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Just How Old is the World’s Oldest Ham?

Join Mike Holtzclaw - curator of the Isle of Wight County Museum in Virginia – to learn the tasty and true story behind the world famous Smithfield hams, including the one that became famous.

The ham industry, which has been synonymous with the town of Smithfield for more than a century, dates to the earliest European settlers and the native tribes they encountered in the New World. And then there’s the World’s Oldest Ham, still (theoretically) edible after 119 years. From its home at the Isle of Wight County Museum, just a few miles from where it was cured in 1902, the ham has a 24-hour webcam, a very active Twitter account and an annual birthday celebration with the kids of the town. Find out the fascinating story of how one ham became an eccentric businessman’s pet, a marketing icon and a star in media ranging from Ripley’s Believe it or Not to NPR’s “Wait … Wait … Don’t Tell Me.”