The salty, smoky taste of country ham is one that compares to no other. Since the 1990s, 4-H youth across the state of Kentucky have learned the skills to this staple of Kentucky culture. While Christian County 4-H members have participated on the local for several years, in 2019 three youth participated in the Kentucky 4-H Country Ham Contest at the Kentucky State Fair. 

For the country ham project, youth cure two hams starting In January. They receive their hams and are responsible for washing, trimming and applying a curing mixture to each ham.  4-H members complete a second washing and curing application in March and make final preparations for the state fair in August. Throughout the process, members learn the importance of having a proper curing mixture, how to apply the mixture to reach the desired curing status, and how to prepare their ham for exhibition.

In addition to the curing process, youth must complete six hours of training in the 4-H livestock certification program to be eligible to submit their ham to the state competition. This training provides 4-H’ers with insight about the history of country ham production and the current industry.

Along with entering their country ham, participants prepare and present a Public Speech on a pre-determined topic regarding Country Hams. By participating in the speech portion, youth learn how to prepare a speech, research a topic, and speak in a public setting. 

During the Kentucky 4-H Country Ham contest, two of the youth that participated from Christian County received Blue Danish ribbons and one received a Red Danish ribbon. The Danish ribbon system is used to compare the presentation against a specific set of criteria. These youth were able to showcase what they learned on the State level and developed a new set of skills while doing so.