Federal Leaders Discuss Farm Bill in Oklahoma

At the Heritage Place Sale Barn in Oklahoma City, around 100 Oklahoma agriculture advocates came together to discuss Farm Bill priorities within our state. Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur moderated an insightful exchange among Congressman Lucas, Congressman Thompson and attendees.

This week, the Oklahoma Pork Council had the privilege of participating in a Farm Bill listening session with Oklahoma's top agricultural policy leader Congressman Frank Lucas and Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture G.T. Thompson from Pennsylvania. Oklahoma congressional leaders Congresswoman Bice and Congressman Hern also attended the event.

With the 2018 Farm Bill's recent expiration, the meeting served as an informative look into Congress's plan to extend federal farm policy provisions that are critical as we go into the new year while also moving forward on a traditional five-year Farm Bill for producers across the nation.

Most of the listening session was devoted to Congressman Lucas and Chairman Thompson accepting comments and questions on various Farm Bill priorities from several of the 100 Oklahoma agriculture advocates in attendance.

Derby Pig Draft Brings New Students into Industry

In a special effort to recruit more young people into animal husbandry, the Oklahoma Pork Council helped launch the first annual "Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby" program on Thursday with a "Draft Day" event held at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

This months-long experience creates a life-changing opportunity for 4-H and FFA students who would not otherwise have the chance to raise, train or show livestock. The Pork Partners Derby program will culminate next spring at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) with a specialty swine show specifically for the Derby students and their pigs.

A total of 47 students from 32 counties were nominated into the program by their local 4-H or FFA advisors who have pledged hands-on assistance over the next five months as the first-time livestock exhibitors work to properly raise their selected animals. At Thursday's "Draft Day" for participants, the students were able to learn more about feeding, training and biosecurity in addition to selecting their hogs from the available OSU Swine Farm options.

Although there will continue to be key learnings throughout the first trial year of this program, the Oklahoma Pork Council is excited to support more eager Oklahoma agriculture students learning what it takes to raise quality pigs. We are confident some of these students will find a true passion for the pork industry that could translate into fulfilling careers throughout the pork pipeline. Click here to learn more about the "Oklahoma Pork Partners Derby" program!

Award Spotlight: Chairman Dell Kerbs

In 2010, the Oklahoma Pork Council established the Outstanding Legislator Award to honor policymakers who help us and our partners throughout the “barnyard” champion pork, agriculture and rural Oklahoma at the State Capitol.

With just two years of experience representing District 26 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, legislative leaders tapped Representative Dell Kerbs to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee in 2018. For the past six years, Representative Kerbs has used this position to be an effective and passionate agriculture supporter, which led to his selection for the Oklahoma Pork Council 2023 Outstanding Legislator Award.  

As a restaurant owner and local leader from Shawnee, Representative Kerbs understands grassroots advocacy and the need for safe, affordable food products. He has worked closely with the Oklahoma Pork Council and the full “barnyard” of agriculture groups to champion legislative proposals that benefit our producers and rural Oklahoma communities.

In addition to chairing the House Agriculture Committee, Representative Kerbs also serves on the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and the House County and Municipal Government Committee. He is also active in a variety of service roles outside the State Capitol, especially event planning and emergency preparedness within his district.

Representative Kerbs and his wife Linda enjoy spending time with their two daughters and being active members of their community. Click here to learn more about Representative Kerbs from his Oklahoma House of Representatives member profile.

Oklahoma Pork Presents to NPPC Board

The 15-member National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Board of Directors currently includes representatives from nine pork producing states across the country.

At the invitation of CEO Bryan Humphreys, Oklahoma Pork's executive director Kylee Deniz had the unique opportunity to speak at a National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) board meeting in Washington, DC.

Also in DC mid-September, NPPC held their annual Fall Legislative Action Conference (LAC). Because of continued economic challenges for many producers, scheduling restrictions for several of our interested leaders, and the appropriations-focused Congressional calendar this week in DC – Oklahoma Pork made the tough decision to pivot our participation in the Fall LAC to Kylee's involvement and individual outreach to each key office in our Congressional delegation. We are fortunate to have strong relationships with our state's representatives in DC, and we are confident other opportunities for in-person producer visits will be possible.

Interested in seeing what federal policy topics were highlighted at LAC this week? Click here to check out NPPC's LAC webpage.

Excellence Award Spotlight: Cathy Vaughan

For her outstanding service to her team and the broader pork industry, Smithfield Foods' Cathy Vaughan was awarded an Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award at the recent Oklahoma Pork Congress in Oklahoma City.

In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council established Excellence Awards 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.

Throughout her pork career spanning 18 years, Cathy Vaughan has advocated for the industry at every level. Her decades of servant leadership and passionate community engagement led Cathy’s peers at Smithfield Foods to nominate her for a 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award.

Cathy serves as the Safety and Communications Coordinator for the Smithfield Foods Hog Production Division in Oklahoma. While working with more than 230 employees throughout Smithfield’s Oklahoma operation, Cathy continually devotes time to industry involvement beyond her company. She has been an active Oklahoma Pork Council member for more than a decade, including service as board president in 2019-2020. She has also participated in various leadership and advocacy programs including Pork Leadership Institute (PLI), Legislative Action Conference (LAC), and Operation Main Street (OMS).

Right now, Cathy proudly represents Oklahoma and Smithfield Foods through service on the National Pork Board (NPB) Nominating Committee, helping recruit and prepare pork producers from across the country for national leadership roles. In addition to her fulfilling pork industry career, Cathy has served as a longtime cheerleading coach and travel advisor. She and her husband Travis began a new chapter this fall when their twin daughters began college at Oklahoma State University.

Thank you, Cathy, for modeling excellence as a community leader and pork producer!

HANOR Shows Appreciation for Farm Teams

Last Saturday, Ames area farm employees with The HANOR Company enjoyed a fun evening at the park with their families as a thank you for their continual hard work. Attendees of all ages savored a free dinner, ice cream, lawn games, face painting, awards, raffles, inflatables and more during the company's Employee Appreciation Picnic in Enid.

Thanks to thoughtful planning by HANOR's Thomas Craig, Keith Reiner, Kalley Whitlock and others - the event brought together more than 100 HANOR pork producers and their loved ones. Oklahoma Pork was grateful to play a small role in the fun by sponsoring the meal protein and distributing Oklahoma Pork swag for all attendees. Additionally, we want to thank Zoetis (proudly an Oklahoma Pork Silver Annual Sponsor) for co-sponsoring this memorable night for dozens of pork producing families. These producers certainly deserve to be celebrated, and HANOR did just that!

Does your farm have a fun event the Oklahoma Pork Council could help sponsor? Or simply one that should be highlighted in a future edition of E-Pork? Click here make a donation request.

Our team loves to travel and share pork swag with producers across the state, so let us know when and where to get involved!

Expanding the Oklahoma Pork Team

The Oklahoma Pork Council is currently accepting applications for a skilled visual communicator to join our staff as a digital content creator this fall. This person will serve as the pork industry's top storyteller in Oklahoma, using photography, graphic design, videography, copywriting and more to promote the incredible work done by our state's pork producers.

Our staff is excited to find a passionate teammate with best-in-class communication skills to serve Oklahoma pork producers alongside us. The digital content creator will join our three full-time staff members of Kylee Deniz (executive director), Matti Carlile (business coordinator), and Ashton Mese Johnston (industry relations manager) in our Oklahoma City office. This person will also have the opportunity to work with our two part-time student employees Kate Jackson and Braden Burns who transitioned from summer interns to OSU campus liaisons this semester helping with Pork Industry Group. Team culture is incredibly important at the Oklahoma Pork Council, so our new hire will be an individual who not only has the right skillset but also the right heart for working alongside our staff and our board.

The Oklahoma Pork Council is actively working to build our digital content bank of compelling stories, photos, and videos that showcase the best of Oklahoma pork production. Click here to apply!

Award Spotlight: Dr. Jared Harshman

For his service to the industry, recent OSU PhD graduate Jared Harshman was awarded Oklahoma Pork's 2023 Ambassador Award at the Oklahoma Pork Congress in Oklahoma City.

In 2006, the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors created the Ambassador Award to recognize individuals who don’t directly raise pigs but have made a significant impact on our state’s pork industry as a champion and promoter of what our farmers do.

Having just completed his doctorate in July 2023, Dr. Jared Harshman recently finished his nine-year Oklahoma academic career as an expert in swine nutrition. During the past decade, Jared has made significant research contributions while serving as a passionate advocate for modern pig farming. Because of his hard work and meaningful industry engagement, Jared was selected for the 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Ambassador Award.

Originally from Mount Airy, Maryland, Jared first came to Oklahoma in 2014 to judge livestock and study Animal Science at Redlands Community College. From there, he transferred to Oklahoma State University where he worked at the university swine farm while earning a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate with a focus on swine nutrition. While his research as a graduate student covered a wide array of topics, his master’s research focused on feed additives in nursery and wean-to-finish pigs, while his PhD dissertation was focused on sow prolapse. Jared worked closely with longtime Oklahoma Pork ex-officio board member and OSU swine nutritionist Dr. Scott Carter. Jared has also found time during his studies to assist with Oklahoma Pork’s collegiate leadership program and work with our staff on key projects that serve the broader pork industry.

With his PhD complete, Jared plans to begin his full-time career as a swine nutritionist. When he is not conducting research, he enjoys spending time outside with his girlfriend and friends either hunting or fishing. Thank you to Dr. Jared Harshman for being a true champion of our state’s pork industry!

Interested in learning more about Jared's sow prolapse research? Click here to check out Part One of his interview on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt podcast earlier this year.

Oklahoma Well Represented at U.S. SHIP Meeting

Pork producers from across the nation spent the last few days working on the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) to better prepare for a potential Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) outbreak.

Last week, nine voting representatives and two members of the Oklahoma Pork team provided valuable perspective on behalf of our state's swine industry at the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) House of Delegates Meeting in Minnesota.

U.S. SHIP exists to bring producers and government partners together to create a "National Playbook" of technical standards related to Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) preparedness for African Swine Fever (ASF) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF). As a refresher, Oklahoma's voting delegation included:

• 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,

• Koe Wolfe - JBS.

The House of Delegates focused on U.S. SHIP's key tenets: biosecurity, traceability and disease surveillance. Delegates also participated in break-out sessions to dig deeper on questions related to traceability and animal movements, feral pigs and other serious biosecurity risks, and transportation and live haul sanitation. Overall, our Oklahoma crew felt the meeting was worthwhile with new information for our producers and government partners to consider.

Sharing Accurate Stories About Pigs and Pork

Oklahoma Pork member Jessica Ingo, Oklahoma Pork executive director Kylee Deniz, and Oklahoma Pork business coordinator Matti Carlile all visited classrooms in their home communities to teach children about pork production.

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Oklahomans across the state committed to spreading fact-based agricultural stories with hundreds of students in a fun and helpful way this week. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF)'s Agriculture in the Classroom program held its annual "Read An Accurate Agriculture Book Week" to encourage more transparency of the food and fiber system among youth.

Many teachers pledged to read an educational agriculture story in their own classrooms, and dozens of volunteers in counties throughout Oklahoma went into schools and early childhood centers to help promote agriculture's message. Volunteers included elected officials, 4-H and FFA officers, and industry representatives. Oklahoma Pork members and staff enjoyed this opportunity to teach swine production's story, reading accurate pork books to young students in our communities.

Are you looking for ways to promote our industry close to home? Click here to review some online pork production and pork nutrition resources our team recommends to Oklahoma teachers looking to share more about pork in their classrooms!