vigorously defend our family, our industry, our farms, our teams and our birds against unscrupulous activist groups and the same attorneys who unsuccessfully attempt to misrepresent our practices.
As always, we welcome your questions and look forward to your feedback. We sit today refreshed on the perspective of a brand new year and we hope you’ll join us in our mission to bring the best turkeys to market, to advance the art of independent family-owned farming and move our industry forward in a positive direction. Thank you for your unyielding support – cheers to 2021!
