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ORAL HISTORY

Leslie and June Scott

Born just half a mile from his business, Leslie Scott is the third generation to live on his family’s farm in Greenville, Kentucky. He grew up processing hogs every Thanksgiving during hog-killing time and learned a basic cure recipe from his grandfather. As he grew older, Leslie saw that curing hams and bacon for the commercial market could be a good business. In 1965, he and his wife, June, cured their first 100 hams. Soon, their business grew, and today they cure thousands of hams annually. The Scotts do so by hand, with just one full-time employee. They keep things simple. They do things the old-fashioned way. Leslie fills a five-dollar bathtub with hickory chips and lights a fire therein to smoke the meat. He is also one of the few producers who make a nitrate-free product. Many of their customers seek them out for that reason alone, but rest assured that the taste and quality of their award-winning bacon will keep you hungry for more.