Have you ever wondered how we preserved meat before mechanical refrigeration? Kids in Boone County get the opportunity to learn how every year through a local agriculture program.
Boone County residents ages 9 to 18 can take part in what is called the 2027 4-H Country Ham Project through the Boone County Cooperative Extension. They will learn traditional methods of ham curing and come out of the experience with two cured hams of their own. Participants will also develop their public speaking skills by presenting at the Boone County and Kentucky State fairs.
4-H stands for “head, heart, hands and health.” It is a youth development program that involves programs and community skill sharing. The Country Ham Project is just one program that aims to increase confidence and community connections in youth.
Cathy Fellows, 4-H Youth Development Agent for the Boone County Cooperative Extension, oversees the Country Ham Project for Boone County. With taxpayer funds, the Boone County Cooperative Extension is able to offer most of their programs at no cost. However, due to the price of the hams, it costs $85 for each child to get in and work with two hams. Fellows expects 25-30 Boone County kids to sign up this year.
“The Country Ham Project is a wonderful program that connects agriculture, traditions, and life skills,” Fellows said.
In January, participating kids will receive two “green” hams from the University of Kentucky Meats Science Laboratory, according to Fellows.
“Green” refers to the fact that the ham is new and uncured.
Once they receive the hams, instructors help the kids use special materials to cure the meat. After that, they will hang the hams in the “ham house” until early spring. The cold weather helps the curing process. In the spring, they take the hams down and put them through a “ham wash,” to get the residual curing material off. Then, they rehang the hams for their “summer sweat.”
“The summer sweat is how we get the moisture and liquid out of the ham, to fully cure it,” Fellows said.
Then, the ham is cured and ready in time for the county and state fairs. At those fairs, the kids will show their ham and present a 3 – 5 minute speech on a previously chosen, ham-related topic. Based on the ham itself and the speech, judges will choose winners.
The statewide program is overseen by Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, an Extension Professor of Meat Science at the University of Kentucky. Rentfrow is particularly proud of this program’s connection to heritage foods.
“Every region has a food that is uniquely theirs,” he said. “Country ham is unique to the Southeast and to Kentucky. The world keeps getting smaller, but this program helps us keep some of our traditions.”
The Country Ham Project also expands everyone’s idea of what 4-H and agriculture itself involves.
“What’s neat about this program is that it lets any kid get involved in 4-H,” Rentfrow said. “A lot of people have a stereotype that 4-H is just about row crops and livestock, but it’s so much more.”
Rentfrow and Fellows use this program to connect youth to the traditions of the past and the agriculture of the future. Rentfrow is hopeful that the Country Ham Project and 4-H programs like it will open everyone’s minds to what agriculture can be. He said that a career in agriculture can include engineering, science and more.
“Meat science includes everything from the growth and development of an animal all the way down to hot dogs,” Dr. Rentfrow said. “Meat scientists are all over the place. Some of us are involved in food safety, some in processed meat, others in designing foods.”
4-H registered Boone County youth can sign up for the program online and must have their payment in by Dec. 9 at 4:30 p.m. Interested youth should deliver their payments in person to the Boone County Extension Enrichment Center at 1824 Patrick Drive in Burlington. Adults can also buy a “green” ham for $70, but they won’t be able to participate in the 4-H educational hours. Boone County residents will be able to view the finished hams next year at the 2027 Boone County Fair.
