No more Alberta Beef at Earl's

[btimbit]

"Alberta Beef" doesn't really have much weight in the rest of the world either. This change could have a lot to do with Earl's expanding pretty aggressively in the US

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

I've learned things today!

Eggs down here are a deep Yellow compared to Eggs I ate in Canada. Corn vs whatever the hell they feed chickens in Canada.

Not corn syrup.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by MattyC

For some reason I was under the impression that all Alberta beef was already raised this way by law (not necessarily the humane way, but without antibiotics etc...)

Is that just for dairy cows? Or am I flat wrong?

Not sure how it is now as I've been out of the industry for 10 years now, but antibiotics were legal as were steroids. There was a certain period of time that needed to pass between giving them antibiotics and sending them to slaughter.

Things might have changed though.

Canadian dairy is supposedly growth hormone free.

[Azure]

Also, there is a benefit in eating grass fed beef. Health wise.

As for antibiotics, the idea against it is that they are overused and at some point we won't be able to make new ones to kill diseases. Biggest problem is that they are used as preventive measures instead of as reactive medicine. Same problem exists with humans.

The steroid side is simply about making the animal bigger than how it normally would grow to be. Obviously the diet has a lot to do with that as well.

What I don't get is that 15 years ago my family was already involved in grass-fed, no antibiotics, no steroids, etc, etc beef and we were selling it to Montana's, Earls, etc.

So there are tons of Alberta ranchers that are doing it. Why Earls is going away from it is beyond me.

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

I've learned things today!

Eggs down here are a deep Yellow compared to Eggs I ate in Canada. Corn vs whatever the hell they feed chickens in Canada.

Lol... No they're not

[shermanator]

Well now I want a bulldog, THANKS NDP POLAK

[Locke]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Well now I want a bulldog, THANKS NDP POLAK

I think you can get them in Orange.

[Azure]

Eggs from free range chickens are often bigger and supposedly contain more nutrients, vitamins, protein, etc.

Of course that is why people go to farmers market to buy their food. And why that market is growing so fast. What I don't understand is why Earl's thinks Alberta Beef isn't good enough. On a general sense feedlot raised beef is raised in mass production mode, and therefore there is heavy antibiotic use, steroid use, poor diet and all that. But there are a lot of grassfed ranchers in Alberta that serve the rest of the market.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Azure

Eggs from free range chickens are often bigger and supposedly contain more nutrients, vitamins, protein, etc.

Of course that is why people go to farmers market to buy their food. And why that market is growing so fast. What I don't understand is why Earl's thinks Alberta Beef isn't good enough. On a general sense feedlot raised beef is raised in mass production mode, and therefore there is heavy antibiotic use, steroid use, poor diet and all that. But there are a lot of grassfed ranchers in Alberta that serve the rest of the market.

They're hopping on the 'Holier Than Thou' bandwagon while its the flavour of the week?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Brad Freeman?

Haha yep! We drove him crazy. It was all in goo fun, spent way too many Tuesday's there.

[MissTeeks]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Haha yep! We drove him crazy. It was all in goo fun, spent way too many Tuesday's there.

I also spent too many Tuesdays at that BP's.

[CroFlames]

Jason Kenny was roasting Earls on Twitter.

I like Kenny.

[calumniate]

Didn't read the whole thread, but I hope they still have earlatude!

[Hatter]

I hope they are slaughtered less humanely. Cows can't be trusted.

Spoiler!

[Stormageddon]

Originally Posted by Azure

Also, there is a benefit in eating grass fed beef. Health wise.

As for antibiotics, the idea against it is that they are overused and at some point we won't be able to make new ones to kill diseases. Biggest problem is that they are used as preventive measures instead of as reactive medicine. Same problem exists with humans.

The steroid side is simply about making the animal bigger than how it normally would grow to be. Obviously the diet has a lot to do with that as well.

What I don't get is that 15 years ago my family was already involved in grass-fed, no antibiotics, no steroids, etc, etc beef and we were selling it to Montana's, Earls, etc.

So there are tons of Alberta ranchers that are doing it. Why Earls is going away from it is beyond me.

That's the part that makes me laugh. People apparently don't realise how astronomically expensive antibiotics are, they figure farmers like to spend money and chase down their calves to vaccinate them for fun. Antibiotics are administered to help a sick animal recover, not to prevent sickness, the idea of which makes no sense at all really.

[bossy22]

Originally Posted by Azure

Eggs from free range chickens are often bigger and supposedly contain more nutrients, vitamins, protein, etc.

Of course that is why people go to farmers market to buy their food. And why that market is growing so fast. What I don't understand is why Earl's thinks Alberta Beef isn't good enough. On a general sense feedlot raised beef is raised in mass production mode, and therefore there is heavy antibiotic use, steroid use, poor diet and all that. But there are a lot of grassfed ranchers in Alberta that serve the rest of the market.

I heard the lady from Earls on CBC today. From what I understood, she acknowledged that there are some good ranches in Alberta, but they don't produce enough to fill the demand that Earls has.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Stormageddon

That's the part that makes me laugh. People apparently don't realise how astronomically expensive antibiotics are, they figure farmers like to spend money and chase down their calves to vaccinate them for fun. Antibiotics are administered to help a sick animal recover, not to prevent sickness, the idea of which makes no sense at all really.

I guess maybe you don't realize that's not the only thing antibiotics are used for. They are used as another way to promote growth and improve efficiency of feed. Obviously producers make money using them. And they are also used as prevention of herd disease.

[Wiggum_PI]

This Earl's stuff reminds me of the South Park episode, where they're trying to get a Whole Foods built.

NSFW!

[Stormageddon]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I guess maybe you don't realize that's not the only thing antibiotics are used for. They are used as another way to promote growth and improve efficiency of feed. Obviously producers make money using them. And they are also used as prevention of herd disease.

I don't know of any guys in our area administering antibiotics for prevention, unless you count squirting Ivermectin on their backs. And we have some of the biggest, most powerful calves you'll find around.

Choosing the right bloodlines is much easier.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Stormageddon

I don't know of any guys in our area administering antibiotics for prevention, unless you count squirting Ivermectin on their backs. And we have some of the biggest, most powerful calves you'll find around.

Choosing the right bloodlines is much easier.

While not anymore, many farms routinely added tetracycline to feed for cattle, ciprofloxacin was widely used in chick feed to increase yield, etc. One of the biggest contributors to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin resistance was agricultural use. At one point agriculture accounted for almost 99% of tetracycline use. That's way lower now