Smithfield Leaders Visit Oklahoma Pork

Our staff at the Oklahoma Pork Council enjoyed an educational opportunity to meet with key decision makers from the Smithfield Foods Midwest Pork Division. Organized by longtime Oklahoma Pork supporter Conley Nelson as he leads his retirement transition over the coming months, the meeting proved to be a meaningful connection with one of our state's largest pork production systems. 

Conley, who serves as Midwest General Manager for Smithfield Foods, was joined by his successor Nick Gilliland who currently works for Smithfield Foods in Iowa, Smithfield's Oklahoma Production Manager Travis Vaughan, and Oklahoma Pork's newest board member Jaye Schuelke-Daily. All four of these Smithfield leaders shared more about their own backgrounds before Conley provided Oklahoma Pork's full staff with an informative presentation on the Midwest segment of Smithfield's business - including opportunities for stronger cooperation with Oklahoma Pork. Together, our four person Oklahoma Pork Council team then presented more about current work within all four of our organization's strategic intentions and an update on the animal activists targeting pork production in our state. 

Spending a morning learning from these impressive pork producers was time incredibly well spent for our team. Thank you to these hard-working folks from Smithfield for making the trip to visit us!

Educating Young People About Biosecurity

Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile visited with local students from Lindsay High School to educate several FFA members about the critical importance of strong biosecurity measures for their show pigs. As our organization's lead on Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) Preparedness, Matti has become a go-to expert teaching young people how to keep their show animals healthy before and after their time in the ring.

As county shows fill the spring calendar, Oklahoma Pork continues to help young exhibitors understand their important role in the broader pork industry. Every pork producer has the responsibility to ensure the health of our state’s pig herd, and we are grateful for this chance to share practical knowledge within the Lindsay community. Matti led an engaging presentation to Lindsay's high school animal science class on easy-to-follow biosecurity precautions the students can implement with their own animals. A fun and educational cleaning versus disinfecting activity using “Glo Germ” and black lights helped to really demonstrate the importance of intentional disinfecting to prevent the spread of germs among their animals. 

To no surprise if you come to our events, Matti also shared great Oklahoma Pork prizes for student responses on biosecurity takeaways from her presentation, including teaching students about the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) and jobs available within commercial swine production. A huge shout out to Lindsay agricultural education instructor Shyann McWhirter who serves as a continual supporter of the Oklahoma Pork Council and invited Matti to spend time with her students. 

With the 2025 livestock show season now in full swing, Oklahoma Pork will host a variety of educational efforts to help inform more students about the importance of consistent biosecurity practices. Our annual peer-to-peer video series on simple but effective steps to take before, during, and after the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) will debut over the next three weeks, and our team is currently planning for a fun workshop for students during OYE as well. 

Meet Oklahoma Pork's Newest Board Member

At the February board meeting, leaders of the Oklahoma Pork Council voted to move longtime pork industry advocate Cathy Vaughan of Laverne into an ex-officio position on the board of directors. This transition opened a West District board seat for the next six months, allowing a new producer to be added onto Oklahoma Pork's leadership team. 

With that change, please join the Oklahoma Pork Council as we happily welcome Jaye Schuelke-Daily to her appointed role representing Smithfield Foods on our board of directors throughout the spring and summer of this year. Jaye, who serves as a veterinary assistant out of Smithfield's Oklahoma office, has worked in pork production for almost five years. As an Iowa State graduate, she first came to Oklahoma for an internship opportunity with Smithfield Foods in 2020 before accepting a full-time position upon graduation. Since that time, she has gained a variety of experiences all working to produce quality pork alongside her Smithfield colleagues in Oklahoma and Colorado. 

When asked what she would like to share with our state's pork producers as she embraces this new opportunity, Jaye said, "I may have fewer years under my belt than many in the pork industry, but I am eager to dive into this role at a deeper level. I want to make connections with other producers and provide a friendly face on behalf of Smithfield that people can contact about projects and issues." 

When she is not working with pigs, you can find Jaye ranching with her family and enjoying the outdoors. On behalf of Jaye's fellow board members and our Oklahoma Pork staff, we look forward to working with her this year.

Tyson Team Serves at Homeless Alliance

This week, our friends from Tyson Foods are reminding us that pig farmers give back all year long. Although every December at the Oklahoma Pork Council is proudly packed with special food donations and volunteer projects, we never want to forget the heartbreaking reality that chronic hunger unfortunately exists each day in Oklahoma.

But seven members of Tyson's Pork Group kindly donated their time and talents to feed breakfast to more than 300 hungry neighbors at Oklahoma City's Homeless Alliance on Thursday. Joe Locke, Joe Popplewell, Kenny Romero, Luke Williams, Janusz Grocholski, Ayrelle Dickinson, and Daniel Worsham all set aside their own to do lists for the morning to prepare and serve ham, eggs, potatoes and more all donated by the Oklahoma Pork Council and Ben E. Keith foods. Our volunteers also prepped more than 500 sandwiches visitors could take for dinner once the Homeless Alliance's day shelter is closed for the evening. 

The Tyson crew also got an up-close look at the meaningful work done by the Homeless Alliance in OKC. This impactful organization runs the metro's only low-barrier day shelter serving breakfast and lunch, while also providing critical services including health clinics, showers, budgeting and legal assistance, mail access, educational classes, a pet kennel, and more. All of those resources make an incredible difference when someone is working to change their circumstances, and we hope a delicious breakfast served by smiling pig farmers was a great start to these folks' day. 

At Oklahoma Pork, we love partnering with passionate people - just like the leaders who help so many Oklahomans each day through the Homeless Alliance. 

Connect With Oklahoma Pork Forum Delegates

Joe Locke, Cristina Carmona, Tom Layne, Travis Vaughan, Roy Cansler, and Hannah Trujillo 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 Orlando, Florida. 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 Joe Locke, Tom Layne, and Hannah Trujillo. Our NPPC delegates for 2025 include Roy Cansler, Cristina Carmona, Travis Vaughan, Joe Locke, and Hannah Trujillo. These six delegates (two of which are serving in dual roles) will represent our state's pork industry voting on a slate of candidates to national boards and recommended changes to both organization's policies.

Now Accepting Outreach Requests for 2025

When people ask what the Oklahoma Pork Council does, one of our team’s favorite examples to share is the incredible generosity of our farmers throughout the year. Our holiday giving campaign deservedly gets a lot of attention, but the Oklahoma Pork Council makes a pork-positive impact all year long thanks to annual outreach dollars graciously budgeted by our board of directors. 

At Oklahoma Pork, we regularly get requests to sponsor meals and events on behalf of our farmers. For 2025, more than $35,000 is earmarked specifically for giving to deserving groups in every corner of the state. Although we can’t say yes to every ask, we are very proud to fund many projects that help feed people and promote pork.

Tell your favorite local partners in your hometown to serve pork at their next big event and to apply soon for help buying that pork as we begin happily spending our 2025 outreach budget on feeding neighbors across the state. Learn more by checking out the Pork Donation Request Form on our website, here!

2025 Deemed Year of Youth in Agriculture

Sometimes good ideas are truly a win for everybody involved. That’s how the Oklahoma Pork Council felt when our fantastic Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur approached us about assisting with her fun idea to make 2025 the "Year of Youth in Agriculture" throughout the state of Oklahoma. 

With a board and staff who focus a good portion of our passion on the next generation of pork leaders, we could not be more excited for this chance to spotlight so much of the tremendous workforce development happening in Oklahoma. From the Pork Partners Derby to Pork Industry Group at OSU - and a dozen rewarding opportunities with pig-loving students in-between - the Oklahoma Pork Council is certainly up for the challenge to make this year extra special for the young people who will "fill our boots" in the future. 

“These young people who want to grow up and continue their family’s legacy are our next generation of leaders in the agriculture industry, as well as in our communities and our state,” said Secretary of Arthur as she announced the plan alongside several high school FFA and 4-H leaders. “Our hope is that by collectively elevating these young people, we will also create awareness amongst the general public of the importance of the next generation of ag producers and professionals who will help us continue to feed, fuel and clothe a growing world population.”

We thank Secretary Arthur and all involved in this creative initiative that aligns perfectly with Oklahoma Pork's "Workforce at All Levels" strategic intention. We have a few new projects planned for 2025 that will help pork production be a significant part of the celebrations. To our members - we encourage you to engage with youth in your own communities who could be part of our industry in the future. If you have ideas or questions on recruiting young people with help from the Oklahoma Pork Council, click here to let us know!

Nominate Someone Excellent for Recognition

Do you know an outstanding pork producer who deserves recognition? Applications are open for the 2025 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 at the Oklahoma Pork Congress in August.  

Nominations are due by Saturday, February 15, 2025. Click here to learn more and fill out the quick online application for a deserving member of your team or community.

Building Connections at Local Ag Summit

The Oklahoma Pork Council enjoyed a special opportunity this week to host an engaging workshop at the "Local Agriculture Summit" hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) and the Oklahoma Local Agriculture Collaborative (OLAC).

Promoted as "A gathering place for agritourism producers, farmers market managers, and growers," the conference brought together folks with a vested interest in our state's food and fiber system. The two-day event included agribusiness tours, farm-to-table meals, and a variety of educational presentations to help local agricultural vendors succeed.

Because of the Oklahoma Pork Council's reputation for stellar customer experiences, our own Kylee Deniz was asked to lead a break-out session on building engaging booths for various audiences.

Oklahoma Pork's hour at the mic got even more fun when attendees were tasked with building example booths themselves from a wide variety of Oklahoma Pork swag and tools provided by our team. To no surprise if you know Kylee - participants then went home with a fun Oklahoma Pork item to "ride for the brand" as they implement these learnings within their own local businesses.

Derby Program Featured in National Publication

To those whose families have shown livestock, "The Show Circuit" magazine may be familiar to you. This bi-monthly publication is packed full of quality photography, advertisements, and other content appealing directly to folks who spend their time getting animals ready for the show ring. In the latest issue, readers from across the nation get to learn about Oklahoma's incredibly successful Pork Partners Derby, and how the Oklahoma Pork Council uses the remarkable program to recruit more young people to pork production.

Here is an excerpt from this Oklahoma-proud magazine spread, which gives a great overview of the full experience: "The Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby is an annual opportunity for 6th-12th grade Oklahoma 4-H and FFA students with an interest in pork production but who have not previously showed pigs. Since the program's beginning in 2023, participants have been nominated by their local 4-H or FFA advisors who have pledged hands-on assistance as the novice livestock exhibitors work to properly raise their selected pigs. The derby is a special collaboration among Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma Pork Council, the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE), and other advocates for 4-H and FFA youth in Oklahoma."

"Once accepted into the program, students convene in Stillwater for a "Draft Day" to each choose their pig from comparable animals raised by Oklahoma State University Swine Farm. As big believers in the next generation of swine enthusiasts, the Oklahoma Pork Council board has voted to sponsor $250 per enrolled student to cover the purchase cost of their Derby pigs over the last two years, and the board intends to keep pledging support for this special program. Then throughout the show season, students keep a record book about their animal as they care for their Derby pigs at their own homes or at their local 4-H and FFA barns. Derby participants can exhibit their animals at additional livestock shows if they choose, but the Pork Partners Derby culminates at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) each spring with activities specifically designed for the Derby students and their pigs including a knowledge test, ultrasound scans, and competition classes open to only Derby participants. The hope is these students will find a passion for pork and might consider staying in the pork industry for careers long after their Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby experience."

What a fun shoutout to the first-time swine enthusiasts participating in the derby and to Oklahoma Pork's generous board of directors for helping fund this unique workforce program! To see the full magazine spread highlighting Oklahoma's collaborative derby program on pages 32-33, click here!