Twelve Pendleton County FFA members participated in the annual South Branch Area FFA Ham, Bacon and Egg Show and Sale held March 14 at Moorefield High School.
Ninety-two FFA members, representing Pendleton, Petersburg, Moorefield and East Hardy chapters, sold 344 products (36 dozen eggs, 156 bacons and 152 hams) for $146,945. Pendleton’s FFA members sold three dozen eggs, 22 hams and 16 bacons, collectively earning $19,825. This year, the bacons and hams were sold by the product instead of per pound as has been done in past years.
Pendleton FFA members participating in the show/sale were as follows (name, item, price and purchaser):
Caleb Armentrout — 20.48-pound prime ham, $650, Murphy’s Fencing in Franklin; 21.26-pound choice ham, $400, Greer Lime Company in Riverton; 6.36-pound choice bacon, $400, Greer Lime Company; and 6.36-pound choice bacon, $350 T&K Markets in Franklin;
Larissa Greathouse — 18.05-pound choice ham, $500, Greer Lime Company; 17.85-pound choice ham, $500, Hott’s Ag Services in Franklin; 5.51-pound choice bacon, $300, B & Y Farms in Seneca Rocks; and 5.51-pound choice bacon, $275, ER Excavating & Utilities, Inc. in Moorefield;
Cole Harper —17.27-pound choice ham, $600, Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone in Riverton; 16.33-pound choice ham, $400, Whitesel Brothers in Harrisonburg, Virginia; 6.11-pound prime bacon, $650, Pendleton Community Bank in Moorefield; and 6.28-pound choice bacon, $500, Greer Lime Company;
Lydia Heavner — 17.79-pound choice ham, $750, Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC, in Harrisonburg, Virginia; 17.31-pound choice ham, $800, Warner’s Coin Laundry in Franklin; and 4.82-pound choice bacon, $1,300, Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC;
Ty Heavner —18.17-pound prime ham, $700, Pilgrims Fresh in Moorefield; 19.01-pound choice ham, $600, T&K Markets; 6.46-pound choice bacon, $400, Greer Lime Company; and 4.82-pound good bacon, $350, Moorefield Southern States in Moorefield;
McKenna Hedrick — dozen Grade A eggs, $225, Heavner Farms in Upper Tract; 16.18-pound choice ham, $500, Greer Lime Company; and 15.02-pound choice ham, $500, Pilgrims Prepared Food in Moorefield;
Jameigh Miller — 14.63-pound choice ham, $550, Warner’s Coin Laundry; and 14.32-pound good ham, $250, Moorefield Southern States;
Vivian Pownell — dozen Grade A eggs, $150, Deans Gap Farm, LLC in Fort Seybert;
Emily Schell — dozen Grade AA eggs, $275, Heavner Farms; 14.87-pound choice ham, $500, Freedom Ag and Energy in Petersburg; 14.77-pound choice ham, $450, Farm Credit in Moorefield; 5.58-pound prime bacon, $550, Green Lime Company; and 5.
35-pound prime bacon, $500, Deans Gap Farm, LLC;
Hannah Schell — 14.22-pound choice ham, $475, Warner’s Coin Laundry; 14.18-pound choice ham, $450, Rockingham Coop in Dayton, Virginia; and 4.63-pound choice bacon, $350, Greer Lime Company;
Makayla Tingler — 23.17-pound prime ham, $450, Murphy’s Fencing; 23.31-pound choice ham, $525, Hott’s Ag Service; 5.38-pound choice bacon, $200, Greer Lime Company; and 5.32-pound choice bacon, $250, ER Excavating & Utilities, LLC; and
Lucas Vandevander — 20-pound prime ham, $625, Riverton Lumber Products, LLC in Riverton; 18.64-pound prime ham, $575, Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone; 6.51-pound prime bacon, $500, Deans Gap Farm, LLC; and 5.73-pound prime bacon, $550, Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone.
Gracie Heishman, an East Hardy FFA member, exhibited the champion eggs. M & M Septic Service in Old Fields purchased the eggs for $500. The reserve champion eggs were exhibited by Joe Riggleman from Moorefield FFA. The eggs fetched $200 from Farm Credit.
The champion ham, weighing 23.8 pounds, was exhibited by Madison Whetzel, Petersburg FFA member, and was purchased by ER Excavating & Utilities, LLC for $925. Petersburg FFA member, Khole Haslacker, exhibited the reserve champion ham. Grant County Bank in Petersburg purchased the 23.6-pound ham for $1,050.
Kari Rohrbaugh, a Petersburg FFA member, exhibited the grand champion bacon which was purchased by Rio General Store in Delray for $650. The reserve champion bacon was displayed by Haslacker and purchased by Pendleton Community Bank for $700.
Pendleton FFA members had to choose a pig(s) to raise by last June. The pig was fed over the summer, getting it to the ideal weight of between 260 and 280 pounds. In November, the pigs were taken to slaughter. The slaughtered hogs were then transported back to the school where the meat was processed in the vo-ag’s meat room. The hams and bacons were pulled for curing for the annual show in March, and the rest of the hog’s meat was processed.
To prepare a ham or bacon for the ham/ bacon show, the meat was cured with a brown sugar cure mix for two days per pound, or a minimum of 45 days, at a temperature of 36° to 45°. (For any ham or bacon over 30 pounds, an additional two days per pound was added to the curing process.) To stabilize the hams and bacons and to end the curing process, the temperature was increased to 55° for 20 days. Then the meat was dried for 11 days at 90°. Once the curing process was completed, each ham and bacon was trimmed, shaped and smoked.
The eggs and smoked hams and bacons were taken to Moorefield one day prior to the sale where a panel of neutral judges judged the entries from the three counties. The hams and bacons were judged into three different qualities – prime, choice and good.
