Seaboard Foods Hosts OSU Veterinary Students

Recently, around 15 Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU-CVM) third-year students and faculty members went on a two-day adventure for an unfiltered look at the pigs to pork pipeline with an emphasis on animal health. The Oklahoma Pork Council proudly tagged along to connect with these future veterinary leaders and several of our friends at Seaboard Foods

Thanks to thoughtful planning from Seaboard leadership including Dr. Brooke Kitting and Noel Williams, the OSU crew not only got an eye-opening on-farm experience at a Seaboard finishing farm in Perryton, Texas, but they were also able to participate in a learning session about Seaboard Foods, a series of case study scenarios related to animal health, and a hands-on activity that made classroom learning a memorable reality. In a picture-perfect example of allied industry support, animal health experts from the Pig Improvement Company (P.I.C.) and Boehringer Ingelheim (B.I.) also added to the students' experience.

From showering into the farm to seeing modern barn technology and much more - the comprehensive tour proved incredibly interesting and educational. Many of these students had never seen any large scale agricultural operations, especially focused on swine. Taking the experience to a new level since these students obviously have a keen interest in animal health, Dr. Kitting led participants through a memorable series of necropsies to test and expand their diagnostic knowledge. 

It was clear to Kylee Deniz and Shay Stegmann that these 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. We also believe this exposure undoubtedly makes veterinary careers within pork production part of the consideration set when these young people finish their education. A huge thanks to Seaboard Foods production and animal health experts who made this tour possible.

Oklahoma Pork Helps Lead AgHERculture Sessions

Last weekend, the Oklahoma Pork Council participated in two special days focused on developing young leaders hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF). As part of Secretary Blayne Arthur's authentic commitment to fostering a passionate and engaged next generation, her team held the sixth annual AgHERculture conference for high school and college young women. 

The Oklahoma Pork Council was honored to again be tapped to help lead various portions of the AgHERculture programming. What an incredible asset to our next generation of producers that we have a regulatory agency that devotes time and resources toward such an impactful mission. We applaud Secretary Arthur and the ODAFF crew for the generational difference their leadership is making!

On Friday, our team enjoyed serving as mentors during ODAFF's collegiate night of the conference. Held at the Oklahoma Governor's Mansion Pavillion, Kylee Deniz and Ashton Mese Johnston got to interact with dozens of collegians from various schools each with a passion for agriculture. Kylee and Ashton both took full advantage of opportunities to promote careers in pork production, involvement with Oklahoma Pork's leadership programming, and share advice from their personal experiences. 

Then on Saturday, two of our most devoted collegiate leaders Molly Buckmaster-Hoffman and Laela Begley joined Kylee to run a pork careers workshop during the high school AgHERculture programming held at the Meridian Technology Center in Guthrie. To wrap up two packed days of learning, Kylee also continued her conference-favorite role as the event's closing speaker where she proudly shared her pork story and led participants through a meaningful "letter to your future self" experience.

Oklahoma Pork's board and staff take our investment in the next generation very seriously. We love opportunities to develop pork's talent pipeline and expose impressive young people to all our industry can offer. 

Celebrating Excellence: Mario Gonzalez and Miguel Roniss

In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award was established to recognize those pork producers who have made the daily work of raising pigs more than just a job, but a passionate calling to take care of their animals and the people around them. This award covers all sectors of pork production, and it rewards those outstanding producers who excel in at least one of Oklahoma Pork’s four strategic intentions.  

Business partners Mario Gonzalez and Miguel Roniss began their partnership in 2012 after each immigrating to Oklahoma from Mexico. Despite both having successful careers prior to pork production, they have truly excelled once they joined forces to own and operate pig farms in Allen, Oklahoma, through contract agreements with Tyson Foods. 

Miguel, who studied accounting and administration in college, handles day-to-day responsibilities related to farm production and employee management on their farms. Mario, who previously owned a local restaurant, oversees all maintenance and business administration for their operations. Together, Mario and Miguel are known for creating an exceptional work environment that focuses on employee development and success. 

Mario and Miguel are fantastic examples of excellence within the pork industry due in part to their commitment to embracing on-farm technologies and being good neighbors to their community. They are continual top performers within the Tyson system, in addition to frequently donating their time and talents to the Allen FFA Chapter and local church. 

The Oklahoma Pork Council congratulates Mario and Miguel for their leadership and commitment to modern pork production!  Watch above, or click here to check out Mario and Miguel's Excellence Award video that debuted earlier this month at the 2025 Oklahoma Pork Congress!

Key Learnings From Feral Swine Conference

Story by Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Feral Swine Meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado. Participants were handpicked by NPPC to join at the National Wildlife Research Center to learn amongst other industry professionals. NPPC’s Director of Animal Health, Dr. Anna Forseth shared, “Feral swine pose a threat to domestic swine in multiple ways. This meeting was an opportunity for industry colleagues to learn more about the risks, but also about the great research and program work underway to support US pork producers.”

During the two days I was in Fort Collins, I learned about the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program. The goal of the program is to protect agricultural and natural resources, property, animal health, and human health and safety by managing the damage caused by feral swine across the United States and its Territories. This is one of the several programs that they focus on at the National Wildlife Research Center.

We also learned the response priorities if African Swine Fever (ASF) is ever detected in feral swine. These include protect domestic premises, contain the outbreak, then eliminate the outbreak. Not surprising to Oklahoma pork producers, with each of these come challenges. 

Additionally, there were several interactive moments where we got to see the different types of technology in action. For example, Mark Lutman, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Management Specialist at USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, demonstrated the drones they are currently using to locate wildlife causing damage and hunt feral hogs. These drones cost thousands of dollars, but have several neat features including night vision and tracking. We also got to see traps they have used for hunting. The most interesting trap we saw was a “Pig Brig” trap. This is an easy to set up circular netting trap. Now you may be thinking boars will just tear the netting, but this trap features nearly indestructible netting boars can’t rip with their tusks. On average, they say that this type of trap can get about thirty hogs in it at a time.

If you want to learn more about the National Feral Swine Damage Program, click here. 

Vision For New Year From Tom Layne

Every August, the Oklahoma Pork Congress marks the transition to a new membership year and new leadership of the Oklahoma Pork Council. Beginning this month, our board of directors is led by 2025-2026 board president Tom Layne of Enid.

Many of you are familiar with Tom, especially after his previous service as board president just two years ago. He has worked in the pork industry for more than 25 years and has been an incredibly active board member since his first election in 2021. After proudly serving in the U.S. Army, Tom originally began his agriculture career with the Pig Improvement Company (PIC) before joining The HANOR Company in 1998. 

As HANOR's Director of Human Resources, Tom's work impacts the company's 600+ employees located across seven states. When he is not working, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife Nancy, their children, and their seven grandchildren. His family background in the restaurant business and his military experience have both ingrained a deep value for service.

We all look forward to this important work led by Tom, our board, and our staff for the upcoming year. Oklahoma Pork's remaining officer positions will be elected at the upcoming September board meeting. 

Help Recruit OSU Students for Our College Program

If you know any OSU students studying agriculture, encourage them to apply for Pork Industry Group this fall. The program, led by the Oklahoma Pork Council and Dr. Scott Carter, is an eight-week learning experience for Ferguson College of Agriculture students who want to better understand the commercial swine industry and expand their network of agricultural professionals in Oklahoma.

Students will grow their knowledge of commercial pork production, diverse career opportunities, agricultural advocacy, professionalism and more. Each weekly session will also include a free dinner, door prizes, and helpful advice from industry experts. The group will hear from dynamic speakers with a variety of pork-related careers and take part in an exciting two-day trip to visit a commercial sow operation and a large-scale pork processing plant. Pork Industry Group will culminate with a final banquet at which students will present their ideas to help solve a current issue faced by Oklahoma’s swine industry to Oklahoma Pork's Board of Directors. Scholarships will be awarded to outstanding participants. 

Applications are due Friday, September 12, through the Oklahoma Pork Council website. Each applicant must also submit their resume and one recommendation letter via email to be considered for this experience. Check out the program schedule and other helpful information on the Oklahoma Pork Council website. If you have questions or comments about Pork Industry Group, please contact Oklahoma Pork's Ashton Mese Johnston. 

Now in its fifth year, Pork Industry Group has become one of our team's favorite traditions each fall. We are excited to pour into another group of incredible students while exposing them to the amazing opportunities available throughout pork production!

Impactful First-Ever Youth Pork Advocates Day

In an exciting milestone for the Oklahoma Pork Council, one of our newest creative ideas for empowering pig-loving young people became reality last week. On Friday, August 8, we held our first-ever "Youth Pork Advocates" Day in Oklahoma City for almost 40 passionate 9th through 12th grade students. 

Using grant dollars from the National Pork Board, our staff dreamed up a jam-packed day to expose this inaugural class of high-school students who show pigs (or otherwise feel a connection to Oklahoma Pork) to the career opportunities available in the broader pork industry.

The students were asked to come prepared with their personal one-minute introductions outlining their involvement in agriculture and passion for the pork industry. Throughout the day, they refined those messages and gained confidence to ultimately share their authentic agriculture stories into the microphone for everyone to hear. Each participant was then given a special pig pin to wear or keep as a future reminder of their duty to advocate for the industry. Four fantastic break-out sessions kept students learning and laughing all day long thanks to passionate planning by Oklahoma Pork's summer interns Ethan Drake and Chyann Emerson.

Our hope is that each participant left knowing more about pork production, feeling proud to be an outspoken advocate for our industry, and planning a personal way they can promote the industry within their home communities. As we completed the day, several students immediately asked for another opportunity to get together and for more chances to connect with Oklahoma Pork.

Show Pig Producers Wrestle FAD Preparedness

On Tuesday, Oklahoma Pork teamed up with the National Pork Board (NPB) to host a second-round African Swine Fever (ASF) tabletop exercise specifically created to engage our state's show pig producers after a successful similar event in fall 2023. The exclusive drill brought together national and state experts to share coaching and receive helpful feedback from around 40 Oklahomans involved with youth livestock exhibitions.

Dr. Suzanne Genova, who represents niche production like show pigs on the Oklahoma Pork Council's Board of Directors, was instrumental in bringing the right people together for this day of deep learning that took tough conversations from the 2023 drill to the next level. Attendees also benefited from expertise shared by partners like NPB veterinarians Dr. Patrick Webb and Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) veterinarian Dr. Anna Forseth, State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall, Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Alicia Gorczyca-Southerland, and other animal health experts. In a picture-perfect display of "One Pork" collaboration between Oklahoma's commercial industry and show pig community, we were also thrilled to have involvement from additional board members Joe Locke from Tyson Foods and Brett Ramsey from Blue & Gold Sausage Co.

Two fun ways the Oklahoma Pork Council included next generation pork leaders into this herd health learning environment were inviting several students from the Jones FFA Chapter to help set-up the massive tabletop "town" in preparation for the drill, and then hosting the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF) Agriculture Youth Council (AYC) students for an abbreviated version of the drill on Monday afternoon.

Overall, the experience was filled with thought-provoking interactions between animal health leaders and Oklahoma's important show pig segment related to ASF and other threats to U.S. pork. In the case of a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) outbreak like ASF, it will be critical that Oklahoma pork producers of all sizes be knowledgeable and intentional as we work together with state and federal regulators to move toward eradication.

Thank you to Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile for her leadership on FAD Preparedness to plan this event with the National Pork Board!

Celebrating Our Fantastic Summer Interns

For the past three months, two incredible college students have served Oklahoma's pork industry with great attitudes and great ideas as part of the Oklahoma Pork Council staff. After going through a highly competitive selection process, both Chyann Emerson and Ethan Drake stood out from the crowd as the right fit for our team as Oklahoma Pork's 2025 summer interns.

Chyann Emerson is now an agribusiness and agricultural communications senior at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Growing up in Tuttle, Oklahoma, Chyann enjoyed showing pigs as part of her highly successful FFA involvement. After high school, Chyann judged livestock at Redlands Community College where she earned associate degrees in animal science and communications. Now as she finishes her degree at OSU, Chyann is a member of the livestock judging team, she served as the youth livestock coordinator intern, and she participated in Pork Industry Group last fall.

Throughout this summer, Chyann handled many fun projects as our communications intern. She worked with Shay Stegmann to make materials for Pork Congress, launch our recent summer swag store, and assist with several photo and video shoots. Alongside Ethan and our full-time staff, she was also an incredible asset planning workshops for students and other Pork Council programming all summer long. Chyann brought her down-to-business attitude and heart for service into this role every day, and we are proud to always have her as part of our pork talent pipeline. 

Ethan Drake heads back to school as an agriculture education senior at OSU. He grew up working on several farms and local businesses near his hometown Mountain Grove, Missouri. Ethan's involvement with the pork industry began as a show pig exhibitor in FFA, and he continues to be active in a variety of livestock and community organizations. Ethan earned associate degrees in animal science and agriculture education from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. At NEO, he was active in livestock judging and more. Since transferring to OSU, Ethan has been involved in Pork Industry Group and worked at Noble County Meats

Over the past three months, Ethan served as Oklahoma Pork's education and outreach intern. He managed donation requests to support many events across the state while helping to plan several signature events throughout the summer. He has been a hands-on helper, always ready to assist our team with projects while making his passion for mentoring young people known at every turn. Ethan will remain involved with Oklahoma Pork this fall while assisting with our collegiate leadership program Pork Industry Group. 

Cheers to these two fantastic young people who learned and served in impressive ways over the past few months. We look forward to helping them succeed in their future plans, and continuing to connect with them both as proud ambassadors for Oklahoma's pork industry. 

Bringing Together Oklahoma's Pork Leaders

Today was the day Oklahoma Pork's board and staff count down to each year... Oklahoma Pork Congress! On a continued path to make this annual gathering best reflect the priorities of our members each year, we were grateful to have more than 100 Oklahoma pork producers and supporters come together for thoughtful discussion, networking, and decision-making for the future. 

The 2025 Pork Congress provided an excellent opportunity to discuss efforts in all four of our strategic intentions with a fantastic cross section of our membership: Image Enhancement, Workforce at All Levels, Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness, and Freedom to Operate. Attendees also got the opportunity to celebrate several outstanding pork producers and champions of our industry before voting on organizational leadership for the upcoming year.