The Kentucky 4-H Country Ham Project allows young people to learn about a value-added project focusing on food preservation process and the history of country hams. In addition, youth develop their public speaking skills by presenting a speech about hams. We saw growth in the state-wide program this last year, with 971 participants from 80 counties participating. 

The Country Ham Project concluded at the Kentucky State Fair, where 4-Hers gave speeches in front of judges and hams were judged.

This value-added project has educated youth about the process, history, and science of curing hams and introduced them to food safety, meat production, basic chemistry principles, and food preservation. The project also serves as a platform for youth to develop their public speaking skills.

Our curing house at the Extension Office enables us to process the hams on-site. Mercer County had 41 youth participate in the year-long project, which was extended to 27 adults, each with a unique background and varying levels of knowledge about the science of Country Hams. 

As a state 4-H country committee member, I serve as co-superintendent of the KY State Fair. I work closely with a team of Extension Professionals to implement that state program. I coordinate the facilities at the State Fairgrounds for the state contest, order awards, and develop the annual state fair program for the participants and their families. In addition, I assist with a yearly agent update regarding the Country Ham project, changes for the current year, and the higher education Country Ham scholarship. The Country Ham Project is the largest in-person 4-H youth event at the KY State Fair, with over 971 youth presenting a speech, 160 total workers who are Extension Staff and 4-H Volunteers, 54 adults serving as speech judges, 25 volunteers serving as room hosts, ten ham judges, 12 registration workers, eight holding room workers and 12 ham scoring workers and 16 tabulation room workers. The staff/volunteers put in over 950 total hours of work into the state fair 4-H Country Ham contest. If we use $100.00 per hour, the economic impact of volunteer hours is over $95,000.