Hillandale Farms Statement on Undercover Video
June 9, 2015, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - For more than 50 years, Hillandale Farms’ commitment to the
well-being of our hens and to the production of safe, high-quality eggs has remained strong.
While that commitment has not changed, we were disturbed to learn Hillandale Farms has been the
target of an undercover video taken by an animal rights activist who was unknowingly hired on our
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, farm.
Our standards were compromised by an activist who was hired as an employee and is no longer with our
farm. He chose to disregard the required farm procedures in the barn for which he was responsible –
the same barn where the video was taken. It was this individual’s job to identify and address the types
of issues shown in the video, and he did not adequately perform his job requirements.
Our beliefs that this is an intentional and isolated incident are confirmed by an independent review of
our farm by experts in egg safety and hen well-being, as well as high marks on federal and state audits.
Following our review, Hillandale Farms invited an ABC Nightline reporter and producer for an on-camera
tour of the barn in the undercover video. The reporter also interviewed Dr. Gregory Martin of Penn
State University, a recognized national egg safety and hen care expert, as well as members of our
management team. Hillandale Farms provided ABC with copies of federal and state audits showing
excellent results for this farm.
While the images on the video are disturbing, our review has affirmed that Hillandale Farms’ food safety
and hen care programs remain solid. Hillandale Farms believes in continuous improvement, and we have
already put measures in place to improve our processes, expand training for our team members and to
invest in equipment upgrades that further enhance our production operations.
At Hillandale Farms, our family and employees take great pride in the quality of eggs we produce, as
well as our high standards our farm has long-held for hen care and egg safety. The commitment remains
as strong today as ever.