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2019-20 4-H Country Ham Project

The deadline to sign up for the Country Ham project is December 6, 2019.

By Tony Rose

Do you like to eat country ham? Would you like to learn how country ham is processed and process your own country ham? If the answer is YES to these questions, then the 4-H Country Ham project is for you.

What
4-H members throughout the state spend several months preparing their hams for the Fair, where their meat is judged by commercial country ham producers according to its smell, roundness, color, and texture.

When
To sign up for the project, youth and parents must complete the Country Ham Project Agreement and pay the $60.00 fee. Starting sometime in January, youth will meet to start curing their hams. This year we will be curing them in the Adair County 4-H Ham House.


Youth will also have to attend regular meetings to complete the required six hours of training to learn about hams and the curing process. In August, the ham will be taken to the Kentucky State Fair to be judged and youth will give a speech.

After the Hams are Cured
Youth are required to give a presentation on any aspect of the project such as nutrition or value-added. In addition, the processors evaluate ham on such factors as leanness, shape, appearance, and aroma. The combined presentation and judging scores determine the overall winner. This takes place during the Kentucky State Fair.

Benefits
Youth develop valuable technical merit, communications, research and organizational skills from the presentations. Persistence and responsibility are among the traits 4-H members develop during the nine months they cure hams at the processing plant. Youth also learn to appreciate the importance of value-added to a raw commodity. And, there\0x92s a financial benefit. All participants also receive a State Fair premium.

Cost
Participants pay a $60.00 fee. This year each youth will be able to keep both hams or keep one of the hams and the second ham will be auctioned off at an event. The livestock club will get 10% of the sale to use with the club and 10% will go to the Ham Scholarship. Auction money will be divided equally between the members who participate in the ham project.

The deadline to sign up for the Country Ham project is December 6, 2019.

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.


This story was posted on 2019-10-30 05:40:06
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