Sometimes what makes a good photograph is some sort of visual oddity — something out of place so as to pique curiosity and beg for answers. The same can be said of the basis, or the catalyst, of a good story.

The first thing I noticed when walking into Crescent Foods’ conference room to interview the Halal processor’s executives for the cover story in the November magazine issue was a cowboy hat resting in the middle of the table. It struck me as odd; for one thing, the plant is next to Midway Airport in the most industrial, urban of settings. And secondly, I didn’t picture Muslims wearing cowboy hats.

The latter speaks to an ignorance that I carried into the building, right along with my laptop and digital recorder. The very last question in my interview was, in good fun, “OK, so what about the cowboy hats?” The reason why it was the last question was that it took a good hour and a half of conversation for me to overcome my own ignorance — to listen, to learn, and to find comfort in a rapport worthy of humorous banter.

Through the course of the interview I had learned so much more about what Halal is, and what it isn’t, and that some of the questions I had prepared were just, well, dumb. So, I audibled on a few, like the ones pertaining to historical U.S.-Middle East political relations and differences between Muslim and non-Muslim consumers.

The cowboy hats and leather vests worn by Ahmad Adam, a Jordanian who founded Crescent Foods in 1995, and his sons, Ibrahim Abed and Huthyfah Abed, were so much more than a funny aside or a gimmick. They were symbols of the family’s love of not only Texas, but of the American culture into which they’ve worked so hard to assimilate. And sure, the consumers they’re trying to reach might have different religious backgrounds and viewpoints, but all those consumers are looking for the same product attributes.

The success of Crescent Foods isn’t just measured in sales numbers, which have doubled in the last year; it’s in a consciousness and embrace of the concept of universality. Beyond a commonality among consumers in their product preferences, though, it’s an understanding that food brings everyone together — that supplying the meat and poultry that they want requires productive partnerships across a country that so often is divided by race, creed and politics.

In such fractious and uncertain times, we’re reminded of what matters not only in business, but also in life. In both, we need relationships that matter. We need trust. We need respect. We need understanding.

We’re also reminded that the power of food — the power of animal proteins — extends well beyond nutritional benefits; indeed, beyond the ability to nourish and sustain life, it has the power to bring different people to the table and enjoy a good meal together, in peace.

Cowboy hats aside, one of the most powerful things that struck me during my time at Crescent Foods was the lunch we all enjoyed at the end of my visit. As we dug in on a generous spread of offerings that included marinated lamb chops, beef kebab and chicken shawarma — as well as delicious hummus, baba ghanoush and other dips and sauces to enjoy with warm pita — there was a distinct and contented silence.

That said it all.

This article ran as the Editorial in the November issue of Meatingplace magazine.

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