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Exhibiting hams can be for everyone

The ham contest at the Missouri State Fair is an opportunity to spark an interest in agriculture.  

Ruby Schmidt was a previous exhibitor and is a current volunteer with the contest.

“Growing up and doing hams really inspired me to go into food processing within my degree.”

Schmidt is majoring in chemical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Ham, Bacon and Sausage Superintendent Charles Rosenkrans at the Missouri State Fair says he hopes young exhibitors learn something.

“To learn a technique, to preserve a product that they can use, and (then) they (can) also teach other young people in years to come to do the same thing.”

Schmidt says the contest is great for someone wanting to get involved in agriculture.

“It’s relatively cheap, especially compared to showing animals and it’s perfect for anyone all over the state and both 4-H and FFA if you want to get a taste of the ag industry,” she says, and adds, “If you want to learn how to do something, it’s the perfect project to do so.”

Rosenkrans says hams will be auctioned off at county fairs and the state fair from 200 hundred dollars to two thousand dollars.

AUDIO: Ruby Schmidt, Missouri State Fair Ham, Bacon and Sausage Judging Volunteer

AUDIO: Charles Rosenkrans, Missouri State Fair Ham, Bacon and Sausage Superintendent