They Really Are Aren't They?

It is Ham, Bacon, and Eggs week! The three oldest kids started this 4-H project way back in October when their hogs were taken to be processed. The helped to cut the meat. They've salted, waited, salted, and salted again, waited, trimmed, kept records, waited a little more for the smoking, and final their hams and bacon are ready!

This week keeps us hopping. There are record books to complete, check, and finalize. Invitations to buyers to be sent. There are pictures to be taken. Eggs to be selected and prepared. Meats to be chosen for judging, and finally the breakfast and sale day bright and early Thursday morning.

The kids put a lot of time into these projects. The committee members are saints for all the work they put into this program, and we are very grateful.

Tonight was the night eggs are turned in for judging, and the meats are graded and then placed. First, all the meats are separated into three groups; blue, red, and white. Since each pig has two hams and two bacon, each participant starts with two of each. Only one ham and one bacon may be entered for the final judging and sold. After the meats are separated into the three groups, participants select which of their hams and bacon they want to enter into the final judging.

The extra hams and bacon may be donated for the buyers breakfast, taken home to be sold or consumed, or for FFA students, entered into the state FFA competition. Each of our kids chose to donate one of their meats for the buyers breakfast. I'm glad to see them do it, and it only seems to be the right thing to do. But as Kellen was donating a bacon tonight, a committee member remarked to me, "They are good kids."

I was glad for the reminder. It has been a long week already, and frankly, the kids were kind of on my nerves. But they really are good kids. Ham, Bacon, and Eggs has been our favorite 4-H project, and I'm proud that these kids have been willing to give back to the program!