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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Thursday morning, some of the best country ham producers in the world will go head-to-head for the coveted title of grand champion of the Kentucky State Fair. At the same time, in the nearby Cloverleaf Room, the next generation of country ham producers will compete for the 4-H Grand Champion Country Ham title.
The sixth annual 4-H Country Ham Contest attracted a record 413 entries, 106 more than last year. It is the fastest-growing 4-H competition at the fair.
“Last year’s show was an amazing event,” said Ronny Drennan of Broadbent B&B Foods of Cadiz, president of the Kentucky Country Ham Producers Association. “We had tables lined with 307 hams. We are adding more than 100 hams this year, and it definitely will be something to see.”
Competitors must cure the hams and give speeches on the curing process. They begin their projects in January at one of eight commercial country ham processing plants or the University of Kentucky Department of Meat Sciences facility. There, they pick out two hams and apply the first salting process. They team up with professional ham curers to follow the procedures for curing and aging hams for that processing plant. Once the curing process is complete, they enter the best of their hams in the state fair.
Champions will be chosen in each age group for best ham and best speech. The age group champions and junior and senior grand champions will be announced Thursday afternoon.
Before the 4-H and professional country ham competitions fill the West Hall with the mouth-watering aroma of country ham, the 2005 senior 4-H grand champion country ham will be auctioned off at the Commodity Breakfast, which begins at 7 a.m. Thursday at the Great Kentucky Cookout Tent. Proceeds from the auction will fund a $750 scholarship given annually by the Kentucky Country Ham Producers Association to one of the participants in the 4-H country ham competition.
“The Kentucky Country Ham Producers Association began this contest as a way of preserving the art of meat curing,” said Bill Robertson of Finchville Farms, secretary-treasurer of the association. “We are creating a whole new generation of country ham curers and consumers.”
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