Spreading Pork's Message to Young Audiences

Students ranging from age five to age eight recently learned about all things pigs and pork from one of Oklahoma Pork's most engaged junior members named Molly Buckmaster at her December workshop in Oolagah.

There is a devoted circle of high school and collegiate students with a passion for pork who continue to engage with the Oklahoma Pork Council every chance they get. One of these special young people is Molly Buckmaster from Porter, Oklahoma. Molly has joined our crew at a variety of key events over the past year, and she serves as a proud pork ambassador within her community.

Recently, Molly used her platform as a swine exhibitor and local role model to educate 300 Oolagah-Talala elementary students about pigs and pork. She introduced this curious young audience to the variety of careers available throughout the pork supply chain, and she helped them understand many of the delicious and nutritious products that come from pig farms right here in Oklahoma. Molly also shared fun Oklahoma Pork Council swag with these young learners to help key messages get remembered for years to come.

About Molly's day advocating for pork among hundreds of elementary students, Oolagah-Talala teacher Jennifer White shared "Wow, I can't say how much we appreciate having Molly come talk to the kids. She was truly amazing. I've also been using the resources on your website to educate the children over pigs and pork. So great for these kids to know where their food comes from and what it takes to make it happen."

Impressive Give-A-Ham Challenge Final Tally

It’s time to celebrate the incredible generosity Oklahoma's pork community displayed during the 2023 holiday season. Our board and staff want to extend deep thanks to each person who donated hams, pork products, time or funds during our recent Give-A-Ham Challenge.

Although we know not everyone publicly shares their Give-A-Ham involvement on social media, we can confirm more than 882 hams, 9,881 pounds of protein, $15,000 of financial support, and 50 volunteer hours were donated as part of Oklahoma's 2023 Give-A-Ham Challenge. Those totals mean thousands of Oklahomans enjoyed delicious pork meals in the past month because of our industry's heart for giving, and we have no doubt additional off-the-record donations took place in communities across Oklahoma.

Each year the challenge looks a little different, and for 2023 we are especially proud of the broad reach Give-A-Ham achieved impacting all areas of the state. Special free lunch events in Enid, Holdenville, Hennessey and Texhoma provided more than 1,000 free meals in pork-supporting communities. Additionally, large-scale donation projects within the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros met critical needs in our state's population centers. Pairing all those events with the individual giving that occurred thanks to challenges being accepted by many of our members and supporters - we can say without question that the 2023 Give-A-Ham Challenge touched lives across Oklahoma.

Award Spotlight: Kyle Schwerdtfeger

In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council established Excellence Awards to recognize those pork producers who have made the daily work of raising pigs more than just a job, but a passionate calling to take care of their animals and the people around them. This award covers all sectors of pork production, and it rewards those outstanding producers who excel in at least one of Oklahoma Pork’s four strategic intentions.

Throughout his 25 years raising quality show pigs, Kyle Schwerdtfeger has been a vocal advocate for the pork industry. His passion drives him to be a leader among his peers, which led to his nomination for the 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award.

Kyle is a sales representative for P&K Equipment in Shawnee, and his family has been raising pigs for more than two decades. The Schwerdtfeger family continues to improve herd health and champion strong biosecurity practices throughout the livestock showing community. Kyle’s family has been proud of their successful boar Bone-N-Hand that sired the Grand Barrow at OYE 2015, the Grand Barrow at OYE 2016 and also the OYE Reserve Grand and Bronze Medallion Barrow in 2016.

Today, Kyle is grateful to have a loyal customer base that understands his commitment to herd health and helps reduce foot traffic on the farm. For their efforts prioritizing disease prevention, Kyle and his daughter Karli also starred in an educational biosecurity video for the Oklahoma Pork Council. In addition to helping young people succeed in the show ring, Kyle enjoys spending time with his wife Kerri and two children.

Students Join Oklahoma Pork to Donate, Pack Meals

One of the most rewarding parts of Oklahoma Pork's Give-A-Ham Challenge each year is seeing the generosity spread across our state. We love cheering on Oklahomans from every background as they step up to promote pork and give back in their own special ways.

Last Friday, the Oklahoma Pork Council got to witness that passion for giving grow in real-time within 100 young people as they joined us to volunteer at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) to pack meals and celebrate pork producers' special $15,000 donation to the Pork for Packs Program.

Working together, these volunteers (many of whom show pigs through 4-H or FFA) packed an impressive 9,390 meals for RFBO's Backpacks Program - which is affiliated with our industry's Pork for Packs initiative. Pork for Packs utilizes donated hogs from Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members to create protein sticks for elementary students at risk of hunger. The pork sticks are distributed within the Backpacks Program to meet a real need by supplementing protein on weekends and holidays when school feeding programs are unavailable. Between the Regional Food Bank and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, the program serves 596 schools in all 77 Oklahoma counties, providing backpacks of kid-friendly, non-perishable food to more than 35,000 chronically hungry children each week.

While these 100 excited young people came together to pack meals, the Oklahoma Pork Council also took the opportunity to celebrate our board generously donating $15,000 this December to help cover 2024 processing costs of Pork for Packs donated animals. This significant contribution brings Oklahoma Pork's lifetime RFBO giving to a milestone $200,000 in total! That is certainly a legacy worth celebrating, and we look forward to continued partnership with both our food banks for many years to come.

Seaboard Gives Big in Tulsa and Hennessey

With Christmas getting closer, Seaboard Foods planned two special community days to participate in Oklahoma Pork's Give-A-Ham Challenge across the state. Collectively, Seaboard's generosity this week included more than 300 free pork meals distributed in Hennessey and an impressive 4,300 pounds of Prairie Fresh pork donated amongst three charitable organizations in Tulsa.

To start the fun, a team of Seaboard employees prepared and served free pork burgers, sausage and hot dogs for the Hennessey community on Monday. The weather was beautiful as around 300 local residents visited the Hennessey Seaboard Foods office to grab their lunch and spin the wheel for fun Seaboard and Oklahoma Pork prizes. As another meaningful thanks to Hennessey for the town's longstanding relationship with Seaboard, the company also donated a brand new deep freeze filled with 105 pounds of Prairie Fresh pork to the local food pantry.

Then on Tuesday, a crew of Seaboard Foods employees spent the day hand delivering more than 4,300 pounds of donated Prairie Fresh pork loins to a variety of service oriented Tulsa-based organizations as a continuation of their 2023 Give-A-Ham Challenge. Iron Gate Tulsa, John 3:16 Mission, and the Sand Springs Children's Home and Family Village each expressed deep thanks for the many boxes of Prairie Fresh pork loins to serve their clients.

The donated pork will provide delicious, quality protein to thousands of Oklahomans this holiday season. This unique day of giving across Tulsa also provided an eye-opening look into the heart-warming work done by each organization. Click Oklahoma Pork's recap video here or above to learn a little about each of these incredible organizations serving our neighbors.

A special thanks to board members Bas Werner and Roy Cansler for their leadership in this year's Give-A-Ham Challenge. Additionally, Oklahoma Pork commends the deep bench of Seaboard leaders including Davida Gomez, Tre Smith, Joe Popplewell, Cinthia Gomez, Rantz Trayler, Char Choate, Mark Ross, David Thrasher, and others who helped make these memorable give-back opportunities happen.

Board Donates and Serves at Homeless Alliance

Serving on Oklahoma Pork's Board of Directors comes with significant responsibility to make decisions that influence our entire state's pork industry. Board service also comes with special opportunities to see firsthand how the pork products our members make touch lives every single day. Last Friday was one of these humbling experiences, as Oklahoma Pork's board and staff spent the morning serving our neighbors at the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance.

In an eye-opening chance to continue this year's Give-A-Ham generosity, the board shared a hot ham breakfast donated by the Oklahoma Pork Council with more than 200 morning visitors to Oklahoma City's only low-barrier day shelter. The tasty ham was paired with eggs, biscuits and butter all donated by great Oklahoma Pork partner Ben E. Keith Foods to create a hearty morning meal for every recipient. During our visit, board members also donated bags of helpful products like hand-warmers, chapsticks, mints and

OSU Students Share Ideas for Pork Recruiting

Members of the 2023 Pork Industry Group recently completed their leadership experience by presenting workforce ideas to the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors at the Pork Industry Group Banquet in Oklahoma City. The students and board members then enjoyed a celebratory pork dinner reflecting on the fun and rewarding program over the past semester.

In teams, the students shared creative suggestions for addressing the labor shortage within pork, especially as our industry seeks to recruit the next generation of agriculture enthusiasts. Student ideas that could be implemented by the Oklahoma Pork Council or by our producers included: a one-day pork careers conference for middle and high school students, a mentorship program between high school and college agriculture leaders, a youth signing day event for prospective pork employees, an online 'personality quiz' assessment for pork career placement, and an eight-week pork exploration program for new graduates. Our board and staff are excited to use this feedback to continue evolving our "Workforce at All Levels" strategic intention efforts.

This program would not be possible without OSU's Dr. Scott Carter who volunteers his time and expertise as Pork Industry Group's faculty advisor. He is a critical resource as an ex-officio board member and industry expert for the Oklahoma Pork Council! The banquet also provided an opportunity to thank campus liaisons Kate Jackson and Braden Burns for their incredible behind-the-scenes support to run the weekly sessions alongside Oklahoma Pork staff the past few months.

As the evening concluded, the Oklahoma Pork Council presented student scholarships to six members of the 2023 Pork Industry Group including:

• Jake Butyenek was named "Outstanding Student"

• Kate Buckmaster received the "Speaker's Choice" award

• "The American Piggers" group including Aiden Davis, Dassie May (not pictured), Kate Bond and Quetta Woodall were awarded "Outstanding Group Project" for their plan to develop a one-day pork industry careers conference for 4-H and FFA students across the state

Our team has cherished the opportunity to mentor these students, and we look forward to being a longterm resource as they continue their academic and career journeys. 

Tyson Crew Feeds Holdenville Community

As Oklahoma Pork's Give-A-Ham Challenge continues to spread holiday cheer, Board President-Elect Joe Locke and several of his Tyson Foods colleagues spent Wednesday smoking delicious pulled pork, sausage, and pork belly burnt ends to feed more than 350 people in Holdenville.

This free lunch served as a meaningful "thank you" to an area of Oklahoma that is home to many Tyson Foods contract farms and countless folks who have worked throughout the pork supply chain. The giveaway event also provided an opportunity for the Oklahoma Pork Council to distribute several hams and share branded swag like blankets, stickers and squishy pigs with attendees. We are incredibly grateful for all those who made this special day sharing pork with so many folks possible, and we appreciate participation from several pork leaders including board members Angie Johnson and Rich Robinson.

Another reason Wednesday's community feeding event was so special for Oklahoma Pork is that it marked the first in-the-field experience for our team's brand new Digital Content Creator Shay Stegmann. Shay has jumped right in throughout her first week on the job, and she has the skills and passion to tell pork-focused stories in a whole new way. We are thrilled to have her on the team, and we cannot wait for our members to get to know her better through her impressive work. To preview Shay's talent, check out the fun recap video above that she created from our day in Holdenville. Then, stay tuned throughout the coming weeks for more ways to connect with Shay via E-Pork and our social media channels.

The "giving season" is moving quickly, but there is still plenty of time to take part in the Give-A-Ham Challenge however they choose in your local communities. We loved seeing Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, WWLS Broadcaster Jim Trabor, and many other Oklahomans who support Oklahoma Pork get involved over the past week! Share your participation by posting a photo or video on social media using #GiveAHam and #OKPork, or click here to let us know how you #GiveAHam this December. Let's keep the challenge spreading to feed more Oklahmans this holiday season!

ASF Exercise Focuses on Show Pig Producers

Dozens of Oklahoma show pig producers came together this week to participate in a Foreign Animal Disease preparedness drill to work through what would happen if a disease like African Swine Fever impacts Oklahoma.

Dozens of Oklahoma show pig producers came together to participate in a Foreign Animal Disease preparedness drill to work through what would happen if a disease like African Swine Fever impacts Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Pork teamed up with the National Pork Board (NPB) to host a first-of-its-kind African Swine Fever (ASF) tabletop exercise specifically created to engage our state's show pig producers. The exclusive event brought together national and state experts to share coaching and receive helpful feedback from around 50 Oklahomans involved with youth livestock exhibitions.

Veterinarian Suzanne Genova, who represents niche production like show pigs on the Oklahoma Pork Council's Board of Directors, was instrumental in bringing the right people together for this day of deep learning. Attendees also benefited from expertise shared by our regulatory partners like USDA regional veterinarian Dr. Becky Brewer, State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall, Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Alicia Gorczyca-Southerland, and ODAFF Deputy Commissioner JanLee Rowlett. In the case of a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) outbreak like ASF, it will be critical that Oklahoma pork producers of all sizes be knowledgeable and intentional as we work together with state and federal regulators to move toward eradication.

Attendees participated in a welcome reception and optional Secure Pork Supply (SPS) training on Wednesday night before a packed schedule of programming all-day Thursday. Key facilitators of Thursday's educational sessions and tabletop exercise included: Dr. Patrick Webb, Assistant Chief Veterinarian for the National Pork Board; Bruce Spence, Assistant Chief of Training, Fire Department Air National Guard (Ret.); and. Jason Menke, Director of Consumer Public Relations at the National Pork Board. The day was filled with thought-provoking interactions between animal health leaders and Oklahoma's important show pig segment related to ASF and other threats to U.S. pork.

The Oklahoma Pork Council appreciates support and expertise from the National Pork Board (NPB) to help make this event possible. To learn more about disease preparedness in Oklahoma's swine industry, check out Oklahoma Pork's FAD hub here.

Governor Stitt Promotes Pork, Helps Kick-Off Give-A-Ham

For the fifth consecutive year, Governor Kevin Stitt showed support for pork producers through participating in the Oklahoma Pork Council's annual social media charitable campaign known as Give-A-Ham.

As a proud supporter of Oklahoma's agriculture industry, this week Governor Kevin Stitt again chose to highlight Oklahoma pork producers' generosity through his involvement in our annual Give-A-Ham campaign. On Wednesday, his official challenge video went live on social media where Governor Stitt championed our state's farmers and announced he will donate his ham to the 99 Plus 1 Foundation, a faith-based organization serving women who have aged out of the foster care system.

The Governor also specifically highlighted Tom Layne and The HANOR Company for Tuesday's Give-A-Ham launch event in Enid. Governor Stitt encouraged Oklahomans to donate a ham or look for other ways to give back this holiday season their own communities. Our state's chief executive concluded his video by tapping State Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, State Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest, and State Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs John Nash to keep the challenge going across their own areas of influence.

To watch his full remarks, check out Governor Stitt's Give-A-Ham video above, and be sure to follow the fun series of challenges through our Oklahoma Pork Council social media accounts this month. Use #GiveAHam in your own social media posts to help promote generosity and pork consumption this holiday season!