When confronted by animal rights activists at Sunday cookbook signing, celebrity chef Tyler Florence yelped and fled towards a nearby building.
But the Food Network star couldn’t escape for long, as activists from Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) showed up at his house on Tuesday night to demand he cut ties from Sonoma-based farm Petaluma Poultry, according to the animal rights group.
Petaluma Poultry, a subsidiary of poultry giant Perdue Farms, has become a frequent target of DxE over alleged violations of animal cruelty laws. The group has especially protested Florence, who is featured on Petaluma Poultry’s website.
In 2018, DxE released images showing allegedly sick birds laying across the floor at a facility they allege is run by one of Petaluma Poultry’s contractors.
Perdue Farms denied the group’s allegations of cruelty, saying that the company is a leader in animal welfare.
“The group Direct Action Everywhere is an extreme and divisive group, and they have been sharing claims about Petaluma Poultry and Perdue that are completely untrue,” a company spokesperson said Thursday. “Animals raised for Petaluma Poultry are held to very high standards.”
Zoe Rosenberg, one of DxE’s activists, is currently facing felony charges in Sonoma County for allegedly dressing as a factory worker, breaking into Petaluma Poultry and removing chickens in June 2023.
“If Tyler Florence had seen what I’ve seen in Petaluma Poultry factory farms and its slaughterhouse, he would agree this criminal animal abuse is unacceptable,” Rosenberg said in a statement Monday.
Florence has not responded to a request for comment.
Direct Action Everywhere said they are planning to continue protests against Petaluma Poultry later this week, with plans to rally outside the College Avenue Safeway in Oakland on Friday.
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