Blog
For April, we are celebrating on how the pork industry cares for our planet. Oklahoma pig farmers have been environmental stewards for generations and this Earth Month, we are celebrating our commitment to a healthy planet knowing that it contributes to the delicious pork Oklahomans can feel good about.
Join us in celebrating Earth Month by supporting the Oklahoma pork industry and its dedication to sustainability!
U.S. Pork Center of Excellence Executive Director Bill Winkelman and Oklahoma Pork Council's Kylee Deniz enjoyed talking all things pork during a recent visit to Oklahoma State University.
The Oklahoma Pork Council is excited about a recent partnership established between the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence (USPCE) and Oklahoma State University to continue connecting OSU Animal and Food Sciences degree seeking students with the pork industry.
Following a recent visit to Oklahoma by USPCE representatives Dr. Maynard Hogberg and Bill Winkelman, OSU Animal and Food Sciences Department has become a new USPCE university sponsor. This partnership focuses on talent development, education, and scholarship programs for the pork industry to help identify and train new and existing needs at all levels - including production, research, education and extension.
“The opportunity to work with the Oklahoma Pork Council and Oklahoma State University for undergraduate and postgraduate students is a great benefit for the youth and the industry in developing awareness and interest in career opportunities,” Winkelman said
In addition to fostering university partnerships, USPCE is dedicated to educating the next generation at the high school level with its exceptional curriculum offering, Destination Pork. Destination Pork is one of the great talent development tools and education programs to expose high school students to pork industry career opportunities. The curriculum is intended to fill the gap of instruction and enhance the curriculum of the standard classroom setting.
Oklahoma Pork is excited about the partnership with OSU and USPCE to continue attracting and retaining our workforce at all levels. We encourage you to share this resource with your local high school teachers, helping to inspire and educate future leaders in the pork industry.
Blue & Gold Sausage's Brett Ramsey served as the 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo Swine Show announcer.
Family-owned and operated, Brett Ramsey and his brother Greg Ramsey are co-owners of Blue & Gold Sausage. They help more than 1,000 youth organizations raise money for trips, community projects, equipment, and many other programs by selling Blue & Gold branded products. Located in Jones, Oklahoma, this is the 54th year Blue & Gold has processed their renowned breakfast sausage. Blue & Gold is an important economic contributor across Oklahoma, and the company has consistently supported the Oklahoma Pork Council as an annual sponsor.
“We sponsor the Oklahoma Pork Council because of the value the pork industry in this state provides for our business. We are fortunate to have a high-quality supply of raw materials right here at home,” Brett shared. “The Oklahoma Pork Council gives us a place to advocate for Oklahoma agriculture that is not readily available in manufacturing or further processing circles. It is also an invaluable resource in terms of staying knowledgeable about important issues facing our friends in every corner of Oklahoma agriculture.”
Brett has also served on the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors for many years bringing forth incredible perspective and relationships within the agricultural education community. He also spent this past week volunteering at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE). With FFA chapters making up 50 percent of Blue & Gold’s customer base and accounting for 70 percent of their annual sales, the Ramseys commit many hours to support those who support their business.
We are thankful for Blue & Gold's 2024 Annual Gold Sponsorship and their longstanding commitment to investing in the Oklahoma Pork Council! Click here to learn more about Blue & Gold Sausage!
A unique collaboration among Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma Pork Council, the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE), and other advocates for 4-H and FFA youth provided a special opportunity for 8th-12th grade students interested in pork production. In its inaugural year, the Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby had 45 students from 32 Oklahoma counties participate in the program. These students received hands-on assistance over 5 months to properly care for their Oklahoma State University-raised barrows leading up to the Derby show.
On Monday, Derby participants had an exciting morning at OYE with their pigs including the official weigh-in, ultrasound scans (loin eye area, backfat, percent lean) and a written knowledge test. Later in that day, the students showcased their swine projects in the show ring.
Alex Brooks, a member of Tipton’s Children Home, emerged as the 2024 Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby live placings champion. The top five overall winners across all competition categories were announced at last night's OYE Scholarship Presentation including Sloane McIntire, Hunter Duke, Stephen Wickerd, Kensli Shaffer and Alex Brooks.
As an important leader of the Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby, Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile is incredibly proud to be a part of bringing such a special learning opportunity to youth interested in pigs but who might not otherwise have the means to do so. These students could be our future workforce, after all. Several of this year's participants have already asked what's next in their pork industry journey. We're considering a visit to an Oklahoma commercial sow farm so they can see firsthand the potential of working in pork.
Pruett’s Food, in collaboration with Made in Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Pork Council, is encouraging Oklahoma City metro consumers to choose Prairie Fresh pork for their meals. Pruett’s is a southeastern chain grocery store with many locations in Oklahoma.
This strategic collaboration includes promoting pork through Pruett's in-store digital signage and outdoor digital billboards. The digital billboard in the photo above faces east and west on the heavily traveled NW Expressway, which this message is visible for approximately 7-8 seconds. Last year, the Seaboard Foods team thoughtfully developed and deployed this Made in Oklahoma Prairie Fresh pork campaign.
“This is a great way to draw consumer attention in a primary pork-producing state and promote a fantastic domestic and international marketing company such as Seaboard Foods,” shared Barbara Charlet, Made in Oklahoma Retail advocate.
The Oklahoma Pork team will be at several grocery stores around the Oklahoma City metro serving pork and sharing the story of Oklahoma farms and pork during next month's Made in Oklahoma Month.
Time is running out to honor excellence in the pork industry! The deadline for the 2024 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Awards nominations is just around the corner, on Friday, March 15. If you know an outstanding pork producer who demonstrates exceptional commitment or innovation in Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness, Workforce At All Levels, Image Enhancement or Freedom to Operate, now is the moment to act.
The award is open to individuals across all areas of pork production who bring passion and dedication to their everyday work. Nominees are not required to be members of the Oklahoma Pork Council or to work in a specific sector of production. We are looking to honor up to four producers who stand out for their contributions to the industry.
Don't miss this opportunity to nominate a deserving individual from your team or community. Click here to access the online application form and submit your nomination before the March 15 deadline. Let's celebrate those who go above and beyond in the pork production industry
The Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) will begin on March 12, where thousands of 4-H and FFA students will compete at the world’s largest junior livestock show. As young exhibitors prepare to present their pigs at OYE, the Oklahoma Pork Council is spotlighting biosecurity on our social media channels.
Brett Ramsey and Dr. Suzanne Genova, esteemed board members of the Oklahoma Pork Council, along with Oklahoma Department of Agriculture veterinarians and the Oklahoma Pork team, will be on-site to advocate for stringent biosecurity practices and ensure the health of the swine is closely monitored throughout the event.
To further underscore the critical role of biosecurity, three outstanding young exhibitors have been chosen to be featured in a special video series. These videos are designed to educate on the essential biosecurity measures needed before, during and after the show. We invite you to stay tuned to our social media channels for the premiere of these videos over the coming two weeks.
Oklahoma Pork continues to seek opportunities to educate swine showing families about their critical role in our state’s herd health. A healthy swine herd starts with raising healthy pigs at home, and raising a healthy pig starts with biosecurity. Click here to read more about show pig biosecurity and how other swine exhibitors are managing biosecurity.
Oklahoma's 2024 National Pork Industry Forum voting delegates included: Joe Locke, Travis Vaughan, Angie Johnson, Cathy Vaughan, Pati Law and Tre Smith. Delegates are pictured here in Chicago, Illinois, with Kylee Deniz and Matti Carlile from the Oklahoma Pork Council.
The Oklahoma Pork Council's voting delegates have spent the last three days representing our state at the 2024 National Pork Industry Forum in Chicago, Illinois. 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, Joe Locke, and Tre Smith. Our National Pork Producers Council delegates for 2024 included Cathy Vaughan, Travis Vaughan, Joe Locke, Tre Smith, and Pati Law.
Our delegates also voted on candidates for national positions. From an Oklahoma perspective, the most exciting news is that Oklahoma Pork Vice President, Cathy Vaughan of Smithfield Foods, was a top-ranked National Pork Board candidate. The final slate of nine ranked National Pork Board candidates will now be submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for approval. We are so proud of Cathy for stepping into this national role on behalf of Oklahoma!
Lastly, remember the custom #TeamPork stereo Oklahoma Pork donated to NPPC's PorkPAC auction? We are excited to report the stereo, valued at $2,750, was auctioned off and sold for $10,000! The stereo was the highest-selling auction item and contributed to the evening's impressive fundraising effort.
At the Oklahoma Pork Council, we believe in the effectiveness of collaboration and the impact it can create. Our board and staff have big goals for 2024, and we need your help to bring industry partners into our sponsorship network to help these goals become a reality for our members and industry.
If you work for a company providing services to Oklahoma’s pork producers, our team would be honored if your business could help support the programming and advocacy we do each day on behalf of our producers. We have a vision to make real progress within all four of our organization's strategic intentions: Workforce at All Levels, Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness, Image Enhancement, and Freedom to Operate. Financial support such as corporate sponsorships and membership dues go a long way in helping this work be achieved.
Our team works to be resourceful in bringing new partners during a challenging financial season for many producers. In our redesigned 2024 Sponsorship Guide, Oklahoma Pork Council is excited to offer a variety of unique partnerships allowing your business to show support for Oklahoma pig farmers and Oklahoma Pork.
The Oklahoma Pork Council continues to educate show pig exhibitors about the critical importance of strong biosecurity measures. Our team seeks opportunities to remind swine breeders, exhibitors, and their parents about everyone’s responsibility within the global pork industry.
One fun example of bridging this gap is the relationship between Cathy Vaughan of Smithfield Foods and Laverne sophomore Kensli Shaffer. Following the success of previous student biosecurity videos, Oklahoma Pork sat down with Kensli and Cathy, who serves as a mentor and friend to Kensli even beyond the pork industry, to get both their perspectives on a shared love of pigs.
Embedded above you can watch Kensli and Cathy discussing the importance of biosecurity on both a show pig and commercial level. “Biosecurity to me means keeping my pigs safe and everybody around me safe at shows,” Kensli shared. Cathy then discussed how biosecurity on a commercial level has many different moving parts.
Kensli is one of this year’s students participating in the first-ever Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby. As our members may recall, the derby is designed to offer opportunities for 8th-12th grade participants who have not previously exhibited swine projects with the goal of connecting the Oklahoma show pig and commercial industry. It is clear to see Kensli has fully embraced her new role as swine exhibitor, and we hope she (along with many of the other derby participants) use this opportunity to find their place in pork!
