The Lowndes County Ham and Eggs show is
the only one in Georgia and
one of only two in the country. Now, you might wonder why? Many
folks are interested in good, local foods and the craft of curing
meats. Well, it has to do with regulations and having the hogs
slaughtered and cured in USDA certified facilities.
Years ago,
men, women and children would cure the meats at home and
bring the hams on the appointed day to the contest (and auction).
But, now no meat can be sold
that is not USDA certified so the
process has changed dramatically. Most of the hogs are obtained from
just a few farmers, rather than each contestant raising their own.
In the fall, the hogs are taken to Fort Valley State University
where they are slaughtered and the hams (and shoulders) are reserved
for curing. The rest of the hog (head, feet and tails included) is
returned to the submitter.
A curing team makes several trips from Valdosta to Fort Valley for the curing process. This involves applying a salt mixture to the meat over the course of several weeks. The hams are hung in USDA certified, temperature and environment controlled facilities.
In the 2012 contest, just one ham was judged unfit for sale. In the
2013 contest there were five. Why was this? There were
some system failures at the facility that may have caused the uneven cure
(resulting in a sour taint). The cure team makes several trips, has
a detailed set of instructions on application of the cure, turning
and hanging of the meat and smoking of the product. There might be
more shows and contests like this one if the processing could be
done locally and the contestants could have more direct control over
their product. This would also make it easier for those who know how
to teach those who would like to know.
In any event, I’m thankful to retired county agent Calvin Willis and Derek Dawson who coordinate the many details of this show.
Here’s a video playlist:
Videos: 63rd Annual Lowndes County Ham and Eggs Show 2013-02-20
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
-gretchen
Short Link: