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!