What Consumer Preferences Mean for Producers

Story by Oklahoma Pork Intern Presley Pullen

Experiencing World Pork Expo through the eyes of the Oklahoma Pork Council was an adventure I won’t soon forget! Each moment in the historic city of Des Moines provided opportunities to network with industry leaders, learn about advancing technologies, and understand the diversity of pork careers.

Fellow Oklahoma Pork intern Gus Ward and I were able to embark on an Intern Tech Tour with the National Pork Board where we visited companies such as JYGA Technologies, MetaFarms, Barn Tools, Ro-Main, United Animal Health and more. At each booth, we were able to gain insight on the mission and goal of each organization and the role they play in pork production.

Sponsored by the National Pork Board, the Positioning Pork for Success: Meeting Consumers Where They Are session opened my eyes to how consumer preferences drive pork producers’ behavior. The session was moderated by Kiersten Hafer and featured panelists Sarah Showalter, Alayne Johnson, and Tony Manker. The group discussed the three main motivators of consumers: taste, balance, and convenience. In conjunction with this topic, the National Pork Board offered a typing tool personality test utilizing your eating habits to place you in one of seven categories as a pork consumer.

As you can see in the photo above, I am a “simple feeder.” I learned I prioritize convenience over nutritious content and prime taste and flavor. I am more concerned about getting through the meal to keep on with my day than breaking down the source of protein I am consuming.

Oklahoma Pork Council team member Matti Carlile is a “confident meat eater.” She incorporates pork into her diet any chance she gets. Gus is a “culinary adventurer”, seeking every opportunity to try the most unique item on the menu and experiment with recipes at home. It’s important we recognize this audience and maintain positive relations with our top consumers.

The industry leader panelists introduced the consumer segmentation process and shared mind-blowing statistics from their research. An impressive 80% of pork consumption is consolidated in just 24 states, with millennials consuming less than half the pork per capita of Baby Boomers.

Alayne expressed her insight on combatting this issue, aligning directly with the National Pork Board: building trust and adding value. Tony was able to provide examples of how his company is using technology to appeal to consumers. Providing advertisements with QR codes linked to recipes, consumers are able to start with the big picture and learn new ways to incorporate fresh pork cuts into their diet. Sarah highlighted the growing popularity of easy-to-use appliances like air fryers and slow cookers and how these instruments can attract a new audience.

The pork industry is full of leaders who place integrity at the forefront. Alayne displayed the character of pork producers when she said, “We can’t give them information that we don’t know.” I commend the National Pork Board for investing in research to track consumer preferences and truly meet our customers where they are.

As I reflect on my travels, I feel extremely grateful to have a broader view of the pork industry and the producers who keep it going! I’m leaving Des Moines with new perspectives, knowledge, a full belly and heart!

World Pork Expo Insights from Industry Leaders

Dr. Steve Meyer provided a thorough economic update at World Pork Expo, while also proudly representing his alma mater Oklahoma State University.

Story by Oklahoma Pork Intern Gus Ward

This week I had the opportunity to attend the World Pork Expo for the first time. It was a great experience to attend, not only as an Oklahoma Pork Council representative, but also as an Oklahoman! To say I am proud to attend would be an understatement as I experienced many impressive things this week such as new technologies within the pork industry, networking, and character building. Although I enjoyed every second of my time at the Iowa State Fairgrounds this week, I would say that a highlight of my time in the Hawkeye State was getting the opportunity to attend the business session called An Economic Outlook for the Pork Industry.

Joe Kerns, President of the Livestock Division at Ever.Ag, opened the session by discussing the revenue side of pork production. He stated, “Good things come to those who wait, or to those that can survive just a little longer.” Although this may sound a little harsh, I think it really highlights the resilience required to be a producer within the pork industry.

Dr. Steve Meyer, the second speaker, a personal role model of mine, and the lead economist at Ever.Ag, provided his version of an economic outlook as well. Dr. Meyer stated, “2023 was not a banner year for hog producers.” He also compared it unfavorably to 1998 but pointed out that 2021 was a very strong year. He stated that the unusual trend of pork numbers falling in 2023 despite a constant pork population over the past four years, attributing productivity gains to increased pigs saved per litter.

Other key topics discussed included the impact of recent governmental policies on agriculture. Both Mr. Kerns and Dr. Meyer discussed corn and soybean production. Dr. Meyer explained the concept of inelastic demand, where consumption remains steady regardless of price changes, which is significant for essential commodities like pork. He also discussed the economic impact of COVID-19 stimulus payments on the pork industry. He stated that these checks added about $13 trillion to the money supply and temporarily boosted pork demand, which is part of the reason that 2021 was such a great year for the industry.

Dr. Meyer provided a global perspective that I found very interesting. He stated that the U.S. will be the top pork exporter in 2024, with an 8% increase so far this year. He also highlighted that since Mexico has recently become the largest exporter of goods to the U.S., the Mexican Peso has strengthened by 22%.

Overall, the economic update at World Pork Expo was very enlightening. It provided a wealth of knowledge and valuable insights from industry leaders like Joe Kerns and Dr. Steve Meyer. Their expertise shed light not only on the current state of the pork industry, but also on the future of pork production. This trip was an exceptional start to my internship this summer. It offered an opportunity to engage with key figures in the industry and understand the opportunities within all aspects of the pork industry. I am truly grateful for this experience and excited to see what lies ahead in my journey with the Oklahoma Pork team.

Good Week of Learning and Eating in Iowa

Thankfully with improved industry conditions since last summer, more than 10,000 pork producers and supporters convened this week in Des Moines, Iowa, to share information and delicious food while checking out the latest technology and production trends. Each June, Expo serves as a great chance for Oklahoma Pork's staff and our members to learn from industry experts and connect with strong partners like our allied industry sponsors, national organization colleagues and more.

One highlight of Expo for the Oklahoma Pork crew included getting to road trip to Des Moines with our two outstanding summer interns during their very first week on the job. After a day of onboarding at our Oklahoma City office Monday, Presley Pullen and Gus Ward got to really bond with the team and board member Dr. Scott Carter during the 8-hour trek north.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) promotion of "education, innovation and networking" remains accurate for the experiences our team enjoyed over the past few days. Our Oklahoma Pork crew learned more about Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) prevention efforts, pork priorities - like a Proposition 12 fix - in the upcoming Farm Bill, and the importance of pork's nutritional value in our messaging to consumers. Our own Kylee Deniz moderated a panel about building public trust in the industry, and our digital content creator Shay Stegmann beautifully captured it all as she took fantastic photos during her first-ever World Pork Expo experience. Matti Carlile celebrated her two-year anniversary working full-time at Oklahoma Pork by leading our group throughout the Iowa State Fairgrounds, and we all remain grateful for her constant support this week in Iowa and every week at home!

Thank you to our production companies who participated in WPX in any way, and thank you to the allied industry partners who helped make the week a worthwhile experience.

Oklahoma Pork and Oklahoma Blood Institute Partner for Successful Blood Drive

At the start of every summer, our board and staff are proud to host the Oklahoma Pork Council Pre-Memorial Day Blood Drive in partnership with the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) across the state. This annual event has long served as one of OBI's most successful drives of the year, which helps meet an increased need for the holiday weekend and beyond.

Throughout all 10 participating locations over the past two days, donors received a free pulled pork sandwich, a free bacon themed t-shirt, and free admission to Frontier City or Hurricane Harbor this summer. Although we don't have a final donor tally yet, we are confident hundreds of Oklahomans stepped up to give. One bright spot included surpassing our community goal for the Hinton pop-up mobile giving center with 19 total participants on Thursday. Stay tuned for donation totals for the entire statewide drive promoting pork in the days to come.

Thank you to our generous members and community supporters who took time to give blood this week! As we go into the busy Memorial Day weekend, there is no doubt your selfless donations will help Oklahomans in need.

Sharing Farm Bill Priorities with the U.S. Senate

At Oklahoma City's Heritage Place Sale Barn, more than 50 Oklahoma agriculture advocates came together to discuss Farm Bill priorities within our state. Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur facilitated comments from the audience and dialogue with Senator James Lankford and Senator John Boozman.

Representatives from the pork industry participated in a Farm Bill roundtable with Oklahoma's senior senator James Lankford and the Senate Agriculture Committee's ranking member John Boozman of Arkansas. This event was similar to the Farm Bill listening session hosted by Congressman Lucas at the same venue last fall, but Friday's meeting focused on the anticipated Senate version of the bill and what Senators Lankford and Boozman can do to support Oklahoma agriculture priorities throughout upcoming negotiations.

With the 2018 Farm Bill expiration extended to September 2024, the roundtable served as a helpful avenue for Oklahoma agriculturists to share what programs are most important to our state in the upcoming $400+ billion omnibus bill. On behalf of our state's pork producers, Oklahoma Pork's Kylee Deniz provided robust comments on herd health programs for U.S. livestock, Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) preparedness, and the need for a federal solution to California's Proposition 12.

Pig farmers were well represented at Friday's meeting, including board members Joe Locke and Rich Robinson, student pork advocates Molly Buckmaster, Cooper Kline, and Will Jasper, and Oklahoma Pork's staff.

Team Pork Well Represented during the Honorary State FFA Degree Ceremony

Seth Kline, Braeton Kimble, Todd Kennedy, Kylee Deniz and Tammy Kline were awarded 2024 Oklahoma FFA Honorary State FFA Degrees during the Oklahoma FFA Convention's third general session.

Last week at the 98th Oklahoma State FFA Convention held in Tulsa, 74 agricultural industry leaders received a 2024 Honorary State FFA Degree. Recipients of the prestigious Honorary State FFA Degree are educators, industry leaders, community members, farmers and ranchers, or government officials who show strong commitment to advancing agricultural education and youth leadership development. 

This year, several team pork individuals were recognized for their dedication to the Oklahoma FFA organization including Seth Kline, Braeton Kimble, Todd Kennedy, Tammy Kline and our very own Kylee Deniz. Each of these team pork recipients highlight the diverse talents and contributions that drive ongoing success for the next generation of agricultural leaders. We could not be prouder of these 5 and the others who received the 2024 Honorary State FFA Degree. Click here to see the Honorary State FFA Degree recipient listing. 

“Being granted the Honorary State FFA Degree is a profound privilege, and I am grateful to the Oklahoma FFA for this recognition and the recognition of several influential leaders in Oklahoma's pork industry. FFA holds a special place in my heart, and I am committed to continuing pork's support for the organization and its members across our state,” Kylee shared.  

Engaging with Our Future Workforce at the State's Largest Youth Gathering

This week, the Oklahoma Pork Council team had the privilege of participating in the 2024 Oklahoma FFA Convention. With over 10,000 FFA students in attendance, this annual experience offers a valuable opportunity for Oklahoma Pork to engage with young minds. 

At the convention, our team had a tradeshow booth with a focus on showcasing the diverse career opportunities within the pork industry. We were thrilled to debut an 11-question career quiz developed by past Pork Industry Group participant Madalyn Friend and her group, which was presented as their final project to the Oklahoma Pork board last fall. The "Pork Professional Test" received an overwhelming response with over 525 submissions from students eager to explore their potential in the pork industry. Take a moment to complete the career quiz for yourself!

Oklahoma Pork also led one of the six Career Success Workshops, which was attended by over 100 students. Oklahoma Pork's Executive Director Kylee Deniz had an engaging session discussing the various pathways available within the pork industry. We also distributed "merch" including sunglasses, fanny packs, Eat Pork license plates, socks and backpacks.

Plus, we are thrilled to congratulate show pig producer and Oklahoma Pork high school senior mentee Cooper Kline on securing a notable role on the 2024-2025 Oklahoma FFA State Officer Team. We are excited to see him excel in this leadership role!

“Pork Professional Test” Debuting at Oklahoma FFA Convention

The 2024 Oklahoma FFA Convention is this week in Tulsa, where the 10,000 FFA members in attendance will be able to find their pathway in pork. Our team can’t wait to continue our youth outreach efforts to students across the state with actionable next steps to “Work in Pork.”

Last fall, Madalyn Friend and her Pork Industry Group team members created the "Pork Professional Test" as a part of their final presentation. The purpose of the Pork Industry Group final presentation was to present workforce ideas to the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors. Madalyn's group shared that they wanted their idea to be different and creative. The group’s idea stemmed from personality quizzes members previously took through their college courses. Madalyn shared that she knew just enough about coding to potentially create a pork career quiz. From there, group members started brainstorming the different sectors of the pork industry to include, what platform the quiz should be created with, and fine-tuning the questions.

“It has been a really rewarding opportunity to create something like this. It is awesome knowing that I can potentially impact the next generation and show them the pathway to some really cool career options within an industry I am so passionate about,” Madalyn shared.

The "Pork Professional Test" will be available for all FFA members to take at Oklahoma Pork’s FFA Convention tradeshow booth #801-803 on Tuesday and Wednesday during the tradeshow hours. Plus, we will be talking pork industry careers during Oklahoma Pork's Career Success Workshop titled "Pathways in the Pork Industry" on Tuesday, May 7th at 4 p.m. in Conference Hall C-D.

Supporting Communities after Saturday Night's Tornado Outbreak

In the wake of the recent tornado outbreak that struck the eastern side of our state, the Oklahoma Pork Council board and staff along with local pig farmers mobilized swiftly to aid affected communities. Below is a summary of our storm response efforts.

Marietta: Oklahoma Pork President-Elect Joe Locke fired up the Oklahoma Pork smoker to prepare and serve pork meals for his hometown of Marietta. Starting on Sunday at noon, Joe cooked tirelessly into Monday providing much-needed warm meals to residents following the Marietta tornado. Click here for Governor Stitt, Senator Lankford and FEMA's look at the Marietta tornado damage.

Holdenville: Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors Rich Robinson and Angie Johnson collaborated on a free pork lunch for the Holdenville community on Monday. Some pig farms in the Holdenville area experienced structural damage from the tornado. Click here to watch New 6's coverage titled "You Rebuild and You Stay": Holdenville Community Rallies After Tornado Hits.

Sulphur: Recognizing Sulphur as one of the hardest-hit communities in the state, Oklahoma Pork collaborated with Operation BBQ Relief to provide a free pork lunch on Tuesday. But, we did not stop there. Understanding the ongoing need, Oklahoma Pork arranged for additional support by securing a refrigerated truck from the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to stay in Sulphur for the week, and specifically routed a Ben E. Keith truck to the Sulphur Walmart parking lot with 10 cases of pork loins and 10 cases of pork butts resulting in thousands of additional pork meals being prepared by Operation BBQ Relief for the Sulphur community starting with dinner on Tuesday night through Friday. Oklahoma Pork's Shay Stegmann captured photos of the Sulphur tornado damage and has uploaded them to Oklahoma's new digital asset platform for you to see the heartbreaking tornado damage here.

 A sincere thank you to Oklahoma Pork's board and staff team for swift action and commitment to helping those in need. We continue to extend our thoughts and prayers to all impacted by the storms. If you know someone in need, please encourage them to fill out our request for support form so we can connect them with the appropriate resources.

Prairie Fresh Pork, Made in Oklahoma and Oklahoma Pork Collaborate on a Retail Activation

On Thursday, the Oklahoma Pork Council and Made in Oklahoma (MIO) sponsored our third shopper sweepstakes and free pork lunch event but this time at Uptown Grocery in Edmond. Starting at 11 a.m., Uptown Grocery shoppers were served a free Prairie Fresh pulled pork sandwich with Head Country BBQ sauce. The pulled pork sandwiches were so popular that we served 400 of them in just one hour.

The collaboration at Uptown Grocery was also successful with over 1,650 entries into the MIO shopper sweepstakes. The lucky shopper sweepstakes winner, Sierra Jackson, had the opportunity to shop for seven minutes and fill her cart with as many MIO products as possible. As a proud supporter of the Prairie Fresh brand produced by Seaboard Foods, Oklahoma Pork was thrilled to see Sierra head straight to the meat case to stock up on Prairie Fresh pork.

The MIO Coalition is a group of more than 100 food and beverage companies that work to raise awareness for products made in Oklahoma and increase consumer loyalty to the products made in the state. Oklahoma Pork is intentionally and unapologetically inserting pork into consumer purchasing consideration through this and past MIO collaborations.

"It's a pleasure to collaborate with the Oklahoma Pork Council as they are a great associate member of ours. It is important to shine a light on pork and all the great pork-producing companies here in the state of Oklahoma that work together on retail initiatives benefiting our partners and their partners," shared Emily Shuping, MIO Executive Director.