Oklahoma Attending U.S. SHIP Meeting Next Week

Next week, pork producers and government partners from across the nation will gather in Minnesota for the 2023 United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) House of Delegates Meeting. Individuals involved with U.S. SHIP continue to work toward a "National Playbook" of technical standards centering on prevention and demonstration of freedom from disease outside control areas in support of animal health, commerce and trade related to threats like African Swine Fever (ASF) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF).

The Oklahoma Pork Council is excited for our state to be well represented at this critical meeting. We have diverse delegate representation from our pork production companies and industry segments, in addition to Oklahoma Pork's Kylee Deniz and Matti Carlile attending the event. Oklahoma will have 9 voting delegates participating in this worthwhile discussion.

Oklahoma's voting delegation headed to Minnesota next week includes:

• Cristina Carmona - Prestage Farms,

• Dr. Steven Clifton - Tyson Foods,

• Dr. Suzanne Genova - Red Dirt Veterinary Services

• Dr. Rod Hall - ODAFF

• Dr. Alicia Gorczyca-Southerland - ODAFF

• Noel Williams - Seaboard Foods

• Dr. Jon Tangen - The HANOR Company

• Travis Vaughan - Smithfield Foods

• Joe Wolfe - JBS

If you have input that will help these delegates represent our industry in key decisions for Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) preparedness and traceability, let them know! Additionally, if you are interested in digging into the U.S. SHIP conference topics for discussion, click here to view the 71-page House of Delegates booklet with proposed updates and program standards.

Come Golf with Oklahoma Pork in October!

After making the tough call to postpone our annual golf tournament earlier this summer, Oklahoma Pork's Board of Directors can now officially announce the new date for our 2023 "Oklahoma Pork Open" at Hennessey's Turkey Creek Golf Course.

Join us Friday, October 20, for a beautiful fall day of golf with Oklahoma Pork members, sponsors and friends. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. before the shotgun start at 9 a.m. Lunch and drinks will be provided for all players. Click here to register your team of four (with or without mulligans) on the Oklahoma Pork website. Closer to the tournament, we will also need registered teams' player names to help streamline registration on the course.

As our Oklahoma Pork staff and board plan for this member-favorite event, we are actively recruiting sponsors for prizes, drinks and more. If your company is interested in supporting the Oklahoma Pork Open through a fun sponsorship at our upcoming golf tournament - OR if you work with an allied industry company you think should step up to sponsor the 2023 Oklahoma Pork Open, click here to review the unique golf tournament partnership opportunities. Available options range from sponsoring one individual hole or player award, all the way to one title sponsorship for the tournament.

For more information about the upcoming Oklahoma Pork Open, contact Matti Carlile. We are counting down the days until Friday, October 20, 2023!

Award Spotlight: Greg Stephens of Prestage Farms

From time to time, the Oklahoma Pork Council presents a career achievement recognition known as the Golden Pig Award. This accolade is reserved for leaders who exhibit a longstanding example of character, knowledge and dedication within pork production. For 2023, one producer who finished his distinguished career earlier this year perfectly embodies the “Golden Pig” benchmark.

After more than 30 years with Prestage Farms, Greg Stephens recently began a well-deserved new life chapter of retirement. At the recent Oklahoma Pork Congress, Greg was announced as the 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Golden Pig Award recipient for his hard work and devoted leadership.

In 1991, Greg moved from Florida to work in Prestage’s North Carolina Swine Division. There he was instrumental in the expansion and success of the company’s farrowing, finishing, nursery and service operations.  With experience in nearly all segments of the business, Greg was called upon in 2011 to lead Prestage’s newly acquired Oklahoma Swine Division. He and his wife Kathy made Oklahoma their home over the past 12 years while Greg oversaw every component of Prestage’s Oklahoma footprint. His employees and their pigs have achieved high performance under Greg’s tenure. Additionally, the Oklahoma Pork Council has continually benefitted from his wisdom and perspective. In retirement, Greg plans to spend more time with his family and enjoy outdoor experiences like hunting and fishing.

Congratulations to Greg Stephens on his retirement and this special honor from his peers!

Help Recruit OSU Students for Pork Industry Group - Applications Due Sept. 15

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 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 15, 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.

Our team is excited to pour into another group of next generation pork industry leaders this semester!

Introducing Our New President Tom Layne

“From cooking up delicious meals at Oklahoma Pork Council events to representing our industry at the State Capitol, Oklahoma Pork’s new president Tom Layne brings a heart for service to his position for the upcoming year.”

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 2023-2024 board president Tom Layne of Enid.

Tom has worked in the pork industry for more than 25 years. 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 650 employees located across seven states. When he is not working, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife Nancy, their four adult sons, and their five grandchildren. Tom's family background in the restaurant business and his military experience have both ingrained a deep value for service.

"This board exists to serve all pork producers in the state," Tom shared. "The show pig folks, the niche producers, and the commercial farmers are all in this together. My message to every Oklahoma Pork Council member is to be proud of what we do. We do a good thing, and we provide a product people want. Our industry is full of people who are dedicated to our animals and to feeding people. I take that very seriously, and I'm looking forward to the year ahead."

To recruit and onboard new employees throughout production, Tom is proud to share he has performed nearly every role on the farm. He sees serving all members, developing strong board relationships, and making decisions with the entire industry in mind as key priorities for his term.

Oklahoma Pork's remaining officer positions will be elected at the upcoming September board meeting. To familiarize yourself with the full board after elections at Pork Congress, check out Our People on the Oklahoma Pork Council website via the link below.

Thanking Our Two Incredible Summer Interns

Kate Jackson from Mountain View and Braden Burns from Kingfisher spent the past 12 weeks serving Oklahoma's pork producers as valued members of the Oklahoma Pork Council staff.

Mid-August closed a helpful and fun chapter for the Oklahoma Pork Council as our 2023 summer interns completed their experiences. They are both headed back to Oklahoma State University (OSU) where they will continue working toward their bachelor degrees in agriculture.

Kate Jackson, who served as Oklahoma Pork's communications intern this summer, will graduate in May with her Agricultural Communications degree. Kate was extremely helpful on a variety of projects, including: photography, award video development, show pig student education, and event planning. Kate shared her biggest takeaways were how important Oklahoma Pork's service is to the success of our producers, how rewarding it is to be on a supportive and successful team, and how significant the role of pork production is to the state of Oklahoma.

As a thank you to our board and members, Kate wanted to share this message: “I had the most wonderful internship experience ever! I am beyond thankful to have worked with the Oklahoma Pork Council this summer. My passion for pork continues to grow by the wonderful people I have met in this industry.”

Braden Burns, who served as Oklahoma Pork's outreach intern this summer, begins his junior year at OSU next week where he studies Agribusiness. Braden contributed to many successful projects the past 12 weeks, including: managing community donation requests, preparing for the Oklahoma Pork Congress, and leading several interactive events for 4-H and FFA audiences. Braden said his most important takeaways of the summer were better understanding how our state's pork industry works throughout the supply chain, seeing the true value of agricultural producer organizations, and expanding his network of agricultural role models and resources.

When asked what he would like to share with our board and members on his last day, Braden said: "This was an amazing summer becoming engulfed in all things pork! I have never been so proud to be from Oklahoma and get to be a small part in a great industry that reaches people across the world!"

To both these talented students, we share a heartfelt thank you for their hard work! We are proud of their service and their professional growth in three short months. Our team will miss having Braden and Kate with us every day, but we look forward to future opportunities to work with them both as they continue their successful agricultural career paths!

Incredible Leadership in Outgoing Board President

August 4th marked Oklahoma Pork's favorite day of the year as 100 industry leaders and supporters came together for the annual Oklahoma Pork Congress in Oklahoma City. When the Oklahoma Pork team recaps the bests of the 2023 Oklahoma Pork Congress, the list undoubtedly begins with our organization's leadership.

We owe a sincere thank you to our outgoing board president Angie Johnson of Holdenville. As a community bank president and a partner in her family's pig farm, Angie has brought incredible perspective and heart to her year leading the Oklahoma Pork Council. She has made our board and staff laugh, grow and consider another point of view during her presidency. Angie makes every meeting fun, and she has represented Oklahoma's pork industry with honor during a year filled with change.

Thank you to the smart, sincere and stylish Angie Johnson for your service to Oklahoma's pork industry the past year. We are grateful for you!

House Agriculture Committee Finance Bill Markup

Oklahoma Pork Council interns expanded their horizons on Capitol Hill this summer by learning about all things federal policy! Among the opportunities Kate and Braden enjoyed in Washington, DC, was the chance to meet with legislators, learn about the federal government, and sit in on a House Agriculture Committee bill markup.

On Thursday morning, Oklahoma Pork’s group watched as the Financial Innovation and Technology of the 21st Century Act was debated heavily from both parties. “Today's introduction of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act marks a significant milestone in the House Committees on Agriculture and Financial Services efforts to establish a much-needed regulatory framework that protects consumers and investors and fosters American leadership in the digital asset space,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (PA-15).

It seemed strange that members of the House Ag. Committee were arguing topics like Bitcoin and the FTX bankruptcy, but because of the committee’s role governing commodities, digital commodities like blockchain currency remain under jurisdiction of the body. Among other topics within the bill, the ranking member argued the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) needed more resources to carry out its newly outlined responsibility on top of a recent $100 million dollar increase to the agency. Ranking Member David Scott (GA-13) also warned the bill would encourage increased vertical integration, putting the U.S. finance industry at risk.

Chairman Thompson, however, claimed members of the committee have reached a bipartisan compromise of what could be very beneficial in modernizing how the United States regulates digital assets as a commodity or security. Nonetheless, amendments were made and debated by both sides before the bill ultimately passed out of the House Ag. Committee. This act will set the framework for how commodities and securities are defined in relation to American digital assets. The bill sets up funding for the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to collaborate on joint rulemaking for the digital asset marketplace.

The Oklahoma Pork team got a front row seat of how government is run in the House of Representatives. Click here to learn more about the Financial Innovation and Technology of the 21st Century Act.

Oklahoma Pork Intern Education Trip to DC

Oklahoma Pork's Ashton Mese Johnston sits with Allison Slagell and two summer interns Kate Jackson and Braden Burns as they learn about federal policy in Congressman Lucas’s office.

Story by Kate Jackson

Some of the Oklahoma Pork staff had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC, to learn about the federal policy side of the pork industry. We met with some outstanding leaders from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Senator Lankford’s office, and Congressman Lucas’s office in addition to visiting several historic sites and museums.

Our trip was filled with learning and networking with many Washington contacts who are influential to the state of Oklahoma. We were able to tour the NPPC DC office and meet with their public policy team, including a round-table discussion about what NPPC does for the pork producers of Oklahoma and what each person’s role includes. The staff we met were Holly Cook, Kelly Cushman, Andrew Bailey, Chase Adams, Dr. Trachelle Carr, Annemarie Pender, Cristina Banoub, Annemarie Pender and their intern Morgan Hinz. Personally, I really enjoyed listening to Annemarie speak about her communications role in a policy focused office. It has never occurred to me that there are communications roles everywhere. One of the things Annemarie spoke about was that she did not come from an agricultural background. She can tell our story in a way that those who know nothing about agriculture can understand and appreciate what we do.  

After spending time at NPPC, our group moved to Capitol Hill for Congressional meetings. One of Senator Lankford’s interns, Ellie Huff took us on a Capitol tour. She was a pleasure to meet, and we also got to teach her about the pork industry and what we do. We also got to meet a couple of Senator Lankford’s staff members Ashley Higgins and Susan Occhipinti. Ashley is a Legislative Assistant for Senator Lankford, and her policy portfolio is focused on agriculture and environmental issues. Susan is also one of Senator Lankford’s Legislative Assistants, but her portfolio is focused on social and family services. They discussed how policy issues are handled on the Senate side which is a slower process than on the House of Representative side. I liked how both of them talked about what they majored in and how that has impacted their careers today. Susan studied Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Ashley studied Agricultural Economics an Agricultural Education at Colorado State University (CSU). Neither one is strictly policy-based majors which I thought was interesting.  

The next office we visited was Congressman Frank Lucas’s office. We met with Allison Slagell who serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Mr. Lucas. Allison studied Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Economics at OSU. Much like the Senate side she told us how her office operates and how the House of Representatives functions differently than the Senate. The House moves quicker when it comes to approving bills and getting them passed. One of the things Allison said that stuck out to me was how her communications degree has helped her in the bill writing process, drafting speeches, and other parts of her daily work.  

The last day of our trip we had the opportunity to attend a bill markup in the House Agriculture Committee. Before the meeting we got to meet the House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson and a few other staff members.

I had an awesome time getting more hands-on experience with federal policy and learning how the whole government system works for the pork and agriculture. On this trip, I was able to meet some amazing people that represent our state well. Check out Oklahoma Pork's Facebook page to see a little more about our team's educational trip to Washington, DC, this week!

ODAFF Hosts Agriculture Interns at the Capitol

Story by Kate Jackson

This week I had the pleasure of spending a day in Oklahoma’s State Capitol networking and learning with other agricultural interns from the state. Our day started with a fun tour of the Capitol where we got to experience some of the building’s history and artwork. After that we heard from Kirby Smith who is the Chief of Staff for Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell. She was an extremely fun presenter who spoke to us about her current role and her previous work for Congressman Lucas as a field representative. Listening to Kirby speak about her experiences in the professional world and her transition from her past job to her present job was insightful.

We also got to meet with Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. Secretary Arthur talked about her unique career path, which was interesting to me. I was impressed with how well she interacted with myself and the other interns, and I loved how real she was. Listening to both of these awesome ladies was inspirational to me as a young agriculture leader.

The group then enjoyed a pork lunch sponsored by the Oklahoma Pork Council. Coordinating our lunch plans for the day was a good event planning experience for me in this internship. After lunch, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Dell Kerbs came to speak to us. I enjoyed listening to him share about agricultural issues he has dealt with and how they have been handled. It was interesting to hear his point of view and his experience with policy. Another leader we got to meet was Skye McNeil from the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technical Education. I really enjoyed listening to her talk about some of the policy issues she dealt with as a former state legislator and her experience now being a lobbyist.

Our last meeting of the day was with Michael Kelsey who is the Executive Vice President for the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. One thing Michael said to us that really stood out to me was “if a door comes open, take a look inside.” That was important for me to hear as I transition into my senior year of college and look for future job opportunities. I truly enjoyed listening to him speak about his career and how he got to where he is today.

Overall, I had a wonderful day at the Capitol learning more about other agriculture groups and meeting other folks within the Oklahoma “Barnyard.”