Students Enjoy Eye-Opening Trip to Guymon

Thanks to thoughtful planning from Seaboard Foods leadership, our Pork Industry Group students spent a full afternoon at a Seaboard sow farm in the panhandle this week. Talking through feeding, breeding, farrowing and more - the students received an up-close look at how the delicious pork on their dinner table truly comes into existence. From showering into the farm and talking through production numbers to holding piglets and seeing modern barn technology - the comprehensive tour proved incredibly interesting and educational. The following day, our fantastic Seaboard hosts took the students through one of the largest pork processing plants in the United States. Participants were able to experience both the harvest and cold sides of the beautifully remodeled plant as they explored the one million square foot facility.

We refer to the experience as an "industry trip of a lifetime" when we recruit for Pork Industry Group, and after the last two days our students will forever have a deeper understanding of how pork is produced and a greater appreciation for the hard-working people who make it possible.

Recruiting New Young People to Team Pork

After an incredible first year of learning, the “Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby” is back for 2025. This experience creates a life-changing opportunity to raise pigs for 4-H and FFA students who would not otherwise have the chance.

On Wednesday, 31 first-time swine exhibitors-to-be took part in “Derby Draft Day” at Oklahoma State University (OSU) where they selected their pigs from the OSU swine farm animals specifically raised for the program. Participants were all nominated by their local 4-H or FFA advisors who have pledged hands-on assistance over the next five months as the novice livestock exhibitors work to properly raise their selected pigs. During Draft Day the students also participated in workshops, including: animal selection with OSU's Dr. Parker Henley; biosecurity with Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile; management with OSU's Jim Coakley; and, nutrition from OSU's Dr. Scott Carter.

Throughout the next five months, these students will gain incredible hands-on experience caring for their Derby pigs and learning the fulfilling hard work it takes to raise livestock. The Pork Partners Derby program will culminate next spring at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) with a specialty swine show specifically for the Derby students and their pigs.

The Oklahoma Pork Council is very proud to help expose more passionate students to animal care taking. As big believers in the next generation of swine enthusiasts, our board recently voted to sponsor $250 per enrolled student to cover the purchase cost of their Derby pigs. We are confident some of these students will find a passion for pork and consider staying in our industry long after the 2025 Derby Show at OYE!

Reflecting on Pork Month Backpack Donation

The Oklahoma Pork Council was recently able to make an impressive 6,000 pork stick donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma's Backpack Program during National Pork Month

As we close the impressive book on National Pork Month 2024 here in Oklahoma, we want to provide more detail about the special pork stick donation provided to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) during October.

Each year, Oklahoma Pork finds opportunities to invest in RFBO's Backpack Program. As you may recall, the Backpack Program meets a serious need by supplementing nutrition on weekends and holidays when school feeding programs are unavailable. Through the Regional Food Bank alone, the Backpack Program dispenses around 17,000 backpacks per week to students suffering from food insecurity. Paired with the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma's enrollment, the statewide program supplies kid-friendly, non-perishable food to more than 35,000 chronically hungry children each week.

One important element in the Backpack Program weekly mix is protein, often supplied through pork sticks created from Oklahoma's "Pork for Packs" program in conjunction with 4-H and FFA show pig donations. According to RFBO expert Jack Miller, about 1,400 pork sticks can be made out of each donated pig, with an average of 8 sticks made per pound of pork. In 2023, RFBO reported around $70,000 in processing costs to make these nutritious on-the-go snacks for backpack recipients in their region. In addition to Oklahoma Pork's financial support to help cover those processing costs, it was our organization's honor to donate 6,000 pork sticks processed by Ralph's Packing Company as a meaningful Pork Month celebration. We also extend a heartfelt thanks to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture who sponsored the pork stick labels on this cool donation. What better way to celebrate our industry than to help feed hungry kids alongside our great partner Farm Bureau?

The Regional Food Bank has indicated that a future goal of 400 donated show pigs would help them meet their annual goal for pork sticks in the Backpack Program. Although there is still progress to be made on the logistics of timing, transport and processing for those animals - we at Oklahoma Pork want to continue working to help meet that goal. Giving back is what pig farmers do, and we are continually honored to help make these special opportunities to connect people with pork a reality!

Pork Month Fun Continues with Free Lunch in Enid

How many special events can the Oklahoma Pork Council squeeze into National Pork Month? We are sure trying to see with a few days left in October! This week, continuing the celebration of our people and our pigs, Oklahoma Pork co-hosted another Made in Oklahoma (MIO) Coalition free community lunch and shopper sweepstakes at Jumbo Foods in Enid.

Our "dream team" of the Oklahoma Pork Council, the MIO Coalition, and catering partner Head Country Barbeque distributed more than 375 free pulled pork sandwiches in record time and sent one lucky shopper home with a free cart of Oklahoma-grown groceries. A special shoutout to Adam Escobar and Lee Smith from The HANOR Company for helping serve meals, and thanks to HANOR's Mauricio Diaz, Tom Layne, Greg Sconyers, Keith Reiner, Jennifer McCool and Diane Stanberry for joining the fun.

Hopefully, every Enid area resident enjoyed their lunch, but the happiest pork customer of all was likely the "Shopper Sweepstakes" winner who earned more than $650 of free Made in Oklahoma groceries during her seven-minute speed-shopping experience around Jumbo Foods. She certainly made the most of the speedy opportunity heading straight to the meat case and wisely adding delicious pork to her cart among other Oklahoma products!

Thank you to Oklahoma Pork's incredible partners for sharing pork and smiles, and our board and staff are excited for even more giving opportunities as we enter the holiday season!

OSU Students Connect with Pork Leaders

Oklahoma Pork's collegiate leadership program for agriculture students with an interest in swine-related careers is in full swing on OSU's campus in Stillwater. After a successful introduction to our state's pork industry and the Oklahoma Pork Council's role supporting our producers, we have now hosted two learning sessions featuring impressive guest speakers from across the state. During these Tuesday night meetings, we also highlight other agricultural role models for the students through presentations and featured Oklahoma Pork videos.

Our second session last week focused on swine genetics, especially the support and planning it takes to efficiently manage large-scale pork production. Joe Popplewell with Tyson Foods thoroughly walked students through the realistic calculations necessary to continuously produce high quality pork with evolving technology. Rob Richard from DNA Swine Genetics focused more on authentic relationship-building and his company's unique approach to genetic sales in a competitive market. Both of these Oklahoma Pork icons also shared stories from their accomplished careers and exposed students to work experiences available within their organizations.

During this week's Animal Health Near and Far session, students heard from three influential veterinarians who serve Oklahoma pork producers in various ways. The veterinary panel included: Dr. Suzanne Genova of Red Dirt Veterinary Services; Dr. Jon Tangen of The HANOR Company; and, Dr. Karen Hall of Deep South Veterinary Solutions. These animal experts shared about their personal journeys into veterinary medicine, the challenges they face dealing with disease threats, and their perspectives on several industry hot topics. The students undoubtedly walked away with a greater appreciation for swine veterinarians and practical advice for strong herd health no matter what agricultural career path they follow.

The students have been making the most of this eight-week experience by taking notes, asking questions, and growing their networks within pork production as they decide where to start their agricultural careers. Our team is excited to continue facilitating this program throughout the fall semester, and we are looking forward to several more learning sessions with guest speakers, an eventful industry trip to Northwest Oklahoma, and finally an awards banquet where the students will present ideas to members of our board.

Pork Month Fun: Scholarship and Shirt Giveaways

National Pork Month celebrations continue at the Oklahoma Pork Council as we champion pigs and the people who raise them! Monday's Give Back Night at Spark went great, allowing Oklahoma Pork to donate 15% of the proceeds to Feed the Children. Next up, we have a special Pork Month scholarship and our limited edition Pork Month shirt giveaway is still going on for two more weeks.

If you know a college student studying agriculture, tell them today about this fun and simple way they might just win $1,000 to help cover tuition, books, or other educational expenses. To apply, students can create a 2-minute maximum video about their pork story including their major, future goals, and support for Oklahoma Pork. Video entries must be emailed to mdeevers@okpork.org by October 31, 2024. A special thanks to Oklahoma Pork annual sponsor Zoetis via McKenzie Squires for helping to sponsor this unique scholarship to a deserving next generation agriculture leader.

Plus, if you haven't yet filled out our Pork Month form letting us know you're interested in our limited edition Oklahoma Pork Council specialty Pork Month shirts - click here! There continue to be several creative ways we are working this month to engage pork consumers and supporters like never before. Follow along on our social media, and let us know how you are celebrating our industry this October, too!

Oklahoma Pork's Food Service Inventory Clean Out

A special thanks to Oklahoma Pork's board of directors who donate their time to serve our industry all year long. Sometimes that service looks a bit more glamorous, but this week it looked like "bring your own folding chair" to the Oklahoma Pork storage unit for an on-the-go board meeting and equipment cleanout day.

Hopefully, there are times that serving on Oklahoma Pork's board of directors feels like a highly professional experience. Today was not one of those times, but we hope our board members enjoyed it just as much! A special thanks to the leaders of our organization as they held their October board meeting at Oklahoma Pork's storage unit to help inventory and clear out equipment no longer in use.

Since the board voted in 2020 to discontinue sandwich sales through the "Pork Chop Shop" at the Oklahoma State Fair and Tulsa State Fair, we have continued to evolve how Oklahoma Pork shows up throughout the state to feed people. We regularly give back in communities and offer delicious pork all year long - but that no longer requires much of the aging food service equipment previously used for this mission. All items will be made available to the public in November. Contact Kylee here to receive more information!

Pork Month Continues - Join Us at Spark on Monday

The special events for National Pork Month keep coming! If you are looking for a casual dinner plan next week benefitting a good cause, consider joining Oklahoma Pork at Spark in Oklahoma City. Our Give Back Night hosted at Spark's Nichols Hills location will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, October 14.

Mention Oklahoma Pork when ordering your bacon cheeseburger (or any other delicious Spark meal) to ensure 15% of your purchase goes to Feed the Children on behalf of the Oklahoma Pork Council. An easy dinner with friends that helps feed kids? We call that a win-win-win!

Plus, if you haven't yet filled out our Pork Month form letting us know you're interested in our limited edition Oklahoma Pork Council specialty Pork Month shirts - click here! There are several unique ways we are working this month to engage pork consumers and supporters like never before. Follow along on our social media, and let us know how YOU are celebrating our industry's pigs and people this October, too!

Perfect Fall Day Golfing with Friends

Is there a better way to end a great week than a sunny day of fun with fellow pork producers? On this beautiful October Friday, dozens of members and friends have enjoyed camaraderie at the annual “Oklahoma Pork Open" Golf Tournament in Hennessey. Nineteen teams representing a diverse cross-section of our state's pork industry just finished their runs through 18 holes over the past several hours.

Highlights of our special golf day include perfect fall weather, a delicious pulled pork lunch catered by Head Country BBQ, epic Oklahoma Pork prizes, and countless laughs with friends across the industry.

Award winners from the 2024 Oklahoma Pork Open include:

• ·    Overall First Place Team - First Source Staffing

• ·    Overall Second Place Team - Tulsa Food Bank

• ·    Overall Third Place Team - Seaboard Guymon Plant

• ·    Closest to the Pin Award - Tyler Williams

• ·    Longest Drive Male Award - Ricardo Mora

• ·    Longest Drive Female Award - Hannah Trujillo

• ·    Longest Putt Award - Danny Lee

Our annual golf tournament would not be possible without the generous support of more than 20 organizations that sponsored the event. Oklahoma Pork's staff and board enjoyed meeting so many of our allied industry representatives this year, and our team looks forward to continuing to grow those relationships. Click here to review the golf tournament sponsor list as you consider future business partners. 

Special thanks go to event-planning pro Matti Carlile of Oklahoma Pork for her months of detailed preparation to make the golf tournament a success. Check out Oklahoma Pork's Facebook account over the next few days to see more photos from the 2024 tournament!

Recruiting Young People to Team Pork

On Tuesday night, Oklahoma Pork's collegiate leadership program for agriculture students with an interest in swine-related careers officially kicked off in Stillwater. Pork Industry Group - a key component in our organization's Workforce At All Levels strategic intention - allows young people actively looking for internships and careers within agriculture the opportunity to learn more about Oklahoma's commercial pork industry and expand their networks of agricultural professionals in the state.

After more than 60 students applied to participate, 20 impressive Oklahoma State University (OSU) students representing a variety of backgrounds, academic majors and career goals have been accepted into this year's program. Dr. Scott Carter, OSU professor and Oklahoma Pork ex-officio board member, leads the program alongside Oklahoma Pork staff. Former Oklahoma Pork intern Gus Ward also helps with the program while serving as our OSU campus liaison for the semester.

The 2024 Pork Industry Group membership includes:

• Brett Hoffman from Poteau, Oklahoma - Animal Science Junior

• Brooke Vrba from Forney, Texas - Animal Science Senior

• Cade Harris from Brock, Texas - Animal Science / Pre-Vet Senior

• Chyann Emerson from Tuttle, Oklahoma - Ag. Business and Ag. Comm. Junior

• Colten Jasper from Jones, Oklahoma - Animal Science Junior

• Ethan Drake from Mountain Grove, Missouri - Agricultural Education Junior

• Hannah Giaudrone from Tecumseh, Oklahoma - Animal Science and Ag. Ed. Senior

• Jalyn Collier from Oblong, Illinois - Animal Science Senior

• Kinley Bratcher from Rush Springs, Oklahoma - Ag. Comm and Agribusiness Junior

• Kloie Nation from Sapulpa, Oklahoma - Animal Science Senior

• Krysha Green from Madill, Oklahoma - Agricultural Education Junior

• Lauren Chaney from Bluejacket, Oklahoma - Animal Science / Pre-Vet Senior

• Maria Shea from Owasso, Oklahoma - Animal Science Junior

• Molly Buckmaster from Porter, Oklahoma - Ag. Communications Sophomore

• Paige Vierra from Maxwell, California - Agricultural Education and Animal Science Junior

• Preston Alberti from Ripon, California - Plant and Soil Science and Agribusiness Senior

• Raylee Stuckey from Ardmore, Oklahoma - Agribusiness/Pre-Law Junior

• Riley Luginbill from Stillwater, Oklahoma - Agricultural Education Senior

• Taylor Epperson from Wyandotte, Oklahoma - Animal Science & Ag. Comm. Junior

• Taylor McConnell from Wellston, Oklahoma - Animal Science / Pre-Law Senior

This week's first session included an overview of Oklahoma's unique pork industry, the Oklahoma Pork Council, and expectations for the remaining seven sessions throughout the fall semester. We also enjoyed pizza together, shared Oklahoma Pork swag and prizes, and bonded as strong supporters of production agriculture. This semester is going to be a lot of fun!

Pork Industry Group is one of our staff and board's favorite experiences we lead throughout the year. We are incredibly proud of the students chosen for this competitive program, and we look forward to connecting these next generation leaders with opportunities throughout our industry.