Our Story

Spragg’s Meat Shop has grown and developed significantly since it’s beginning, but, like most successful business ventures, it all started with a wish.

In 2002, after working in the commercial hog industry for two years, Greg Spragg’s dream to raise pigs of his own had solidified. On Greg’s birthday, his wife Bonnie gave him the gift that kept on giving. She surprised him with three little pigs, the first of many. By summer’s end, Greg and Bonnie had raised 75 pigs to market weight. 50 pigs were sold, leaving 25 for breeding stock.

By November 2005, Greg and Bonnie’s vision continued to grow as Spragg’s Meat Shop officially opened its doors. Expanding into processing allowed Greg and Bonnie to raise their hogs, process them and market their pork products all within Rosemary, Alberta. While Spragg’s Meat Shop is the main processing and retail outlet for Spragg’s free-range pork, you can also shop at the Farmers Markets and select grocery stores in Calgary and area.

Greg and Bonnie are proud of the pigs that they raise. They would never consider putting up a barn after seeing the benefits of raising hogs outside. When pigs are allowed to live and grow in a natural environment, they develop personalities and even attitudes.

Sunlight, fresh air and an open pasture do amazing things for the pork flavour. It tastes better knowing that the pigs were happily raised in a low stress environment. Spragg’s Meat Shop works hard to produce the best pork for you, from the day the pigs are born, to the day the pork chops are cut, bacon is smoked and the roast is marinated. We hope that you get as much enjoyment eating our pork as we do getting it to your table.

On The Farm

Greg and Bonnie started farming at their present location in Rosemary, Alberta in March 2002. At this time, they were raising approximately 700 market hogs per year on their farm, with anywhere from 250-350 hogs on the pasture at one time.

In order to increase production to meet the growing demand for their free range, happy pigs, they partnered with another local hog producer who supplies all of their little pigs. The babies are born year round inside. Once they reach fifty pounds, the pigs come to the Spragg family farm and are put into their free-range environment. The pigs continue to be antibiotic free, with only plant protein diets throughout their lives. Pastures are seeded with annual grasses to increase grazing time for the pigs. In the colder months, the pigs get straw and alfalfa hay to keep the forage component in their diets.

The Spragg family’s farm has 200 acres of irrigated land, where crops of barley and faba beans are grown to later grind into the necessary pig feed.

At The Meat Shop

The main processing and retail outlet for Spragg’s Meat Shop’s free-range, natural pork is in Rosemary Alberta. The meat shop prepares Spragg’s free-range pork for the farmers’ markets, retail locations and restaurant and wholesale customers. Between the processing facility in Rosemary and the farmers’ market locations in Calgary, there are 20 employees.

Spragg’s Meat Shop opened in November 2005. Due to increasing demand for their product, a new, larger facility opened in Rosemary in 2014. Spragg’s Meat Shop’s free-range pork can now be found not only at farmers’ markets, but also in many grocery stores in Calgary and area. Check out your nearest natural grocery store, or one of the Calgary Co-op locations, to purchase Spragg’s Meat Shop’s free-range pork.

Awards

•    Calgary Chamber of Commerce 2017 – Environmental Stewardship Award
•    Alberta Food Awards 2015 – Best in Protein
•    Alberta Food Processors Association Meat Convention 2014 – People’s Choice Award
•    Brooks Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards 2013 – Customer Service Award (BJ Hasper)
•    County of Newell 2013 – Calgary Stampede Farm Family of the Year Award
•    Rosemary Davis Award 2012 – Women in Leadership in Agriculture (Bonnie Spragg)
•    Alberta Food for Health Award 2009/2010 – Premier’s Award for Healthy Alberta Food Sold at a Farmers’ Market
•    Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge 2005 – Best Agricultural Business Plan
•    Olds College 2005 – Top Student in the Meat Training Course (Greg Spragg)