One of the questions we get asked all the time is whether our free range pork products are certified organic. Technically, the answer is no. The term “organic” is governed and regulated by the federal government, and for pork products to be certified they must meet specific standards and undergo an organic certification process.
The Dirty Details
While our pork does meet many of the organic requirements, one detail doesn’t meet the standards. When our crops are grown, they are sprayed once to kill the weeds in the field, and when necessary the barley crops are grown with inorganic fertilizer to provide the appropriate levels of fertility in the soil. You see, for pork products to be certified organic the feed also has to be organic.
Our Farming Practices
We do not spray the pastures that the pigs are on for weeds or insects. We do not feed our pigs antibiotics to prevent disease. We do not use artificial growth hormones to get our pigs to grow faster or leaner than they would naturally. Our pigs are fed a plant-based diet with no animal by-products. The barley and fababeans that we feed the pigs have been grown conventionally. Our happy, healthy pigs are raised in a free-range, low stress environment with proper farming techniques.
Organic Doesn’t Mean Free Range
While there is a lot of buzz around the benefits of organic food, is the label the only thing to consider? Technically, pigs raised indoors with very little access to their natural environment can be certified organic. This is not always the case, but our point is that the label doesn’t always tell the whole story.
If you want to learn about where your food comes from and how it is made, we encourage you to look beyond the labels. Talk to your local producers, visit their farms, and ask them to share the whole story.
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About Spragg’s Meat Shop Spragg’s Meat Shop is a family-owned and operated business located in Rosemary, Alberta. Greg and Bonnie Spragg raise hogs, process, and market their pork products direct to Albertan consumers. Spragg’s works hard to produce the best pork for Albertans, from the day the pigs are born, to the day the pork chops are cut, bacon is smoked, and the roast is marinated. The Spragg family hopes that you get as much enjoyment eating their pork as they do getting it to your table.