Every morning, the bakers at Prairie Mill Bread Company mix dough made from locally produced grain and honey.
Every loaf is measured at two pounds, four ounces and each one is kneaded and shaped by hand.
That attention to quality earned John and Karen Juurlink a $10,000 award and recognition from the province in the first Alberta Food for Health awards. They were among four winners recognized for innovative food products.
Their honey whole wheat loaf is made from stone ground wheat grown by John Schnieder of Gold Forest Farms in Spruce Grove and honey produced from Golden Acres in Three Hills.
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Juurlink has stores in Calgary and Edmonton and sells bread to health food stores and restaurants.
“If people say it is too expensive, I give them a loaf and say try it,” he said.
A five-year plan for Greg and Bonnie Spragg earned them an award for their English bacon, which they sell at farmers’ markets and from their store, Spragg’s Meat Shop at Rosemary.
The English bacon is a boneless rib end pork loin cut and prepared with a lower sodium and fat content. It was launched in July 2009 at the Calgary Farmers’ Market and is now available at four other farmers’ markets.
The couple started raising pigs on pasture in 2002. The demand for their pork has increased and they now raise about 700 market hogs per year.
Greg studied meat cutting to produce original products. The Spraggs employ additional staff to work at the shop to allow more time for marketing.
“We’re the best marketers because we are the producers,” said Bonnie.
Diamond Willow Organic Beef of Pincher Creek was rewarded for its program selling organic beef products that are free of antibiotics and artificial growth hormones. The beef, available through retail food stores, is processed by Sunterra Meats.
Keith Everts is one of seven ranchers who slaughter every week.
“It would be better if we supplied more,” said Everts of Diamond Willow Ranch.
He would like to see support for all Canadian farmers.
“Local foods is a trend but I think we need to support Canada and keep people on the land,” he said.
University of Alberta food and nutrition researchers Feral Temelli and Thavaratnam Vasanthan were recognized for a process to concentrate soluble fibre, beta glucan, from barley and oat grains. Beta glucan has proven health benefits for improving cardiovascular health and helping manage diabetes.
Their technology concentrates the beta glucan so it can be added to food products like bread, beverages, ice cream and yogurt.
Their work has resulted in six international patent applications. The technology was sold in 2007 to the Natraceutical Group.
About 90 projects were submitted for the awards, which were developed to encourage the creation of healthy food production and research. The awards program recognizes innovation in five categories: healthy food sold through farmers’ markets, retail operations, food service, vending machines and research on healthy food products or processes.
Each winner receives $10,000.
