Tennessee FFA auction raises big bucks with $25,000 ham

Grocery prices may be high, but how about $847 per pound for ham? That’s what the 29.5-pound Tennessee Grand Champion Country Ham fetched during a live auction at the Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair. The ham sold for a whopping $25,000, benefiting the Tennessee FFA Foundation. Meanwhile, a slightly smaller 17-pound Packer Style Ham sold for $18,500, or $1,088 per pound.

The winning bidders for the Country Ham were H&R Agri-Power, Beck’s Hybrids, and Catesa Farms, owned by 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year George McDonald of Riddleton, Tenn. The Packer Style Ham was purchased by a group including Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, CPC Commodities, and ProTrition. Both hams were donated back to the FFA to be sold at a private event later this year.

This auction was part of the Ninth Annual Tennessee State Fair FFA Ham Breakfast, presented by Farm Credit Mid-America. The sold-out event, attended by over 1,200 people, raised $221,100 for the youth organization. The Tennessee FFA Foundation, a nonprofit supporting students in agricultural education, benefited from the proceeds.

Country music star Trace Adkins, a former FFA chapter president in Sarepta, Louisiana, was the keynote speaker. Adkins shared a heartfelt story about losing his treasured FFA jacket in a house fire more than a decade ago. “When my house burned, after I saw that my wife and kids were safe, I was sad to lose a signed photo of me and Dolly Parton, and devastated to have lost my FFA jacket,” Adkins said. Thanks to the FFA and his wife, Adkins received a replacement jacket, which he proudly wore to the breakfast.

The event was packed with business leaders, government officials, farmers, and FFA members. Speakers included U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, U.S. Reps. Mark Green and John Rose.

Rose, who represents Wilson County where the fair is held, praised the future leaders of Tennessee, saying, “The future of Tennessee is in good hands with the next generation of FFA members at the helm. These students are learning leadership and teamwork skills through agricultural education that will lead them to become positive contributors to society.”

FFA is part of the agricultural education program offered in 240 middle and high schools across Tennessee. The FFA program is jointly administered by the Tennessee Departments of Agriculture and Education. Both Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher and Education Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds were in attendance at the event.

The event was supported by well-known agricultural organizations like Farm Bureau and Co-op, as well as companies such as Amazon, Meta, and various banks, charitable foundations, universities, and utility companies.

The ham auction, a highlight of the annual event, recognized exhibitors Tommy Jones (Country Ham) and Gannon Sanders (Packer Style Ham), both from Wilson County. In a surprise twist, a cowboy hat signed by Trace Adkins was auctioned off for $2,500 to United Communications of Chapel Hill, TN.

The Tennessee State Fair continues to celebrate the state’s agricultural heritage while supporting the FFA and its mission.