The 4-H Country Ham Project is one of the most unique 4-H activities offered through Kentucky 4-H.  Youth are taught a heritage skill that is a tradition in our state.  They are also required to give a speech about a related topic at the Kentucky State Fair. This creates an opportunity to enhance their communication skills.  Over 800 youth enrolled in the project in 2022, including 18 youth in Shelby County.

The Shelby County 4-H Agent serves as a co-chair of the Country Ham Committee which oversees the project, including the contest at the Kentucky State Fair.  Over 800 hams and speeches were judged and scored on the contest day.   This is a huge undertaking that requires many hours of work from Extension staff and volunteers.  In total over 100 workers invested approximately 625 hours of time to conduct the contest.  As a result, over 800 4-Hers gave speeches about country hams using the knowledge they gained from participating in the project.

The support for the Country Ham Project across the state continues to grow.  Youth are learning a skill that has passed through many generations of Kentuckians.  They are also practicing and learning new communications skills that they will continue to use throughout their lives.  The combination of the learning outcomes is one of the reasons that the project is so successful and one of the most popular 4-H projects in the state.