When the COVID-19 pandemic hit there were major ramifications for Extension programming.  4-H events were postponed or canceled due the restrictions related to social distancing.  The work and progress that the young people had put into many of their 4-H projects were left unfinished with no culminating event.  Across the state, over 750 youth had put country hams into cure prior to the pandemic.  The County Ham Committee made up of agents and the state extension specialist met and decided to find a way for the youth to complete their projects in 2020.

The Country Ham Project usually concludes at the Kentucky State Fair where 4-Hers give speeches in front of judges and their hams are judged.  This was out of the question as a gathering involving such as large number of people was not possible.  Believing the communication aspect of the contest was important, the committee decided to have the participants submit essays in lieu of the traditional speeches.   The coordination of the essay submission and getting them judged was a difficult task but the committee felt it was important to have a way for the 4-Hers to complete the project.  Hams were judged at alternate sites, manned by the committee and a few ham judges.  Agents dropped hams off and picked them up after judging to follow social distancing guidelines.  

The Country Ham Committee utilized the State 4-H Officers to host a virtual awards ceremony.  It was the conclusion of a long process to give 4-Hers a culminating event for their 4-H Country Ham Projects.  In a year when most 4-H events and programs were canceled, it was a successful program because of the cooperation of agents, volunteers and State 4-H staff that felt it was important to accomplish this for our 4-Hers.