| |
FUTURE OF STATE FFA AUCTIONS BRIGHT
Note: The 63rd Annual State FFA Ham, Bacon and Egg Show and Sale will be held Monday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Building 7(State Training Center) at the Capitol Complex.
Charleston W.Va. - FFA Ham, Bacon and Egg Sales have been an annual tradition in West Virginia for the past 50 years, and changes spearheaded by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) are ensuring that these programs remain a fixture for decades to come.
”West Virginia is the only state that still conducts auctions for FFA livestock projects, which teach students about food production and the business aspects of agriculture,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “In a day and time when Americans are less and less connected to the food they eat, I felt it was critically important that we make sure these programs move into the 21st century.”
With technical assistance and encouragement from WVDA, the nearly 100 schools operating FFA programs have upgraded existing facilities or built new ones over the past few years so that students will understand the requirements for commercial meat production, and will take that knowledge into the real world when they graduate. Some programs are also incorporating commercial meat-cutting programs into their curriculum, according to Gene Walker, a former WVDA enforcement officer called out of retirement by Commissioner Douglass to help schools improve their programs.
All hams and bacons are now processed in state-of-the-art facilities that meet commercial kitchen standards. For example, processing facilities must have sanitary walls that are impervious to liquids and can easily be cleaned, floors must be sloped to drains and work areas must be able to stand up to the salts used in cure mixtures. Hand-washing sinks must be foot, knee or elbow-operated and students must have a dress-in/dress-out room where they can change into clean clothes.
The facilities must also keep daily temperature logs which ensure that hams and bacons are being cured at the correct temperature. Curing at either too high or too low a temperature affects the quality of the cure. Hams are also tested for proper salt content and shrinkage prior to auction. Removing the proper amount of moisture from hams is another critical component to achieving an optimum cure, said Walker.
“There are some really beautiful hams in the state this year, and the public rightfully has a high confidence in the product. There have been a number of county records at sales the last three years.” he said. “The goal of this program has always been for kids to learn, to have the opportunity to raise and process a hog, and to take that meat home to the family. If they can raise a prize-winner and make some money at an auction, that’s a great bonus.”
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
|
