Oklahoma Wins Fun Wager Against North Carolina

Oklahoma Pork Council got to deliver a variety of quality pork products to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oklahoma City after winning a fun bet with our colleagues at the North Carolina Pork Council.

Recently, the Oklahoma Pork Council issued a friendly challenge via social media to our pork-producing friends in North Carolina. As the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cowboys prepared to take on the North Carolina State (NC State) Wolfpack in a highly anticipated wrestling dual, Oklahoma Pork's executive director Kylee Deniz and North Carolina Pork's CEO Roy Lee Lindsey (who formerly led Oklahoma Pork for 20+ years) made a win-win bet.

Whichever pork association's state wrestling program finished on top would donate 500 pounds of nutritious and delicious pork to a local charity. We are proud to share after OSU's 22-12 victory over NC State, Oklahoma Pork had the opportunity to celebrate with a special gift to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oklahoma City (RMHC OKC).

This week's donation to the Ronald McDonald House included more than 500 pounds of ham, bacon and pork loins for the local organization to share with families in need. The charity provides a free, comfortable place to stay for families of seriously ill or injured children who are receiving inpatient care from the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Each year, RMHC OKC serves hundreds of families who come from nearly all counties in the state.

Excellence Award Spotlight: Alan Mattson

Since 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council has presented 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. Nominees can work in any sector of pork production, as long as they excel in at least one of Oklahoma Pork’s four strategic intentions.

Over the course of his career, Alan Mattson has truly embodied what it means to be a servant leader. His commitment as a farm manager for Seaboard’s Farm 009 in Hinton sets a meaningful example to his colleagues who nominated him for a 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award.

Alan has over 20 years of experience in the pork industry and has worked in the Hinton farms for most of his career. Within just a few months of rejoining the Hinton farms after a temporary career change, Alan rose to the level of farm manager. Upon his notable accomplishments throughout farm ownership changes, Alan’s farms are consistently the most risk averse in the system, staying free from disease and navigating difficult weather conditions. This is partially due to Alan’s strict biosecurity standards and his attention to detail throughout his barns.

When talking to Alan’s team, you will hear constant remarks on his notable self-discipline and dry sense of humor. Alan is admired for his “old school” work ethic and would much rather take on manual labor with his team than office work. Alan is a great farm manager and an extraordinary caretaker for his hogs. Night or day, rain or shine, he responds to the needs of his farm. Outside of pork production, Alan enjoys spending time with his wife, four children, and three grandchildren. The Oklahoma Pork Council celebrates Alan for his impressive work and leadership!

Oklahoma Pork Ally Named Tulsa Food Bank CEO

Jeff Marlow has served as a chef and leader at the Tulsa-based Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma since 2013. On Monday, he was announced as the organization's new President and CEO.

This week brings an exciting announcement for collaboration between those who produce food and those who make sure fewer families go hungry. A strong pork advocate who truly understands the animal agriculture supply chain has been named President and CEO at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Jeff Marlow has multiple connections to Oklahoma's pork industry as a professional chef, an active show pig parent, and a frequent Oklahoma Pork Council collaborator. He has led pork cooking videos, helped with various community giving opportunities, and assisted with his daughter Sara's show pig biosecurity spotlight at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE).

Most recently, "Chef Jeff" partnered with Oklahoma Pork to serve a delicious holiday meal featuring donated pork via the Give-A-Ham Challenge. In his previous role as executive vice president and chief culinary officer at the Tulsa-based food bank, he was continually coming up with creative ideas to partner with Oklahoma Pork. We have no doubt our alliance will only grow in his new position!

"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead and work alongside this dedicated team in our collective efforts to combat hunger and positively impact our community,” Chef Jeff shared about his appointment. “I look forward to leveraging my experience and passion to strengthen further the Food Bank's ability to serve our neighbors through collaboration efforts with our hunger feeding partners."

Click here to read more from the Food Bank's official announcement.

Spreading Pork's Message to Young Audiences

Students ranging from age five to age eight recently learned about all things pigs and pork from one of Oklahoma Pork's most engaged junior members named Molly Buckmaster at her December workshop in Oolagah.

There is a devoted circle of high school and collegiate students with a passion for pork who continue to engage with the Oklahoma Pork Council every chance they get. One of these special young people is Molly Buckmaster from Porter, Oklahoma. Molly has joined our crew at a variety of key events over the past year, and she serves as a proud pork ambassador within her community.

Recently, Molly used her platform as a swine exhibitor and local role model to educate 300 Oolagah-Talala elementary students about pigs and pork. She introduced this curious young audience to the variety of careers available throughout the pork supply chain, and she helped them understand many of the delicious and nutritious products that come from pig farms right here in Oklahoma. Molly also shared fun Oklahoma Pork Council swag with these young learners to help key messages get remembered for years to come.

About Molly's day advocating for pork among hundreds of elementary students, Oolagah-Talala teacher Jennifer White shared "Wow, I can't say how much we appreciate having Molly come talk to the kids. She was truly amazing. I've also been using the resources on your website to educate the children over pigs and pork. So great for these kids to know where their food comes from and what it takes to make it happen."

Impressive Give-A-Ham Challenge Final Tally

It’s time to celebrate the incredible generosity Oklahoma's pork community displayed during the 2023 holiday season. Our board and staff want to extend deep thanks to each person who donated hams, pork products, time or funds during our recent Give-A-Ham Challenge.

Although we know not everyone publicly shares their Give-A-Ham involvement on social media, we can confirm more than 882 hams, 9,881 pounds of protein, $15,000 of financial support, and 50 volunteer hours were donated as part of Oklahoma's 2023 Give-A-Ham Challenge. Those totals mean thousands of Oklahomans enjoyed delicious pork meals in the past month because of our industry's heart for giving, and we have no doubt additional off-the-record donations took place in communities across Oklahoma.

Each year the challenge looks a little different, and for 2023 we are especially proud of the broad reach Give-A-Ham achieved impacting all areas of the state. Special free lunch events in Enid, Holdenville, Hennessey and Texhoma provided more than 1,000 free meals in pork-supporting communities. Additionally, large-scale donation projects within the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros met critical needs in our state's population centers. Pairing all those events with the individual giving that occurred thanks to challenges being accepted by many of our members and supporters - we can say without question that the 2023 Give-A-Ham Challenge touched lives across Oklahoma.

Award Spotlight: Kyle Schwerdtfeger

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 his 25 years raising quality show pigs, Kyle Schwerdtfeger has been a vocal advocate for the pork industry. His passion drives him to be a leader among his peers, which led to his nomination for the 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award.

Kyle is a sales representative for P&K Equipment in Shawnee, and his family has been raising pigs for more than two decades. The Schwerdtfeger family continues to improve herd health and champion strong biosecurity practices throughout the livestock showing community. Kyle’s family has been proud of their successful boar Bone-N-Hand that sired the Grand Barrow at OYE 2015, the Grand Barrow at OYE 2016 and also the OYE Reserve Grand and Bronze Medallion Barrow in 2016.

Today, Kyle is grateful to have a loyal customer base that understands his commitment to herd health and helps reduce foot traffic on the farm. For their efforts prioritizing disease prevention, Kyle and his daughter Karli also starred in an educational biosecurity video for the Oklahoma Pork Council. In addition to helping young people succeed in the show ring, Kyle enjoys spending time with his wife Kerri and two children.

Students Join Oklahoma Pork to Donate, Pack Meals

One of the most rewarding parts of Oklahoma Pork's Give-A-Ham Challenge each year is seeing the generosity spread across our state. We love cheering on Oklahomans from every background as they step up to promote pork and give back in their own special ways.

Last Friday, the Oklahoma Pork Council got to witness that passion for giving grow in real-time within 100 young people as they joined us to volunteer at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) to pack meals and celebrate pork producers' special $15,000 donation to the Pork for Packs Program.

Working together, these volunteers (many of whom show pigs through 4-H or FFA) packed an impressive 9,390 meals for RFBO's Backpacks Program - which is affiliated with our industry's Pork for Packs initiative. Pork for Packs utilizes donated hogs from Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members to create protein sticks for elementary students at risk of hunger. The pork sticks are distributed within the Backpacks Program to meet a real need by supplementing protein on weekends and holidays when school feeding programs are unavailable. Between the Regional Food Bank and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, the program serves 596 schools in all 77 Oklahoma counties, providing backpacks of kid-friendly, non-perishable food to more than 35,000 chronically hungry children each week.

While these 100 excited young people came together to pack meals, the Oklahoma Pork Council also took the opportunity to celebrate our board generously donating $15,000 this December to help cover 2024 processing costs of Pork for Packs donated animals. This significant contribution brings Oklahoma Pork's lifetime RFBO giving to a milestone $200,000 in total! That is certainly a legacy worth celebrating, and we look forward to continued partnership with both our food banks for many years to come.

Seaboard Gives Big in Tulsa and Hennessey

With Christmas getting closer, Seaboard Foods planned two special community days to participate in Oklahoma Pork's Give-A-Ham Challenge across the state. Collectively, Seaboard's generosity this week included more than 300 free pork meals distributed in Hennessey and an impressive 4,300 pounds of Prairie Fresh pork donated amongst three charitable organizations in Tulsa.

To start the fun, a team of Seaboard employees prepared and served free pork burgers, sausage and hot dogs for the Hennessey community on Monday. The weather was beautiful as around 300 local residents visited the Hennessey Seaboard Foods office to grab their lunch and spin the wheel for fun Seaboard and Oklahoma Pork prizes. As another meaningful thanks to Hennessey for the town's longstanding relationship with Seaboard, the company also donated a brand new deep freeze filled with 105 pounds of Prairie Fresh pork to the local food pantry.

Then on Tuesday, a crew of Seaboard Foods employees spent the day hand delivering more than 4,300 pounds of donated Prairie Fresh pork loins to a variety of service oriented Tulsa-based organizations as a continuation of their 2023 Give-A-Ham Challenge. Iron Gate Tulsa, John 3:16 Mission, and the Sand Springs Children's Home and Family Village each expressed deep thanks for the many boxes of Prairie Fresh pork loins to serve their clients.

The donated pork will provide delicious, quality protein to thousands of Oklahomans this holiday season. This unique day of giving across Tulsa also provided an eye-opening look into the heart-warming work done by each organization. Click Oklahoma Pork's recap video here or above to learn a little about each of these incredible organizations serving our neighbors.

A special thanks to board members Bas Werner and Roy Cansler for their leadership in this year's Give-A-Ham Challenge. Additionally, Oklahoma Pork commends the deep bench of Seaboard leaders including Davida Gomez, Tre Smith, Joe Popplewell, Cinthia Gomez, Rantz Trayler, Char Choate, Mark Ross, David Thrasher, and others who helped make these memorable give-back opportunities happen.

Board Donates and Serves at Homeless Alliance

Serving on Oklahoma Pork's Board of Directors comes with significant responsibility to make decisions that influence our entire state's pork industry. Board service also comes with special opportunities to see firsthand how the pork products our members make touch lives every single day. Last Friday was one of these humbling experiences, as Oklahoma Pork's board and staff spent the morning serving our neighbors at the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance.

In an eye-opening chance to continue this year's Give-A-Ham generosity, the board shared a hot ham breakfast donated by the Oklahoma Pork Council with more than 200 morning visitors to Oklahoma City's only low-barrier day shelter. The tasty ham was paired with eggs, biscuits and butter all donated by great Oklahoma Pork partner Ben E. Keith Foods to create a hearty morning meal for every recipient. During our visit, board members also donated bags of helpful products like hand-warmers, chapsticks, mints and

OSU Students Share Ideas for Pork Recruiting

Members of the 2023 Pork Industry Group recently completed their leadership experience by presenting workforce ideas to the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors at the Pork Industry Group Banquet in Oklahoma City. The students and board members then enjoyed a celebratory pork dinner reflecting on the fun and rewarding program over the past semester.

In teams, the students shared creative suggestions for addressing the labor shortage within pork, especially as our industry seeks to recruit the next generation of agriculture enthusiasts. Student ideas that could be implemented by the Oklahoma Pork Council or by our producers included: a one-day pork careers conference for middle and high school students, a mentorship program between high school and college agriculture leaders, a youth signing day event for prospective pork employees, an online 'personality quiz' assessment for pork career placement, and an eight-week pork exploration program for new graduates. Our board and staff are excited to use this feedback to continue evolving our "Workforce at All Levels" strategic intention efforts.

This program would not be possible without OSU's Dr. Scott Carter who volunteers his time and expertise as Pork Industry Group's faculty advisor. He is a critical resource as an ex-officio board member and industry expert for the Oklahoma Pork Council! The banquet also provided an opportunity to thank campus liaisons Kate Jackson and Braden Burns for their incredible behind-the-scenes support to run the weekly sessions alongside Oklahoma Pork staff the past few months.

As the evening concluded, the Oklahoma Pork Council presented student scholarships to six members of the 2023 Pork Industry Group including:

• Jake Butyenek was named "Outstanding Student"

• Kate Buckmaster received the "Speaker's Choice" award

• "The American Piggers" group including Aiden Davis, Dassie May (not pictured), Kate Bond and Quetta Woodall were awarded "Outstanding Group Project" for their plan to develop a one-day pork industry careers conference for 4-H and FFA students across the state

Our team has cherished the opportunity to mentor these students, and we look forward to being a longterm resource as they continue their academic and career journeys.