Copyright Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
Darden Hams is increasing its production and investing $1.2 million to construct a 7,200-square-foot facility on 10 acres of family land in Isle of Wight County. The venture was announced by Gov. Glenn Youngkin during an event Tuesday at the site. Owners Thomas and Elizabeth Darden — and a team that includes their children, friends and extended family — currently produce about 1,200 traditional salt-cured hams for sale at Darden’s Country Store (owned by Thomas’ mother and sister) and Elizabeth’s Darden’s Country Store Outpost. “The old girl is past capacity,” Elizabeth Darden said of the current smokehouse in a phone interview. “Thomas was adding rafters to hang hams on.” The new facility will allow them to scale up to five times the current production, Darden said, and the goal is to focus on direct-to-consumer sales once a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of inspection is done to allow for online sales and wholesale distribution. It will add primarily seasonal jobs, she said, with a few additional full-time employees. The Dardens were awarded a $50,000 state grant to help fund the project. Isle of Wight County will match that with local funds, and the Dardens will foot the rest. Isle of Wight County Director of Economic Development Kristi Sutphin said her team started working with the Dardens about a year ago when they expressed interest in expanding their business, and they teamed up on the grant proposal. “It really opens up the market for them (to sell their ham),” she said. “We’re thrilled they’re growing. They’re such an institution in the county and we’re so happy for them.” Darden Hams also committed to purchase $306,331 (or 300,942 pounds) of Virginia-grown pork, which Sutphin said was key to the grant. The new smokehouse will be near the current one in a cow pasture, Elizabeth Darden said. Timing of the groundbreaking is to be determined as the Dardens await building permits from the county. The plans are drawn up, and the building materials have been sitting on the site since spring, she said. The Dardens aim to maintain the traditional process for country ham production, which includes smoking hams and curing them for six months — “that’s what creates the traditional super salty flavor,” Darden said. Then they’re cooked via a soft boil for hours before they’re deboned, reassembled, chilled and sliced. “We do all of that,” she said. “It’s a lot of work.” The current smokehouse, which dates back to at least 1952, will continue to house nostalgia hams, Darden said, but the new facility will be temperature-controlled and have refrigeration and a warehouse. “I have big dreams for the space,” she said. “A demonstration kitchen for tastings, testing, all kinds of things. Who knows what the next 10 years will bring.” She said there isn’t a plan to open the new facility to the public, though there may be opportunities for visits like there have been at the smokehouse, farm and country store. “For nearly 75 years, Darden’s Country Store and Smokehouse has been a local landmark and tourism destination,” State Sen. Emily Jordan, who was at the event, said in a news release. “The Darden Family has been a staple in our community and has always been deeply committed to the motto we embrace in our community: Hams, History & Hospitality. I congratulate Darden Hams on this expansion and thank them for their continued investment in Isle of Wight County.” In her speech on Tuesday, Elizabeth Darden referenced how Smithfield Foods discontinued production of traditional country hams and retired its last Genuine Smithfield Ham to the Isle of Wight County Museum. She said after Edwards’ smokehouse in Surry County suffered a devastating fire, the brand was sold and production moved to Missouri. The Dardens’ expansion, she said, is a way for them to preserve the tradition of salt-cured country ham in Hamtown USA. The couple also celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary Tuesday. In her speech, Elizabeth Darden included a tribute to Thomas and their investment in the community. “He is the hardest-working man I know. And today, I feel deeply compelled to honor him — his family, and the legacy they represent,” she said. “Lately, though, I’ve been reflecting on my own legacy. I’ve realized that it’s not just about the past — it’s about the future. It’s about our children, their children and the traditions we’re able to pass along to them. As I enter the next season of my life, I’ve started to see that this isn’t just about our family — it’s about something bigger. It’s about the legacy of Smithfield, of Isle of Wight County, and of Virginia itself.”
