The 4-H country ham project has involved one-hundred and ninety-nine youth participants in LaRue County over the past eleven years.  With interest in the country ham project, grant money was secured in the amount of $1,000 from the Kentucky 4-H Foundation and $2,500 from Agriculture Development Funds to build a ham house in LaRue County for project participants to use.  All participants are required to present their ham speech at the county level for competition. This has helped them prepare and practice for their State Fair speech.  The practice has paid off, as LaRue County has had several youth place in the top five for their age group in the country ham speech contest at the State Fair.  For many participants, the county contest was the very first speech they ever presented.  An auction is held at the conclusion of the project at the annual Lincoln Days Festival.  The ninth annual auction was held in the fall of 2023.  Over the past nine years, the auction has raised $23,156 with $18,524 going directly to the youth and additional funding going to help with the expenses for the ham project.  Eighty percent of the auction bid goes back to the child and 20% goes to the 4-H country ham project. Youth can use the money to pay for their project registration fee for next year.  Many participants say they put their proceeds in a college savings fund. The LaRue County Farm Bureau Federation has donated a total of $4,385 over the past eight years to help with the country ham registration fee for participants. Southern States is also a sponsor, buying several hams in the past and donating toward auction prices and registration fees.  One country ham participant stated, "I was excited to learn about a process that my grandparents learned and used to cure their hogs years ago.  Country ham curing is no longer a necessity, but it is a tradition and part of our heritage in Kentucky."