Clay Meeks was inducted into the Oklahoma Pork Council Hall of Fame last week, while Kelly Haymaker, Ash Dennie, and Ryan Sites (not pictured) all earned 2024 Excellence Awards for their career dedication.
Written by Presley Pullen and Gus Ward
As Oklahoma Pork's summer interns, we received the opportunity to assist in planning and coordinating this year's Oklahoma Pork Congress and enjoyed watching the Oklahoma Pork Council team’s hard work pay off. We celebrated four outstanding award recipients in response to their commitment to excellence and advocacy for the pork industry. The 2024 Oklahoma Pork Council award winners are:
Ash Dennie of Ran-Mar Farms was the first recipient of the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award. Ash was nominated by his peers for his extreme talent in animal care and farm management ability.
Kelly Haymaker of The HANOR Company also earned the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award for the overwhelming pride she takes in caring for her boars and steady devotion to making the industry better.
Ryan Sites, show pig breeder and Show-Rite national swine support specialist, was this year’s final recipient of the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award. Ryan’s value of integrity and service to youth exhibitors deemed him worthy of recognition.
Clay Meeks of Meeks Family Farms was inducted into the Oklahoma Pork Council Hall of Fame for his high career achievement in the pork industry and advocacy efforts in his community. As Clay embarks on his retirement journey, the legacy he has left in commercial pork production will serve as an example for others to follow.
Being able to visit these industry leaders’ farms and operations and witness their true passion for their work was inspiring. A huge shoutout to Shay for allowing us to be a part of celebrating these outstanding individuals.
At Pork Congress, each recipient had a uniquely crafted video sharing their pork story with comments from their nominators. The kind remarks from the recipient’s peers served as a pleasant surprise and added another layer to their well-deserved recognition. Click here to watch these award videos on our YouTube page, or stay tuned as we roll them out on social media and in E-Pork over the coming weeks!
We were grateful for the opportunity to assist with our very first Oklahoma Pork Congress. Through networking, an impressive set of panel speakers, and interacting with board members, we have an even deeper appreciation and respect for Oklahoma pork producers.
As we wrap up our internship this next week, we want to express how transformative and monumental this summer has been for both of us. We are excited to advocate for the pork industry and its incredible people in the future.