Premium Sausage uses local ingredients in a variety of new creations

By Stan Ashbee

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Premium Sausage in Seven Persons, located just off Highway 3, was a part of Alberta Open Farm Days this past Saturday. This was the first year Debbie and Mark Penner took part in the annual event.
“We do work with the agriculture industry, we use local meat — local beef, pork and all of that from southern Alberta. People want to know how their food is made and they want to know what’s in it — nowadays, more than ever. We thought let’s do some education and show people how we do things, what’s in it, and we thought they might be interested in that,” Debbie Penner explained.
Penner noted the day included a barbecue, a live band, activities for kids, tours on the hour, information, Q & A, and a video presentation to show visitors how sausage is made, as the business doesn’t produce product on Saturdays.
“The store is built like a grain elevator, so it’s a bit of a tourist stop,” she added. “Very recognizable from the highway, that’s for sure.”
According to Penner, the well-established sausage-making business has been around for 28 plus years. The business makes all kinds of sausage from farmers’ sausage to fresh sausage.
“We are always trying new things and we work as much as we can with local products. Local coffee from Medicine Hat, local beer from the Medicine Hat Brewing Company, berries from Bow Island, we add local ingredients to our meat and make different creations all the time,” said Penner.
Penner said the Alberta Open Farm Days is such a good opportunity for people to learn. “And for people to stop in and see what’s in their surrounding area.”