Good 4H night

[Redoverfarm]

This evening was the annual 4H/FFA Ham and Bacon sale.  There were 37 participants in all displaying cured hams, bacon and eggs.  This was my son's second pig from last summer.  His bacon slab placed 1st(Prime) and the ham placed 2nd (Choice).  The bacon was auctioned for $22 a pound(5.15#) and the ham was sold at $15 a pound ( 19.46#).  All in all he made $405 dollar.  When I asked him what he cleared he joke maybe $50. He will have to wait until his project book is returned to determine exactly how much his project cost and how much profit he had made.  A good experience all in all.  Although he didn't show eggs the highest bid price for the grand champion was $200 a dozen.

This is part of the spread.



His bacon ( 2nd highest in price per pound)



Auction time





The kids were only able to show 1 each so that means the other ham and bacon (cured) came home with us. Anyone for breakfast in the morning?

[Pox Eclipse]

Looks delicious!  Do the kids do their own curing and smoking?  That's a great skill to learn.

[peternap]

That' great John!

You have quite a family.

[rwanders]

   Bacon! and Ham!  Two of God's best gifts to man----Congratulations to your son!

ps: Virginia and West Virginia hams are truly sublime creations.

[Redoverfarm]

Looks delicious!  Do the kids do their own curing and smoking?  That's a great skill to learn.

Actually they do cure their own in a sense.  The local high shool has a great FFA program, in as much as they had built a butcher shop, curing rooms and smoking rooms at the High School.  The pigs were butchered at a local butchering shop and "USDA" inspected because the meat would be sold at the auction.  The kids trim and cure the meat at the High School and leave it in their facility for the curing and smoking.

The FFA timber program has gained National attention in that they had placed 1st in the Nation a couple years ago in Timber grading and forrestry program.  Quite an accomplishment of a school that size.  I guess that is what it is all about in rural America to be somewhat self sufficent.

Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement.   I'll pass it along.   

[peternap]

Looks delicious!  Do the kids do their own curing and smoking?  That's a great skill to learn.

Actually they do cure their own in a sense.  The local high shool has a great FFA program, in as much as they had built a butcher shop, curing rooms and smoking rooms at the High School.  The pigs were butchered at a local butchering shop and "USDA" inspected because the meat would be sold at the auction.  The kids trim and cure the meat at the High School and leave it in their facility for the curing and smoking.

The FFA timber program has gained National attention in that they had placed 1st in the Nation a couple years ago in Timber grading and forrestry program.  Quite an accomplishment of a school that size.  I guess that is what it is all about in rural America to be somewhat self sufficent.

Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement.   I'll pass it along.   

That's impressive John. Many high schools have either done away with FFA support or treat it like special education. I've never figured that out because no matter what the kids do later in life, those skills will be useful.
I especially like the timber program. I've been considering becoming a certified grader and it's not an easy thing to learn.

Nice to see at least a few schools are still interested in educating the kids!

[glenn kangiser]

That's great, John.  I like to see kids that learn and do something. 

[Sassy]

way to go!   

I'm also impressed with the school programs you son has access to.