Thankfully with improved industry conditions since last summer, more than 10,000 pork producers and supporters convened this week in Des Moines, Iowa, to share information and delicious food while checking out the latest technology and production trends. Each June, Expo serves as a great chance for Oklahoma Pork's staff and our members to learn from industry experts and connect with strong partners like our allied industry sponsors, national organization colleagues and more.

One highlight of Expo for the Oklahoma Pork crew included getting to road trip to Des Moines with our two outstanding summer interns during their very first week on the job. After a day of onboarding at our Oklahoma City office Monday, Presley Pullen and Gus Ward got to really bond with the team and board member Dr. Scott Carter during the 8-hour trek north.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) promotion of "education, innovation and networking" remains accurate for the experiences our team enjoyed over the past few days. Our Oklahoma Pork crew learned more about Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) prevention efforts, pork priorities - like a Proposition 12 fix - in the upcoming Farm Bill, and the importance of pork's nutritional value in our messaging to consumers. Our own Kylee Deniz moderated a panel about building public trust in the industry, and our digital content creator Shay Stegmann beautifully captured it all as she took fantastic photos during her first-ever World Pork Expo experience. Matti Carlile celebrated her two-year anniversary working full-time at Oklahoma Pork by leading our group throughout the Iowa State Fairgrounds, and we all remain grateful for her constant support this week in Iowa and every week at home!

Thank you to our production companies who participated in WPX in any way, and thank you to the allied industry partners who helped make the week a worthwhile experience.