Spring 2023 National Pork Producers Council Legislative Action Conference

Pork producers from across the country convened in Washington, DC, this week to advocate for our industry and strengthen relationships with our federal policymakers. Attendees participated in national briefings and Capitol Hill visits to educate members of Congress and staff on current pork priorities.

Twice per year, the Oklahoma Pork Council participates in the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Legislative Action Conference (LAC). For this week's 2023 Spring LAC, Oklahoma was well represented by Dottie King - contract grower for Tyson's Pork Group, Alina Porta - production manager for The HANOR Company, and staff from the Oklahoma Pork Council.

With the 2018 Farm Bill set to expire this September, much of our group's focus was on the important disease prevention and preparedness programs we hope to see included in the new version. Click here to learn more about the pork industry's asks for the upcoming Farm Bill and the ongoing need for agricultural labor reform. 

Overall, Oklahoma’s LAC participants had a meaningful trip connecting with our federal representatives. The Oklahoma Pork Council remains proud of strong relationships with our elected officials and proud to serve as a resource to help their offices support pork producers.

Impressive Oklahoma State University Students Joining the Oklahoma Pork Council Team

In May, Kate Jackson of Mountain View, Oklahoma, and Braden Burns of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, will kick-off their rewarding and fun summer internships with the Oklahoma Pork Council.

After a highly competitive search, the Oklahoma Pork Council is excited to announce two outstanding college students will join our staff for the upcoming summer. Both individuals shined among an exceptional pool of nearly 50 applicants for the 12-week experience serving pork producers.

Kate Jackson is an agricultural communications junior at Oklahoma State University (OSU) with minors in agricultural business and marketing. Growing up in Mountain View, Oklahoma, Kate was a passionate swine exhibitor and an involved member of her rural community. Even as a college student, Kate helps run her family's Red Angus operation and volunteers her time at various pig shows. Last fall, Kate was a member of the 2022 Pork Industry Group leadership program at OSU where she learned more about commercial pork production and career opportunities in our industry.

Braden Burns is an agricultural business sophomore at OSU. He grew up in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, where he showed livestock and participated in a variety of leadership activities. Braden has worked with pigs, sheep and cattle through his family farming operation and jobs with area livestock producers. At OSU, he is an active member of FarmHouse Fraternity and several prominent on-campus organizations. In May, Braden will complete his term as Oklahoma FFA State President just before beginning his summer of service at the Oklahoma Pork Council.

Promoting Pork on National Agriculture Week

From breakfast-for-lunch to a build-your-own taco bar, the Oklahoma Pork Council sponsored three pork meals for state policymakers this week as an outreach opportunity reminding legislators about our versatile products. Oklahoma Pork Council’s Kylee Deniz also presented on our state's swine industry and our organization's work to the House Rural Caucus.

Happy National Agriculture Week to the hard-working Oklahomans throughout the pork supply chain! We will never stop celebrating Oklahoma pig farmers role in feeding the world delicious, nutritious and affordable animal protein.

One of the simplest ways the Oklahoma Pork Council advocates for our industry is providing flavorful pork meals to key audiences. This week, we had three separate opportunities to do just that for members of the state legislature. Appropriate during National Agriculture Week, Oklahoma Pork supplied more than 150 pork-focused meals for state representatives, state senators and staff throughout a busy week at the capitol. During Wednesday's House Rural Caucus meeting, Oklahoma Pork’s Kylee Deniz educated the audience on our the importance and impact of our industry while members enjoyed a tasty carnitas and tostada bar from Oklahoma Pork.

Servant Leadership Spotlight: Rob Richard at OYE

DNA's Rob Richard donated his time to help run the 2023 Oklahoma Youth Expo Swine Show.

The Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) pig barn is filled with Oklahoma Pork Council supporters each spring. Ex-officio board member Brett Ramsey spent his third year at the microphone as the show's cool-headed announcer, several hard-working Pork Industry Group alumni helped sift hogs, and countless friends of our organization donated their time to make the state's largest swine show run with impressive efficiency.

One of the most trusted names within this special group remains Oklahoma Pork member and previous Distinguished Service Award winner Rob Richard. Rob, who serves as a national account leader for DNA Swine Genetics, has volunteered his talents to help run the OYE swine show for the past 16 years.

"I do what I do today because showing pigs gave me my start in the business," Rob shared as the barrow show concluded on Thursday. He is a perfect example of the commercial industry successfully recruiting a student with a deep passion for animal care. Rob has spent his entire career in various segments of pork production, and he knows there are swine exhibitors today who would succeed in large-scale production.

"They already love pigs," he said. "That's part way there... maybe the toughest part to replicate." He encourages the Oklahoma Pork Council and all our member companies to seek out more opportunities to invest time in our local schools, including Career Techs. He believes we can continue to improve our pull-through of livestock students into pork industry success stories like his own.

Thank you to Rob Richard and the other incredible volunteers at OYE this year! Oklahoma Pork is proud to serve alongside industry leaders with integrity and vision. To learn a little more about Rob, check out his 2021 Oklahoma Pork Distinguished Service Award video below.

Oklahoma Well Represented at the 2023 National Pork Industry Forum

Oklahoma's 2023 National Pork Industry Forum voting delegates included: Travis Vaughan, Cathy Vaughan, Jessica Ingo, Angie Johnson, Thomas Craig and Tom Layne. Delegates are pictured here in Orlando, Florida, with Kylee Deniz and Ashton Mese Johnston from the Oklahoma Pork Council.

The Oklahoma Pork Council's voting delegates have spent the last three days representing our state at the 2023 National Pork Industry Forum in Orlando, Florida. Pork Forum serves as the annual business meeting for members of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Pork Board (NPB).

Because Pork Forum includes business for both national organizations, each state has two sets of voting delegates - one set for Pork Checkoff-related business through the Pork Act and one set for public policy-related business through NPPC. This year's Oklahoma Pork Act delegates attending the event were Angie Johnson and Jessica Ingo. Our NPPC delegates for 2023 included Tom Layne, Cathy Vaughan, Travis Vaughan and Thomas Craig.

Encouraging enrollment in the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) and encouraging utilization of tools like AgView and Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plans were the main subjects of discussion for updating national policies. On the NPPC side, the delegate body also voted to amend the organization's bylaws to allow the NPPC immediate past president to the officer team.

Additionally, our six delegates also voted on a slate of candidates to national positions. From an Oklahoma perspective, the most exciting news is that Oklahoma Pork member Cathy Vaughan of Smithfield Foods was elected to the National Pork Board's Nominating Committee. In this role, Cathy will help evaluate candidates for the board and gain valuable insight for potential future service on the full board. We are so proud of Cathy for stepping into this national role on behalf of Oklahoma!

Public Notice by the Oklahoma Pork Council and the National Pork Board

The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2023 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 5:15 p.m., Friday, August 05, 2022, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Pork Congress and Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown, 1 N Broadway Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. All Oklahoma pork producers are invited to attend.

Any producer, age 18 or older, who is a resident of Oklahoma and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff deducted. Nominations will be accepted from the floor.

For more information, contact the Oklahoma Pork Council, 901 N Lincoln Blvd Suite 380, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, telephone 888-729-7675 or 405-232-3781.

Oklahoma's Give-A-Ham Impact

On Giving Tuesday, Joe Popplewell of Seaboard Foods launched the 2021 Give-A-Ham Challenge with an incredible 10,000-pound pork product donation to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. 

Popplewell, who serves as president of the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors, used this opportunity to showcase that giving back is a cornerstone of what pork producers do. He also spoke about the realities of hunger throughout Oklahoma. 

For the third year in a row, Governor Kevin Stitt has highlighted Oklahoma pork producers' charitable giving through his involvement in our annual Give-A-Ham campaign. In his video shared via social media on Wednesday, Governor Stitt accepted the challenge and announced he will donate his ham to a longtime foster care provider in Oklahoma City.

The Governor thanked our state's hog producers for their generosity, including a specific shout out to the Seaboard Foods donation further explained below, and he encouraged Oklahomans to donate a holiday ham within their own communities. Governor Stitt's Give-A-Ham video concluded with selection of State Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Speaker of the State House Charles McCall and Pro Tem of the State Senate Greg Treat being tapped to participate.

In the third week of the challenge, we saw a snowball effect across industries and communities. Challenges have been accepted within government including Lieutenant Governor Pinnell and others. From our friends at OSU, Give-A-Ham involvement has gone through President Shrum, Dean Coon, Athletic Director Weiberg and more. OU President Joe Harroz participated in the challenge, too. We owe a big “thank you” to multiple business owners, pork producers and friends of the Oklahoma Pork Council who helped make the 2021 Give-A-Ham challenge a success.

Oklahoma Pork Council Donates ‘Pigology’ Children’s Book to Libraries Across Oklahoma

Oklahoma Pork Council Intern Tre Smith and Board of Directors Member Tom Layne donate a copy of "Pigology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia" to the Enid Public Library as part of the Pork Council's 77-county donation project for the book's release. Accepting on behalf of the Enid Public Library is Interim Library Director Theri Ray.

On December 10, as part of the holiday giving season, the Oklahoma Pork Council kicked off a donation of the book “Pigology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia” donations to a librarieslibrary in each ofall the 77 Oklahoma counties across Oklahoma.

The 72-page children’s book was written by London-based author Daisy Bird and serves as a fun and educational resource for anyone looking to learn more about pigs.

Oklahoma Pork Council intern Tré Smith served as one of four U.S. pork enthusiasts selected by Princeton Architectural Press, the book’s publishing company, to provide feedback before Pigology was finalized earlier this year. was

As a senior at Oklahoma State University studying agricultural communications, Smith said working with the Pigology production team was an opportunity he never thought he would have, but now he will never forget.

His own passion for reading and writing sparked as a child visiting his local public library in Sand Springs.one of four pork enthusiasts across the United States who had the opportunity to review and critique the book prior to publishing with Princeton Architectural Press Senior Editor Rob Shaeffer.

“I credit public libraries for enhancing my view on creativity and love for literature,” Smith said. “Reading allows young people to enhance their knowledge while also training them to become amazing writers.”

That childhood experience makes connecting with libraries in each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties to donate a book he helped refine even more special.

“We are thankful to the Oklahoma Pork Council for helping our libraries build literacy in our communities,” said Cherity Pennington, district communications and library services coordinator for Shawnee Public Schools.

Pennington serves as part of the Oklahoma Library Association, and she shared, “we at the Oklahoma Library Association know everyone in our state has a part to play in supporting Oklahoma children's love of reading.” said Cherity Pennington, district communications and library services coordinator.

Oklahoma readers can see Smith’s part on full display by viewing Pigology’s acknowledgments inside the front cover, where Smith is thanked with his co-reviewers for “invaluable feedback.”

“We are thankful to the Oklahoma Pork Council for helping our libraries build literacy in our communities.”

Smith said working with the production team for this book was an opportunity he never thought he would have, but now he will never forget.

Shaeffer said libraries are an important part of the publishing program at Princeton Architectural Press.

“We are honored to participate in this great endeavor with the Oklahoma Pork Council,” Shaeffer said.

Princeton Architectural Press has been a leading publisher for design, architecture, and visual culture books for nearly forty years. Recently, the press broadened its scope to introduce children’s books and stationery products.

“I credit public libraries for enhancing my view on creativity and love for literature,” Smith said. “Reading allows young people to enhance their knowledge while also training them to become amazing writers.”

Throughout the book, readers learn entertaining facts about pigs and pig farming. This book is a follow-up to “Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia,” and is the second of a series of books highlighting farm animal and the ways they contribute to our everyday lives.

The world of pigs comes to life through Daisy Bird’s playful and crafty words. Her sentences are emphasized and framed by Camilla Pintonato’s illustrations.

This week, Smith will travel to Enid and Texhoma for in-person book donations with members of the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors.

A library within each county of the state has been selected to receive the book for free, including a special sticker inside the front cover sharing more about Smith’s involvement and the Oklahoma Pork Council.

To purchase your own copy of “the bookPigology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia”, contact the Oklahoma Pork Council office at 405-232-3781 or order from search “Pigology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia” on Amazon.

Oklahoma Pork Brings Lifetime Donation to Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to $175,000

Members of the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors and Executive Director Kylee Deniz announce this year's $12,300 donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma's Pork for Packs, which brings Oklahoma Pork's lifetime donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Food for Backpacks Program to $175,000.

The Oklahoma Pork Council announced its annual donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Pork for Packs in the amount of $12,300, bringing the organization’s lifetime program contribution to $175,000.

"We are so proud to partner with the Oklahoma Pork Council,” said Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “The Pork Council’s generosity over the past 15 years has been crucial to providing thousands of chronically hungry children with Oklahoma-grown protein through the Pork for Packs Program."

Pork for Packs utilizes donated hogs from Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members to create protein sticks for the Food for Kids Backpack Program for elementary students. This innovative program was started by the Regional Food Bank in 2003.

The program provides chronically hungry children with backpacks filled with non-perishable, nutritious, shelf-stable food including the protein sticks to sustain them over weekends and school holidays.

This year’s Oklahoma Pork Council donation will allow the Regional Food Bank to process and package more than 35,000 protein sticks.

“Oklahoma pig farmers give back in our communities across the state,” said Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council. “With too many Oklahoma children at risk of going to bed hungry each night, the need is clear. Our farmers are proud to fight against food insecurity via the Regional Food Bank’s Pork for Packs, and we are grateful to every 4-H and FFA student who chooses to help us in this mission.”

Pork for Packs is a collaboration between the Oklahoma Pork Council, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Regional Food Bank and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

“We are excited to continue our partnership alongside the Oklahoma Pork Council in feeding hungry children across our state,” said David VonTungeln, OKFB Foundation for Agriculture president. “The success of Pork for Packs is reliant on those 4-H and FFA members providing their animals, and we could not be prouder of them willing to help those in need.”

Oklahoma is the fourth hungriest state in the nation. The majority of people served by the Regional Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on limited incomes and hardworking families struggling to make ends meet.

For information about donating your show pig to next year’s Pork for Packs, contact the Oklahoma Pork Council.

Oklahoma Pork Launches Give-A-Ham Challenge on Giving Tuesday

(OKLAHOMA CITY) – On November 30, which is Giving Tuesday, Oklahoma Pork Council’s Give-A-Ham challenge launched with a 10,000-pound pork product donation from Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors President Joe Popplewell and his company, Seaboard Foods, to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. 

"With farms and a pork processing plant in the Oklahoma Panhandle, we have the opportunity to give back to our communities throughout the great state of Oklahoma,” said Peter Brown, Seaboard Foods president and CEO. “We’re honored in joining the Oklahoma Pork Council in the Give-A-Ham campaign for the holiday season by donating our Prairie Fresh pork products to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. We’re hopeful this delicious pork will bring nourishment, comfort and fellowship to those who need it most this holiday season.” 

Last year, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma in Tulsa distributed more than 32 million pounds of food throughout 24 counties. 

Jeff Marlow, chief culinary officer for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, said they understand hunger is a year-round concern, and Oklahoma has so many families facing food insecurity. 

“We want to express our sincere thanks to the Oklahoma Pork Council and Seaboard Foods,” Marlow said. “It brings reassurance when we see communities get behind projects like this. No one should go without food any time of year, but especially during the holidays. This campaign couldn’t come at a better time.” 

Popplewell said giving back is a cornerstone of what Oklahoma pig farmers do. They find ways to give back to communities with food, time, donations, and more year-round. The holiday season is no different. 

“Hunger is a reality one in six Oklahomans face every day,” Popplewell said. “That’s why Seaboard Foods is honored to launch the Oklahoma Pork Council’s 2021 Give-A-Ham challenge in a big way.” 

All twelve Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors will donate hams to their local communities and keep the generosity going by tapping friends and colleagues to accept the challenge. 

In addition to Seaboard Foods’ product donation, Popplewell also challenged Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to participate in the Give-A-Ham challenge, which will continue from today until Dec. 23. 

Share your pay it forward story on social media using #GiveAHam and #OklahomaPork, or by visiting okpork.org/giveaham to commit to giving this holiday season. 

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The Oklahoma Pork Council, a farmer-led organization, represents the interests of all Oklahoma pig farmers. Partially funded by federally collected checkoff dollars, okPORK promotes pork and pork products, funds research, and educates consumers and producers about the pork industry. For more information about this or any other programs of okPORK visit www.okpork.org or call 405.232.3781.