Click the photo to hear about John.
Click the photo to hear about Aaron & Carla.
Click the photo to hear about Tracy.
Click the photo to hear about Gary.
The Oklahoma Pork Council honored John Brown, Aaron and Carla Koerner, Tracy Sharry and Gary Todd with the Excellence Award during the 62nd annual Oklahoma Pork Congress at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.
The Excellence Award was created to recognize individuals in all areas of pork production for their exceptional commitment to doing their best every day. Excellence Award nominees come from any sector of pork production.
John Brown is the environmental systems manager for Smithfield Midwest Region Oklahoma. He was nominated by Cathy Vaughan of Smithfield Foods.
“John has been instrumental in creating great relationships not only with our state agencies,” Vaughan said. “But also with all our farmers and landowners in the areas of our farms.”
Aaron and Carla Koerner are contract growers for The Maschhoffs in Minco, Oklahoma. They were nominated by Thomas Craig, director of production for The Maschhoffs.
“What stands out most is just how much Aaron and Carla are still able to get done every day,” Craig said. “They have been a staple in the swine community in central Oklahoma, both show pig and commercial operations, and have helped mentor a neighboring production partner, and share their experiences and solutions with him as well.”
Tracy Sharry is a farm manager with The Maschhoffs and was also nominated by Craig.
Craig said, “Tracy has always pushed herself to be the best. She has been one of the top-producing managers in the Maschhoffs system throughout the past two decades, and she is always looking for continuous improvement.”
Lastly, Gary Todd is the owner of Todd Showpigs. He was nominated by Tim Guinn, owner and operator of Guinn Farms.
“Gary encourages the kids, helps create feed plans for each hog in the barn, clips pigs for the shows and even helps them haul their animals to and from the shows,” Guinn said. “He is one of the best hog breeders in Oklahoma.”
Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council, said this was a competitive group of nominees.
“As an organization, we are always thrilled to recognize the hard work and dedication to our industry,” Deniz said. “We hope this is just the beginning of the impact these individuals will make in their companies and their communities.”