Pork and Cork has become a staple in okPORK’s yearly calendar. This year’s edition featured a young chef and one of the best, newest venues in OKC.

On October 1, 23-year-old Chef Ryan Hunt brought four amazing pork dishes to life. Forty guests arrived at Birra Birra, a modern Italian eatery that has grown in popularity since it opened. Ruffino wines were featured with each course.

Earlier this month, Governor Stitt, Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Commissioner of Health Col. Lance Frye, M.D., Senator Casey Murdock and Representative Kenton Patzkowsky traveled to Guymon, Oklahoma, for a tour of the Seaboard Foods processing facility.

“Any day we get some facetime with Oklahoma elected officials is a good day,” said Roy Lee Lindsey, okPORK executive director. “And we were excited to welcome Governor Kevin Stitt, members of his cabinet and other elected officials to the Seaboard Foods processing plant.”

okPORK is excited to introduce two new board members. They were elected to the board at the 61st annual Oklahoma Pork Congress on August 7. The new board members are happy for the opportunity to serve others who are involved in the pork industry.

Sheila Kelso works as a financial analyst in the hog production division of Smithfield Foods. She spent 10 years of her 17-year career in the swine industry, working on sow farms in different management roles.

A new venue for Swine and Stein brought with it five courses of pork goodness large enough to be a meal on their own and delicious craft brews. Hatch on Broadway in Oklahoma City was the place to be on August 21st. Cabin Boys Brewery out of Tulsa was there to provide the drinks.

“Teaming up with Hatch made a lot of sense for us. Their food is outstanding, and they have become a staple to OKC,” said Roy Lee Lindsey, okPORK executive director. “They are only open until 2 p.m. each day so we could have the whole restaurant for the evening event.”

As we all know 2020 has been nothing like we may have planned, but I have always been told to keep a steady head and roll with the punches. In March, when I accepted my internship with okPORK I had a whole list of things I thought I would get to experience. But, with shortened events, virtual meetings and mask mandates, this summer was far from what I expected.

This, however, was not a bad thing! The staff at okPORK welcomed me with open arms and a beautiful vase of flowers on my first day. From that moment I knew I was in the right spot, even if we didn’t know where the summer would lead us.

Many people dream of moving from Mexico to the United States. For Cristina Carmona that dream came true in 2003.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Chihuahua, in Mexico, Carmona was able to achieve a master’s degree at New Mexico State University.

Growing up, Carmona and her family raised cattle and were involved in other sectors of agriculture. It wasn’t until she came to the United States that she had any interaction with pigs.

In 2005 Carmona was recruited by Murphy Brown and has been engaged in the swine industry ever since.

Pig farmers faced many obstacles due to COVID-19. But that did not keep them from supporting their state when so many other Oklahomans faced great needs.

When pork processing plants across the country had to operate at a reduced capacity, pigs were stuck on farms longer than usual. okPORK staff began to search for local processing plants that were available to process pork for donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center answered that call and Prestage Farms of Oklahoma had pigs to donate.

“The reality that we have people in our great country who go hungry on a daily basis is tragic,” said Greg Stephens, general manager for Prestage Farms of Oklahoma. “Any entity or individual that has resources to help alleviate this situation should feel morally obligated to help in any way possible.”

In 2010 the Oklahoma Pork Council announced a gift of $50,000 to Oklahoma State University’s Pickens Legacy Match Scholarship Program in honor of Dr. Bill Luce. Throughout the years he played a vital role within the pork industry.

Luce dedicated his career to the industry and was extremely interested in what the future would bring. This is why okPORK created a scholarship to honor his legacy.

This scholarship was created to recruit the best graduate students to research swine production at Oklahoma state University.

Even with a worldwide pandemic affecting the industry, pork producers have worked diligently to make sure they are putting pork on the table for consumers across the country.

Roy Lee Lindsey, okPORK executive director, said the commitment pig farmers show on a daily basis has not wavered.

“It takes a lot of faith to breed a sow today and think in 10 months her pigs will be going to market.”

In the last few months, pig farmers have spent countless hours in conversation about the outcome of COVID-19, Lindsey said. They are planning for a number of different scenarios and are continuing to show the resilience farmers are known for around the world.

This year marked the 14th annual Pre-Memorial Day Blood Drive partnership between the Oklahoma Pork Council and the Oklahoma Blood Institute. This two-day event is crucial for boosting the blood supply in Oklahoma, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With COVID-19 hitting Oklahoma in March, the blood supply levels have been increasingly low. Several okPORK events had been canceled but the Pre-Memorial Day Blood Drive would not be one of them. With no substitution for blood and multiple blood drive cancelations across the state it was imperative to have a successful turnout. 1,340 Oklahomans gathered around the state to donate blood. Thanks to a record-breaking blood drive, 4,020 lives were saved.