(LEX 18) — Kelly and Joe Craft are taking home the Kentucky State Fair Grand Champion Country Ham after bidding $10.5 million for the prize at the 60th annual Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) Country Ham Breakfast and Charity Auction.
A release from event organizers detailed that the ham weighs a whopping 18.2 pounds and during the live auction, prominent community and business leaders bid for a chance to win the ham, produced by Broadband B&B.
Notably, for the previous three years, the Crafts and Central Bank combined their bids and in 2023 their winning combination bid was $10 million. This years bid marks the largest single bid in the event's history, the release read.
“My husband and I are honored to have won the charity auction for the Kentucky State Fair Grand Champion Ham at the 60th annual Country Ham Breakfast,” said Kelly Craft, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. “We believe that helping others is a fundamental value, and we are fortunate to be able to pledge a large amount of our resources to philanthropic causes each year. This auction is a wonderful vehicle to do that. As lifelong Kentuckians, we both know what an outstanding, supportive partner Kentucky Farm Bureau is to businesses, farms and residents across the commonwealth all year long, but this annual event underscores their commitment to strengthening communities through collaboration.”
The Crafts, according to KFB, are set to donate their bid to Kentucky organizations and projects, including Boys and Girls Clubs across the Commonwealth, along with the rebuilding efforts in Eastern Kentucky following the 2022 floods that swept through the area.
“The Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast and Charity Auction is a special tradition in our Commonwealth,” said KFB President Eddie Melton. “I have been attending this event for years, and I am always proud to see so many people from both rural and urban communities come together to celebrate agriculture and give back to those in need.”
Organizers reported that more than 1,600 people attended the event, with speeches provided by U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, KFB President Eddie Melton, and Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell.
