Pork Month Fun: Scholarship and Shirt Giveaways

National Pork Month celebrations continue at the Oklahoma Pork Council as we champion pigs and the people who raise them! Monday's Give Back Night at Spark went great, allowing Oklahoma Pork to donate 15% of the proceeds to Feed the Children. Next up, we have a special Pork Month scholarship and our limited edition Pork Month shirt giveaway is still going on for two more weeks.

If you know a college student studying agriculture, tell them today about this fun and simple way they might just win $1,000 to help cover tuition, books, or other educational expenses. To apply, students can create a 2-minute maximum video about their pork story including their major, future goals, and support for Oklahoma Pork. Video entries must be emailed to mdeevers@okpork.org by October 31, 2024. A special thanks to Oklahoma Pork annual sponsor Zoetis via McKenzie Squires for helping to sponsor this unique scholarship to a deserving next generation agriculture leader.

Plus, if you haven't yet filled out our Pork Month form letting us know you're interested in our limited edition Oklahoma Pork Council specialty Pork Month shirts - click here! There continue to be several creative ways we are working this month to engage pork consumers and supporters like never before. Follow along on our social media, and let us know how you are celebrating our industry this October, too!

Oklahoma Pork's Food Service Inventory Clean Out

A special thanks to Oklahoma Pork's board of directors who donate their time to serve our industry all year long. Sometimes that service looks a bit more glamorous, but this week it looked like "bring your own folding chair" to the Oklahoma Pork storage unit for an on-the-go board meeting and equipment cleanout day.

Hopefully, there are times that serving on Oklahoma Pork's board of directors feels like a highly professional experience. Today was not one of those times, but we hope our board members enjoyed it just as much! A special thanks to the leaders of our organization as they held their October board meeting at Oklahoma Pork's storage unit to help inventory and clear out equipment no longer in use.

Since the board voted in 2020 to discontinue sandwich sales through the "Pork Chop Shop" at the Oklahoma State Fair and Tulsa State Fair, we have continued to evolve how Oklahoma Pork shows up throughout the state to feed people. We regularly give back in communities and offer delicious pork all year long - but that no longer requires much of the aging food service equipment previously used for this mission. All items will be made available to the public in November. Contact Kylee here to receive more information!

Pork Month Continues - Join Us at Spark on Monday

The special events for National Pork Month keep coming! If you are looking for a casual dinner plan next week benefitting a good cause, consider joining Oklahoma Pork at Spark in Oklahoma City. Our Give Back Night hosted at Spark's Nichols Hills location will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, October 14.

Mention Oklahoma Pork when ordering your bacon cheeseburger (or any other delicious Spark meal) to ensure 15% of your purchase goes to Feed the Children on behalf of the Oklahoma Pork Council. An easy dinner with friends that helps feed kids? We call that a win-win-win!

Plus, if you haven't yet filled out our Pork Month form letting us know you're interested in our limited edition Oklahoma Pork Council specialty Pork Month shirts - click here! There are several unique ways we are working this month to engage pork consumers and supporters like never before. Follow along on our social media, and let us know how YOU are celebrating our industry's pigs and people this October, too!

Perfect Fall Day Golfing with Friends

Is there a better way to end a great week than a sunny day of fun with fellow pork producers? On this beautiful October Friday, dozens of members and friends have enjoyed camaraderie at the annual “Oklahoma Pork Open" Golf Tournament in Hennessey. Nineteen teams representing a diverse cross-section of our state's pork industry just finished their runs through 18 holes over the past several hours.

Highlights of our special golf day include perfect fall weather, a delicious pulled pork lunch catered by Head Country BBQ, epic Oklahoma Pork prizes, and countless laughs with friends across the industry.

Award winners from the 2024 Oklahoma Pork Open include:

• ·    Overall First Place Team - First Source Staffing

• ·    Overall Second Place Team - Tulsa Food Bank

• ·    Overall Third Place Team - Seaboard Guymon Plant

• ·    Closest to the Pin Award - Tyler Williams

• ·    Longest Drive Male Award - Ricardo Mora

• ·    Longest Drive Female Award - Hannah Trujillo

• ·    Longest Putt Award - Danny Lee

Our annual golf tournament would not be possible without the generous support of more than 20 organizations that sponsored the event. Oklahoma Pork's staff and board enjoyed meeting so many of our allied industry representatives this year, and our team looks forward to continuing to grow those relationships. Click here to review the golf tournament sponsor list as you consider future business partners. 

Special thanks go to event-planning pro Matti Carlile of Oklahoma Pork for her months of detailed preparation to make the golf tournament a success. Check out Oklahoma Pork's Facebook account over the next few days to see more photos from the 2024 tournament!

Recruiting Young People to Team Pork

On Tuesday night, Oklahoma Pork's collegiate leadership program for agriculture students with an interest in swine-related careers officially kicked off in Stillwater. Pork Industry Group - a key component in our organization's Workforce At All Levels strategic intention - allows young people actively looking for internships and careers within agriculture the opportunity to learn more about Oklahoma's commercial pork industry and expand their networks of agricultural professionals in the state.

After more than 60 students applied to participate, 20 impressive Oklahoma State University (OSU) students representing a variety of backgrounds, academic majors and career goals have been accepted into this year's program. Dr. Scott Carter, OSU professor and Oklahoma Pork ex-officio board member, leads the program alongside Oklahoma Pork staff. Former Oklahoma Pork intern Gus Ward also helps with the program while serving as our OSU campus liaison for the semester.

The 2024 Pork Industry Group membership includes:

• Brett Hoffman from Poteau, Oklahoma - Animal Science Junior

• Brooke Vrba from Forney, Texas - Animal Science Senior

• Cade Harris from Brock, Texas - Animal Science / Pre-Vet Senior

• Chyann Emerson from Tuttle, Oklahoma - Ag. Business and Ag. Comm. Junior

• Colten Jasper from Jones, Oklahoma - Animal Science Junior

• Ethan Drake from Mountain Grove, Missouri - Agricultural Education Junior

• Hannah Giaudrone from Tecumseh, Oklahoma - Animal Science and Ag. Ed. Senior

• Jalyn Collier from Oblong, Illinois - Animal Science Senior

• Kinley Bratcher from Rush Springs, Oklahoma - Ag. Comm and Agribusiness Junior

• Kloie Nation from Sapulpa, Oklahoma - Animal Science Senior

• Krysha Green from Madill, Oklahoma - Agricultural Education Junior

• Lauren Chaney from Bluejacket, Oklahoma - Animal Science / Pre-Vet Senior

• Maria Shea from Owasso, Oklahoma - Animal Science Junior

• Molly Buckmaster from Porter, Oklahoma - Ag. Communications Sophomore

• Paige Vierra from Maxwell, California - Agricultural Education and Animal Science Junior

• Preston Alberti from Ripon, California - Plant and Soil Science and Agribusiness Senior

• Raylee Stuckey from Ardmore, Oklahoma - Agribusiness/Pre-Law Junior

• Riley Luginbill from Stillwater, Oklahoma - Agricultural Education Senior

• Taylor Epperson from Wyandotte, Oklahoma - Animal Science & Ag. Comm. Junior

• Taylor McConnell from Wellston, Oklahoma - Animal Science / Pre-Law Senior

This week's first session included an overview of Oklahoma's unique pork industry, the Oklahoma Pork Council, and expectations for the remaining seven sessions throughout the fall semester. We also enjoyed pizza together, shared Oklahoma Pork swag and prizes, and bonded as strong supporters of production agriculture. This semester is going to be a lot of fun!

Pork Industry Group is one of our staff and board's favorite experiences we lead throughout the year. We are incredibly proud of the students chosen for this competitive program, and we look forward to connecting these next generation leaders with opportunities throughout our industry.

Biosecurity Focus at Tulsa State Fair

Over the past week, young people showing pigs at the Tulsa State Fair have received helpful biosecurity advice through a new series of Oklahoma Pork Council student videos for fall 2024.

Building on the past success of these show-centric social media videos, swine exhibitors get to enjoy simple, effective precautions demonstrated by their peers who are working to safely raise their show animals free from disease. The impactful student interviews are part of Oklahoma Pork's continued education effort to remind swine exhibition families of their duty to help keep herds healthy as part of Oklahoma's larger pork industry.

The first video in the series featured Blackwell FFA member Jordyn Smith who discussed steps she takes before a livestock show to limit the spread of germs. Examples shared include monitoring for signs of illnesses, daily cleaning of pens, proper disinfection of equipment, and working with her veterinarian to evaluate animals for disease. Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile and videography partner Cade Childers of C3 Designs also interviewed two other students throughout the Tulsa State Fair, including one focused on measures to take during the show and a final video outlining protocols for swine exhibitors once they are headed home.

In addition to directing the biosecurity video series during the Tulsa State Fair, Matti has served an important role on the Oklahoma Swine Committee helping to run the pig show and monitor for disease throughout the barns. Thank you, Matti, for devoting so much time to helping these students have a great Tulsa State Fair filled with healthy pigs. Visit the Oklahoma Pork Council Facebook page to see more of our biosecurity messaging to swine exhibitors at the Tulsa State Fair!

Smithfield Foods Makes Record-Setting Pork Donation

On Monday, Smithfield Foods and the Oklahoma Pork Council closed out Hunger Action Month with an astounding 33,000-pound pork donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO).

As we transition from Hunger Action Month (H.A.M.) in September to National Pork Month in October, there was no better time for Smithfield's crew to give BIG in Oklahoma. For Oklahoma Pork's Kylee Deniz, this semi-truck full of donated pork marked the largest single product donation in her tenure at our organization.

Smithfield’s donation, equivalent to 132,000 servings of protein, included nutritious pork products of hams, bacon, and much more. The impressive truckload of products was immediately made available to RFBO’s network of partners in communities throughout 53 central and western Oklahoma counties.

Cathy Vaughan, Oklahoma Pork's president-elect and Smithfield's safety manager, shared heartfelt comments at the donation ceremony before she and several of her Smithfield teammates spent the afternoon volunteering to pack meals at the Regional Food Bank.

“At Smithfield Foods, we take the honor of feeding our neighbors very seriously,” Cathy shared. “We are proud of the work we do, and what a joy it is to share our high-quality products with families in need. With hog production operations located in Laverne, Oklahoma, we continually look for ways to give within the local community, and we are grateful to also have broader opportunities like this one to make a huge impact across the state.”

The Oklahoma Pork Council and Smithfield Foods encourage other pork producers to find opportunities to donate food, funds, or time to the Regional Food Bank or local feeding partners across the state - especially as we gear up for our annual Give-A-Ham campaign starting right after Thanksgiving.

Happy Pork Month to Every Oklahoma Pig Farmer

Hooray for National Pork Month! At the Oklahoma Pork Council, we work to celebrate our industry no matter the date on the calendar, but there is something extra special about October. Throughout the next four weeks we are excited to commemorate Pork Month with some incredibly fun opportunities to engage our farmers, consumers, and friends. See a few highlights below, and tune into Oklahoma Pork's social channels this month for several cool new ways to praise our people and our pigs!

First up, our first ever "PIGture" contest is now open. We are calling all pork enthusiasts to snap a quick photo of anything "pigtastic" in your life, and tag @OKPork on social media. This could be the cutest piglet on your farm, your dog holding his favorite pig squeaky toy, the snazzy Pork Council socks you rocked in a business meeting, or so much more. Anything that makes you smile related to pigs and pork is a great submission that will ultimately provide one lucky "PIGture" participant with $500 to share with an Oklahoma charity of their choice.

Another unique Pork Month event is our Give Back Night hosted at OKC restaurant Spark on October 14. Spark may be mostly known as a burger joint, but as we all know - it's the bacon on a hamburger that really makes it delicious. Their bacon cheese fries and corndogs are also tasty ways to add some pork to your plate as the Spark Nichols Hills location donates 15% of their proceeds from 5 to 8 p.m. that evening to Feed the Children in partnership with the Oklahoma Pork Council.

Additionally, stay tuned for an awesome scholarship contest featuring college students with a passion for pork and other unique Pork Month programming. We have a lot of special plans for October, and we want you to be part of it. Click here to fill out our Pork Month contact form, and you might just receive a limited edition Oklahoma Pork Council Pork Month tshirt to help spread pork's tasty message to all your friends. Thank you to our producers for creating such a worthy reason to celebrate this October!

Secretary Arthur Leads NASDA Conference

It’s no secret in Oklahoma that we have the nation’s best commissioner of agriculture. This week’s National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Annual Conference made certain the rest of the country understands that fact as well.

For the past year, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur has served as NASDA’s chair, leading a host of important policy priorities for states like herd and plant health, environmental regulations, the Farm Bill, and more. This week, Secretary Arthur's chairmanship culminated with a blockbuster conference in Indianapolis where her Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) team shined and proudly showcased much of what Oklahoma does so well.

Secretary Arthur, Deputy Commissioner JanLee Rowlett, and the entire ODAFF crew did an outstanding job integrating Oklahoma culture into the Indiana co-hosted event. From Oklahoma speakers to custom Made in Oklahoma (MIO) gifts, the meeting was filled with "Sooner State" touches from start to finish.

Oklahoma Pork’s Kylee Deniz was honored to participate alongside other Oklahoma leaders like State Board of Agriculture members Clay Burtrum and Brent Bolen. With more than 400 folks representing different states’ agriculture agencies in attendance, Kylee took part in NASDA's Next Generation Panel where she shared more about her pork career and advice for young leaders looking to engage on agricultural advocacy. Other familiar faces to our pork producers helped share Oklahoma’s message in Indianapolis, including our former intern Presley Pullen and other Oklahoma students who have taken part in Oklahoma Pork programming.

Overall, NASDA's Annual Meeting reminded us what a blessing it is to be part of the agriculture community, especially in Oklahoma. Pork producers help feed the world, and incredible leaders like Secretary Arthur help ensure our industry continues to do so.

Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile Visits Japan

Story and Photography by Oklahoma Pork's Business Coordinator Matti Carlile

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to travel on a United States Meat Export Federation (USMEF) trade mission to Tokyo, Japan. The “Heartland Team” as our group was known included 21 individuals representing pork, beef, corn and soybeans from all over the United States. This trip confirmed the relationship between Japan and the United States is incredibly strong, and the impressive Japanese professionals we met throughout the week feel confident our partnership will stay that way for the foreseeable future. Staff from the USMEF Tokyo office served as fantastic hosts throughout the experience.

We had a packed week, but a few highlights included visiting a culinary school, touring the Tokyo Meat Market, and venturing out to the countryside to see a Wagyu farm. We were able to observe a demonstration from an influencer teaching students at the culinary school how to properly cook pork and beef. After the demonstration, we were able to eat what he had prepared and chat with the students. With English being their second language, we communicated mostly through photos. They loved seeing photos of Oklahoma pigs and pig farms. Then, the Wagyu farm was also neat to see! We traveled to the city of Sendai by bullet train. Once we got to Sendai, a bus took us to the farm. On the way there, we passed a hog farm. I was hesitant that is what it was, but then a pig’s head popped over the side door. Confirmed... it was a pig farm!

Other highlights I really enjoyed were the retail visits. Wow – the pork is Japan sure is red! Our hosts related the redness to the freshness of the meat, which is really important to Japanese consumers. Pork is the most consumed red meat in Japan. Go, team pork! My favorite activity from this meaningful week in Tokyo was eating at a restaurant called Katsuya. They opened up early and served us tonkatsu (pork loin fried in breadcrumbs). It was SO good! The neatest thing was that they use all U.S. pork – the chef even mentioned getting a lot of their pork from Seaboard Foods!

I am proud to have represented Oklahoma pork producers on this incredible opportunity. I made memories with people from the United States and Japan that will last a lifetime. For a fun recap of the trip, check out this short highlight video from USMEF.