(by Corbo Eng)
Virginia’s ham making tradition is famous. People, far and wide, know of Smithfield and Edward’s, for example. Both are legends from the Tidewater region of the state, where Virginia’s ham tradition started during colonial times. Less well known are Virginia’s ham makers in other parts of the state. In the Shenandoah Valley, Ron Turner presides over a ham making tradition in his family that goes back generations. I happened upon his store and country ham one day as I was driving through tiny Fulks Run. It’s apropos that my eventual story about Mr. Turner is in The Local Palate as its mission is to showcase the great food culture of the South.
(This story originally appeared in the February 2017 issue of The Local Palate)
All photos on this page by Corbo Eng