SMITHFIELD, Va. (AP) - Smithfield Foods is closing the last smokehouse that creates the genuine Smithfield ham.
A spokeswoman says the smokehouse had reached the end of its useful life and that, fortunately, the company has plenty of genuine Smithfield hams stockpiled to satisfy immediate demand.
The ham is a signature product of the Smithfield, Virginia, area. State law requires a Smithfield ham to be cured in the town.
Herb De Groft, a 77-year-old former Smithfield Foods executive, told The Washington Post that country meats brought the area to the fore in the 1800s.
The smokehouse is said to be more than 50-years-old. Whether the company will build a new smokehouse, seek a change in state law, or simply abandon the "genuine Smithfield" name is now a matter of local speculation.
Tommy Darden, owner of Darden’s Country Store has been curing ham for 71 years.
"There's nothing better than a ham sandwich with a fresh tomato,” said Darden.
Darden and his wife made curing ham their business, and life. He said that won't stop him from carrying on the tradition.
"There's a lot of pride here in this store with what we do with curing hams, it's just something that we do,” says Darden.
Many in the town are familiar with this traditional cooking process, like Isle of Wight Museum curator Tracey Neikirk.
"When it's left to hang it kind of matures like cheese, so it has mold on it like cheeses does and you have to scrub it off,” said Neikirk.
She hopes the Isle of Wight County Museum will help the tradition live on.
"Part of the traditional history also includes ham as it's been a part of the economy so long. So we do tap into that,” said Neikirk.
