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.