Thanks to the Earls restaurant chain for giving us a new definition of insanity, by becoming a restaurant, based in western Canada, that gets its beef from Kansas.
Earls drew the ire of many in western Canada when they announced they would switch to beef that鈥檚 accredited by the Humane Farm Animal Care organization as Certified Humane, even though it meant turning their back on western Canadian cattle producers, which provide a superior product. The restaurant chain also insulted beef producers in the west in the process.
Thankfully, Earls has flip-flopped somewhat, as they announced they will bring back Canadian beef into their restaurants, working with Alberta farms to build a supply of beef that meets the restaurant chain鈥檚 criteria.
They failed to mention whether they will draw on beef from other Canadian provinces, including Saskatchewan, which has about one-third of the nation鈥檚 cattle herd.
It鈥檚 disappointed that it took a significant backlash for Earls to come to their senses, but common sense has prevailed.
Earls original decision reeked of a smokescreen, and it should have left people pondering whether they were making a 鈥渉umane decision.鈥� They didn鈥檛 consult with Canadian cattle producers when they switched to Kansas cattle. They didn鈥檛 seem to care that Canadian cattle producers have the capability to meet the requirements that Earls has seemingly brought forward.
It was troubling that Canadian cattle producers couldn鈥檛 get a fair shot from a successful Canadian restaurant that has traditionally served quality food in a nice atmosphere.
It was also an insult to western Canadian farmers.
Earls can claim that they didn鈥檛 mean to slight our cattle producers with this decision, but to the public, it sent the message that Canadian cattle producers are not using humane practices. Well, a cattle producer doesn鈥檛 have to give Humane Farm Animal Care its money, and submit to that organization鈥檚 standards, to be using humane practices. Most Canadian cattle producers will go above and beyond the standards that Certified Humane has established.
Many people in the big cities, such as Vancouver, who tend to be clueless when it comes to food production, and who worship at the golden calf of organizations like Certified Humane, are going to believe that western Canadian cattle producers are inferior, and that Canadian farmers don鈥檛 have the same standards for treating their cattle.
Some people are gullible enough to believe anything when it fits their agenda.
Thirteen years ago, Canadian cattle producers faced a crisis when the U.S. and other borders were closed to Canadian cattle, after one cow was diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Many western Canadians rallied around cattle producers. Many companies switched their supply to strictly Canadian beef. And they proudly touted their decision. Those who continued to rely on American cattle faced boycotts.
Canadian restaurants know they should only be serving Canadian beef 鈥� the best beef there is.
