Team Pork Additions for the Upcoming Summer

As the Oklahoma Pork Council continues to build strong relationships with next generation agricultural leaders, we are excited to announce two fantastic college students will join our staff for summer 2024. Both young people took full advantage of our OSU leadership experience Pork Industry Group last fall, and they also shined throughout the highly competitive internship selection process this winter which included more than 100 interested students from across the country.

Presley Pullen is an agricultural communications and animal science sophomore at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Growing up in Stratford, Oklahoma, Presley enjoyed showing pigs and helping with her family's peach orchard. Now in college, she is active in a wide variety of meaningful activities including Swine Club, Agriculture Ambassadors, Chi Omega, and more. She also currently works at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU-CVM). In 2023, Presley completed her service as an Oklahoma State FFA Officer and participated in Pork Industry Group.

Gus Ward is an agricultural business junior at OSU with a pre-law concentration. He was raised on a cattle operation in Indianola, Oklahoma, where he still assists his family today. Gus's exposure to the pork industry began as a show pig exhibitor through FFA, and he continues to be active in a variety of livestock and community organizations. In 2023, Gus graduated from Eastern Oklahoma State College (EOSC) with associate degrees in animal science and agriculture economics. At EOSC, he was active in livestock judging, student government and more. Since transferring to OSU, Gus has taken on several impressive roles including Pork Industry Group and working at Stillwater Milling Co.

Our team is counting down the days until Presley and Gus begin their summer of service to Oklahoma pork producers!

Share Perspective With Our Pork Forum Delegates

Angie Johnson (Tyson Contract Grower), Tre Smith (Seaboard Foods), Joe Locke (Tyson Foods), Travis Vaughan (Smithfield Foods), Cathy Vaughan (Smithfield Foods), and Pati Law (Prestage Farms) will represent Oklahoma on important policy and leadership decisions at the National Pork Industry Forum in March.

National Pork Industry Forum is just a few short weeks away when hundreds of pork producers from across the nation will gather in Chicago, Illinois, from March 5 to March 7. Pork Forum serves as the annual business meeting for members of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Pork Board (NPB) with a chance for state pork leaders to discuss a variety of topics affecting the future of our industry.

Since 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 are:

• Angie Johnson

• Tre Smith

• Joe Locke.

Our NPPC delegates for 2024 include:

• Travis Vaughan

• Cathy Vaughan

• Pati Law

• Joe Locke

• Tre Smith

Oklahoma has an added reason to be proud this year as Cathy Vaughan campaigns for a position on the National Pork Board. Last year, Cathy earned a spot on the NPB Nominating Committee, and now our state is cheering her on to victory as she seeks Oklahoma's second-ever representative on the National Pork Board. Learn more about Cathy here!

Bridging the Biosecurity Gap for Show Pig Families

This week, Smithfield Foods and the Oklahoma Pork Council visited with local students from Laverne High School to educate FFA members about the critical importance of strong biosecurity measures for their show pigs. Oklahoma Pork’s board member Cathy Vaughan from Smithfield Foods came up with the fantastic idea for this first-of-its-kind student workshop to teach proper care of show pigs free from disease.

With local and county shows next on the spring calendar, Oklahoma Pork seeks opportunities to help young exhibitors understand their important roles in the broader pork industry. Every pork producer has the responsibility to ensure the health of our state’s pig herd, and we are very grateful for this chance to bring commercial industry knowledge to show pig families in a fantastic pork community.

In addition to coaching from Cathy, Laverne students had the interactive opportunity to learn from Smithfield Foods teammates Dick Cardon, Dr. Monica Strawn and Jaye Daily. Oklahoma Pork’s Matti Carlile also led an engaging presentation on easy-to-follow biosecurity precautions the students can implement before, during and after livestock shows. A fun and educational cleaning versus disinfecting activity using “Glo Germ” and black lights helped to really show FFA members the importance of intentional disinfecting to prevent the spread of germs among their animals. Oklahoma Pork would also like to thank Smithfield Foods representatives Travis Vaughan, Thomas Mann, Luis Alvarez and Dr. Emily Frye for helping to make this event a success.

Attendees enjoyed a free pulled pork dinner and special Oklahoma Pork swag for their participation. Overall, the workshop was a fantastic collaboration thanks to Cathy’s leadership and insightful teachings from the Smithfield Foods and Oklahoma Pork biosecurity experts.

For 2024, Oklahoma Pork will carry on educational efforts to help inform more students about biosecurity practices. For a refresher, click here to watch one of Oklahoma Pork's fun youth biosecurity videos that Laverne FFA members benefitted from during the workshop.

Recognize Excellence on Your Farm or Team

Do you know an outstanding pork producer who deserves recognition? Applications are now open for the 2024 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Awards. This honor recognizes individuals across all areas of pork production for exceptional commitment or innovation within at least one of the Oklahoma Pork Council's four strategic intention areas: Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness, Workforce At All Levels, Image Enhancement, and Freedom to Operate.

Each year, the winners of this award are pork producers who view their work as more than a job, bringing passion to their professions each day. Nominees do not have to be Oklahoma Pork Council members or work in any certain sector of production. Up to four producers will be chosen for this acknowledgement, and the winners will be celebrated later in 2024.

Nominations are due on Friday, March 15, 2024. Click here to learn more and fill out the online application for a deserving member of your team or community.

Get to Know Digital Content Creator Shay Stegmann

As part of joining #TeamPork, Shay Stegmann has already been able to visit two commercial farms, several pork-producing communities, and the Certified Oklahoma Bred Association (COBA) swine show.

If you have been following Oklahoma Pork's social media accounts over the past two months, you have gotten to see several impressive videos and graphics made by Shay Stegmann. Now that Shay has gotten settled in her new role as Oklahoma Pork's digital content creator, it's time for us all to enjoy the opportunity to know her better as a person and a talented storyteller for our industry.

Shay joined #TeamPork in December after a diverse few years of her career encompassing film and television production, corporate marketing, and agency photography. You can check out some of the films she has worked on by perusing her International Movie Database (IMDb) profile here (how cool is that?).

As an expert visual communicator, Shay is excited for several special projects at Oklahoma Pork over the next few months. Right now, she is finishing the layout for our annual magazine "Pork Pages" - which based on her abilities is sure to be the most engaging issue our team has ever built.

Over the next few months, Shay is working to spend time on-farm with as many producers as possible for a series of mini documentaries she plans to create around pig farmers' commitment to your work and your animals. Additionally, she is using her photography, videography, and graphic design skills to help promote our members and our daily work through social media and other visual platforms.

When she is not behind the camera, Shay enjoys cooking, gardening, and traveling. She has been a fun and creative addition to the Oklahoma Pork team throughout the past couple months, and we cannot wait to see all her unique perspective and talents will contribute to Oklahoma Pork's mission.

State Legislative Session Begins Next Week

The majority of Oklahoma Pork's board of directors recently met to discuss state policy priorities, upcoming opportunities for Capitol engagement, and other timely issues as our team prepares for the upcoming legislative session that will run from early February to the end of May in Oklahoma City.

On Monday, the 2024 legislative session will officially commence at the State Capitol. Both chambers are led by term-limited members who will complete their maximum 12 years of service in 2024. Our State House of Representatives, led by Speaker Charles McCall from Atoka, and our State Senate, led by President Pro Tempore Greg Treat of Oklahoma City, will meet until the end of May to consider many of the 2,000 new bills filed this year and some of the 1,500 carry-over bills from 2023 still eligible for action.

Monday's excitement will kick-off with a joint meeting of the House and Senate where Governor Kevin Stitt will share his policy priorities for the upcoming year in his annual "State of the State" Address. Based on the governor's continued push for reform in these areas, he will likely focus on tax cuts, economic development, tribal relations, and education policy. After joint session, a busy week of floor activity and committee meetings will take place for our elected leaders.

As you may remember, the Oklahoma Pork Council has a three-person policy team working to protect your freedom to operate. Oklahoma Pork's executive director Kylee Deniz leads our organization, industry relations manager Ashton Mese Johnston monitors priority issues within our state and federal policy portfolio, and contract lobbyist James McSpadden represents our producers at the State Capitol each day during legislative session.

To confirm who directly represents you in both chambers, click here to easily enter your address and find your legislators. Drop these two state leaders a note or give their office a call to introduce yourself as the legislative session commences.

Pork Shines at Made In Oklahoma Tasting Event

As a proud partner of the Made in Oklahoma (MIO) Coalition, Oklahoma Pork's team recently enjoyed the coalition's "Oklahoma's Finest" tasting event where homegrown Prairie Fresh pork starred in a majority of the dishes.

This annual dinner to celebrate Oklahoma's diverse and delicious local food scene was led by respected area chefs Kurt Fleischfresser and Kevin Lee. "Chef Kurt" has long been a friend to the Oklahoma Pork Council, including participating in our Bacon and Bourbon dinners over the years when he previously worked at VAST.

From pulled pork and sausage to ribs and carnitas, there was an abundance of Oklahoma-raised pork offerings available to the event's 100 attendees. It was fun to enjoy our producers' quality pork products showcased alongside other well-loved Oklahoma icons like Head Country BBQ sauce, Suan's jellies, and Field's pies throughout the night.

The past few months brought several other special opportunities for collaboration with the MIO Coalition, including Oklahoma Pork's Give-A-Ham free community lunch in Enid and October's Homeland feeding event in Oklahoma City.

We are always grateful for strong partners who help tell the story of Oklahoma pork from farm to fork. If you have ideas or participate in other events proudly featuring products from your own farms, please let us know!

Oklahoma Wins Fun Wager Against North Carolina

Oklahoma Pork Council got to deliver a variety of quality pork products to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oklahoma City after winning a fun bet with our colleagues at the North Carolina Pork Council.

Recently, the Oklahoma Pork Council issued a friendly challenge via social media to our pork-producing friends in North Carolina. As the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cowboys prepared to take on the North Carolina State (NC State) Wolfpack in a highly anticipated wrestling dual, Oklahoma Pork's executive director Kylee Deniz and North Carolina Pork's CEO Roy Lee Lindsey (who formerly led Oklahoma Pork for 20+ years) made a win-win bet.

Whichever pork association's state wrestling program finished on top would donate 500 pounds of nutritious and delicious pork to a local charity. We are proud to share after OSU's 22-12 victory over NC State, Oklahoma Pork had the opportunity to celebrate with a special gift to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oklahoma City (RMHC OKC).

This week's donation to the Ronald McDonald House included more than 500 pounds of ham, bacon and pork loins for the local organization to share with families in need. The charity provides a free, comfortable place to stay for families of seriously ill or injured children who are receiving inpatient care from the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Each year, RMHC OKC serves hundreds of families who come from nearly all counties in the state.

Excellence Award Spotlight: Alan Mattson

Since 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council has presented 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. Nominees can work in any sector of pork production, as long as they excel in at least one of Oklahoma Pork’s four strategic intentions.

Over the course of his career, Alan Mattson has truly embodied what it means to be a servant leader. His commitment as a farm manager for Seaboard’s Farm 009 in Hinton sets a meaningful example to his colleagues who nominated him for a 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award.

Alan has over 20 years of experience in the pork industry and has worked in the Hinton farms for most of his career. Within just a few months of rejoining the Hinton farms after a temporary career change, Alan rose to the level of farm manager. Upon his notable accomplishments throughout farm ownership changes, Alan’s farms are consistently the most risk averse in the system, staying free from disease and navigating difficult weather conditions. This is partially due to Alan’s strict biosecurity standards and his attention to detail throughout his barns.

When talking to Alan’s team, you will hear constant remarks on his notable self-discipline and dry sense of humor. Alan is admired for his “old school” work ethic and would much rather take on manual labor with his team than office work. Alan is a great farm manager and an extraordinary caretaker for his hogs. Night or day, rain or shine, he responds to the needs of his farm. Outside of pork production, Alan enjoys spending time with his wife, four children, and three grandchildren. The Oklahoma Pork Council celebrates Alan for his impressive work and leadership!

Oklahoma Pork Ally Named Tulsa Food Bank CEO

Jeff Marlow has served as a chef and leader at the Tulsa-based Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma since 2013. On Monday, he was announced as the organization's new President and CEO.

This week brings an exciting announcement for collaboration between those who produce food and those who make sure fewer families go hungry. A strong pork advocate who truly understands the animal agriculture supply chain has been named President and CEO at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Jeff Marlow has multiple connections to Oklahoma's pork industry as a professional chef, an active show pig parent, and a frequent Oklahoma Pork Council collaborator. He has led pork cooking videos, helped with various community giving opportunities, and assisted with his daughter Sara's show pig biosecurity spotlight at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE).

Most recently, "Chef Jeff" partnered with Oklahoma Pork to serve a delicious holiday meal featuring donated pork via the Give-A-Ham Challenge. In his previous role as executive vice president and chief culinary officer at the Tulsa-based food bank, he was continually coming up with creative ideas to partner with Oklahoma Pork. We have no doubt our alliance will only grow in his new position!

"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead and work alongside this dedicated team in our collective efforts to combat hunger and positively impact our community,” Chef Jeff shared about his appointment. “I look forward to leveraging my experience and passion to strengthen further the Food Bank's ability to serve our neighbors through collaboration efforts with our hunger feeding partners."

Click here to read more from the Food Bank's official announcement.