Earls Restaurant Beef Backlash

[grassfarmer]

When he says that it tastes better than beef not "humanely" treated then I say BULLSHIT. Subjective statements like that should be challenged...what he is doing is promotion for promotion's sake.

And how is that any different from the ABP/CCA guy standing saying Alberta beef or Canadian beef is the best in the world? Hollow rhetoric from organizations funded by checkoff dollars that are not innovative or visionary, just content to float along in mediocrity.

[greybeard]

I'm going to speculate that this beef is delivered in Kansas with a signed affidavit.
Defined as;Affidavit definition, a written declaration upon oath made before an authorized official.
We have a similar but maybe more cumbersome system referred to as tractability. Ours was sold as a much superior model.
So much for that.

[greybeard]

Should read trace-ability.

[hobbyfrmr]

All ranchers/cattleman I know do not use hormone implants and medicate with antibiotics only when necessary. These actions occur after the cattle leave the farm.
This said, I am willing to bet several rancher and cattleman qualify for these programs if they were to inquire about the qualfications instead of boycotting a restaraunt they would goto once every six months.
Like 15444 I really like A&W for the substance and taste of their burgers and onion rings.

[seabass]

I bet that fat little hobbit on the A&W commercials can't say he has never taken antibiotics.

[Oliver88]

Earl's is dead to me for throwing ranchers under the bus to appears some hipsters who likely don't eat beef. On the 620 CKRM Sportscage they were playing "Goodbye Earl" and promoting the Keg so if the sports announcers are noting how ridiculous Earls is it will be more people than just farmers.

Chipotle has travelled down this road of misleading perceptions and are now feeling the consequences of health concerns in many of their restaurants.

[sumdumguy]

Its all about marketing. This trend is taking off. If you want to play the game, you gotta anti-up.

[riders2010]

If you took antibiotics every day you wouldn't need to go tot the doctor for awhile but when you finally did get sick no use going as there wouldn't be anything a doc could give you
That is the problem.

Also I agree most cow calf people do a great job raising cattle. But once gone to the feedlots that's where the problem exists.
Is it the antibiotics or the steroids that make the feedlot beef that you buy in the store taste terrible sometimes? Because what I buy from my neighbor and what I buy at the store are way different taste.

[farmaholic]

If its any consolation, that place is a trendy yuppy hangout.....I am soooo out of my element at those types of places......and they have shitty value. I don't like eating anywhere where I have to crawl up into my chair and expect tips for shitty value and service. In regards to restaurant food...it takes alot to impress me because we eat quite good at home..... better, healthier, and cheaper.

[wmoebis]

Agree Riders. Don't know of anyone that got sick picking and eating a fresh fruit vegtable or cereal grain. It is the processing that spreads diseases. Farmers have a great quality control system it is industry that wrecks it for us.

[makar]

Never ate beef till i was 14, wonder all them moose killed with a 30.30 savage wīll come back to haunt me.

[Hamloc]

So many issues here. I will pick one, Earls states that it cannot get enough beef sourced under specific quality assurance program. Part of my farming career was raising hogs for 25 years. The last 7 or 8 years I was in it we were required to be in the Alberta Quality Assurance program to sell our hogs. The key here is that it cost money for vet visits and created extra paper work but as a producer the value of my product did not change. As farmers we are quite often asked to improve our management or increase our paper work without any financial reward. This leads to less than enthusiastic buy in by producers. I think chasing certain markets on a niche basis can be done with added value, doing it on an industry wide basis historically has offered little return. Have a good day:-)

[cottonpicken]

I have never seen such an obvious paradigm shift.

[SASKFARMER3]

Earls and A&W are playing on emotions of Urban people who most know jack shit.
Eat a sick animal.
Or sing it a song before it gets killed.
God people are stupid.
But companies like Earls and A&W don't give a shit about farmers its all about the money. Follow the money and I bet its about cheaper meat in both cases to source.

[bucket]

Hamloc

Good comment.

All the money farmers have poured into equipment also doesn't guarantee better returns.

We are still competing against people producing crops with garden hoes and the old discers that made many farmers a shitload of money are being exported.