Reflecting on Hugely Successful Giving Campaign

Before we shift focus into 2025, it's important to celebrate the incredible generosity Oklahoma's pork community displayed during the 2024 holiday season now that the final numbers have been counted. 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 565 hams, 31,250 pounds of protein, $10,500 of financial gifts, and 550 volunteer hours were donated as part of Oklahoma's 2024 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 2024 we were especially proud of the broad reach Give-A-Ham achieved impacting all areas of the state. Special free lunch events in Stillwater, Maysville, Wewoka, Seiling, and Hartshorne provided more than 3,000 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 2024 Give-A-Ham Challenge touched lives across Oklahoma.

Undoubtedly less important than the actual act of feeding people, but as the Oklahoma Pork Council we also recognize our role to publicly brag on our members who skip every opportunity to brag on themselves. So a secondary success of our annual giving campaign includes positive coverage across media types, including TV coverage, printed publications, social media shares, and more. Thanks to a tracking metric shared with Oklahoma Pork earlier this week, we know Give-A-Ham's TV segment reach included more than 360,000 viewership hits, and our social media reach exceeded one million impressions!

One fun way 2024's Give-A-Ham Challenge moved during the campaign's closing days included participation from rising Oklahoma country music star Wyatt Flores and dozens of Oklahoma FFA chapters across the state. Here's to a hugely successful giving season last year and even more generosity and industry pride as we begin 2025!

Oklahoma Pig Farmers Tap Country Stars to Give

SOURCE: Farm Journal's PORK

Country music artist Wyatt Flores, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma State University’s Ferguson College of Agriculture Dean Jayson Lusk are just a few of the celebrities that have accepted the challenge to Give-A-Ham this month by members of the Oklahoma Pork Council.

“Their participation has drawn attention, sparked excitement, and inspired others in their networks to step up. These leaders showcase how influential voices can amplify the campaign’s reach and impact,” says Joe Locke, Tyson Foods Director of Operations and 2024-2025 Oklahoma Pork Council president.

The Give-A-Ham effort aims to fight hunger by providing high-quality pork to families and individuals in need throughout the holiday season. The program serves two key purposes: addressing food insecurity and inspiring collective generosity.

“The #GiveAHam Challenge adds an exciting, interactive element by encouraging participants via social media to donate ham and challenge others to do the same. This ripple effect not only amplifies donations, but also brings communities together fostering a sense of shared purpose and engagement across Oklahoma and beyond,” Locke explains.

The Oklahoma Pork Council is playing a leading role on social media, bringing the Give-A-Ham challenge to life by inviting celebrities and leaders in the state to give back to their communities. Click here to keep reading from Farm Journal's PORK.

Give-A-Ham Challenge Snowballs Across State

For Oklahoma Pork, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas gets to be packed full of holiday cheer thanks to our generous farmers and our annual Give-A-Ham Challenge. As you have likely witnessed, each year the challenge looks a little different as we continue to better focus on feeding as many Oklahomans as possible while also promoting pork production among several important audiences.

While our special community feeds across the state and our partner giving days have taken center stage for 2024, we also want to commend the fantastic champions who have proudly stood with pig farmers while donating hams to deserving charities and families in every corner of Oklahoma. Thanks to each of our board and staff members working to strategically spread the challenge through their own networks, we know thousands of people will enjoy quality pork meals this Christmas who may not have otherwise been able to do so.

In addition to Governor Stitt, we have impressive government support through our incredible Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur and key policy partners like incoming Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert. More government shout outs to come as other state and federal policymakers expect to be tapped during Give-A-Ham's homestretch the next week.

Throughout education, we appreciate fun Give-A-Ham involvement from Oklahoma State University (OSU) President Dr. Kayse Shrum, OSU College of Agriculture Dean Dr. Jayson Lusk, the OSU Food and Agricultural Products Center (FAPC), and other great friends in academia. Shout out to our stellar 2024 Pork Industry Group members who all jump-started the generosity at OSU, tapping leaders and student organizations across campus to give.

Countless other pork industry champions and friends of agriculture have accepted the challenge, and it's not too late for YOU to give, too! Visit the Oklahoma Pork Council Give-A-Ham page here to see more details, and to let us know how you plan to give back this holiday season. You can also keep up with the challenge via Oklahoma Pork's social media pages, and don't forget to tag us in your own acts of pork generosity!

Seaboard Gives Back in Seiling and OKC

With Christmas getting closer, Seaboard Foods worked with the Oklahoma Pork Council to hold two special community days for the 2024 Give-A-Ham Challenge across the state. Collectively, Seaboard's partnership with Oklahoma Pork this week included more than 300 free pork meals distributed in Seiling and an impressive 10,000 pounds of Prairie Fresh pork donated amongst five charitable organizations in Oklahoma City.

To start the fun, board member Roy Cansler led the latest Give-A-Ham free community lunch serving more than 300 pulled pork meals for his hometown in Seiling on Tuesday. Attendees got to grab their meals and spin the wheel for fun Seaboard prizes, in addition to snagging some fun Oklahoma Pork goodies to help stay warm this winter. With great volunteers from the High Plains Technology Center and the Seiling FFA Chapter, there was no shortage of helping hands to spread joy in downtown Seiling.

Then on Wednesday, a crew of Seaboard employees spent the day hand delivering more than 10,000 pounds of donated Prairie Fresh pork to a variety of service oriented organizations as a continuation of the company’s 2024 Give-A-Ham involvement. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (which serves all Oklahoma counties where Seaboard Foods operates), the City Care Night Shelter, the Homeless Alliance, the City Rescue Mission, and the Grace Rescue Mission all welcomed generous protein donations with open arms as they discussed real challenges to feed Oklahomans in need during the holiday season.

This unique day of giving also provided an eye-opening look into the heart-warming work done by each organization. A special thanks to board members Roy Cansler and Dr. Donna Drebes for their leadership in this year's Give-A-Ham Challenge. Additionally, Oklahoma Pork commends Seaboard teammates Davida Gomez, Rantz Trayler, and Cinthia Gomez for spending their Wednesday hauling and unloading thousands of pounds of pork to some truly grateful recipients.

There is still a week left for all our members to take part in the Give-A-Ham Challenge in your own communities. Share your participation by posting a photo or video on social media using #GiveAHam and #OklahomaPork, or click here to let us know how you #GiveAHam this December. What a special way feed to people and promote our industry!

Blue & Gold Donates and Serves in Tulsa

As faithful leaders each "Giving Season" to make people smile while donating protein across our state, the crew at Blue & Gold Sausage Co. always understand the assignment. This year they took their Give-A-Ham generosity to a whole new level by donating more than 8,700 pounds of their delicious products to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and serving more than 500 folks a hot breakfast at the Iron Gate Day Shelter in Tulsa.

Thanks to our wonderful Community Food Bank friends CEO Jeff Marlow and Chef Jeremy Johnson, the tasty Blue & Gold sausage 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 day shelter visitor. The Oklahoma Pork Council is so proud to serve members who continually prioritize giving back and serving our neighbors like Brett and his team! Check out his heartwarming recap and Give-A-Ham Challenge video made by Oklahoma Pork's Shay Stegmann above.

As we hit the halfway mark of the 2024 challenge this holiday season, we still have two special community feeds on the schedule and more fun member challenges to be announced. Join us in Seiling or Hartshorne next week around 11:30 am for a first come, first served until supplies last delicious pork lunch with special Oklahoma Pork giveaways.

• Tuesday, Dec. 17 – 300 Free Lunches in Seiling with Seaboard Foods

• Thursday, Dec. 19 – 300 Free Lunches in Hartshorne (Winner of our Social Media Poll)

Remember these festive events represent just one part of the Give-A-Ham excitement. Through our ongoing social media challenge and the action of invested industry leaders like you - we know there will be hundreds of donations made throughout Oklahoma this month.

Governor Stitt Promotes Pork with Give-A-Ham Video

As a proud supporter of Oklahoma's agriculture industry, this year Governor Kevin Stitt again chose to highlight Oklahoma pork producers' generosity through his involvement in our annual Give-A-Ham campaign. His official challenge video recently went live on social media where Governor Stitt championed our state's farmers and announced he will donate his ham to the Birthright Living Legacy, an Oklahoma-based charity focused on equipping fathers to be active leaders in their families and communities.

The Governor also specifically highlighted Joe Locke and Tyson Foods for last week's Give-A-Ham launch event in Stillwater. Governor Stitt encouraged Oklahomans to donate a ham or look for other ways to give back this holiday season their own communities. Our state's chief executive concluded his video by tapping State Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Petroleum Alliance President Brook Simmons, and Mewbourne Oil Company's Ken Waits to each keep the challenge going across their own areas of influence. This week saw several other impressive folks give shout outs to pork producers by joining the 2024 Give-A-Ham Challenge, and we are not done yet!

To watch his full remarks, check out Governor Stitt's Give-A-Ham video above, and be sure to follow the fun series of challenges through our Oklahoma Pork Council social media accounts this month. Use #GiveAHam and #OKPork in your own social media posts to help promote generosity and pork consumption this holiday season!

Students Join Oklahoma Pork to Give Big

Back again for 2024, the Oklahoma Pork Council made sure that our fantastic 4-H and FFA swine enthusiasts received a hands-on invitation to participate in the Give-A-Ham Challenge. Just this afternoon, dozens of people joined us to volunteer at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) to pack meals and celebrate pork producers' special $10,000 donation to the Pork for Packs Program.

These volunteers packed 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 145 excited young people came together to pack meals, the Oklahoma Pork Council also took the opportunity to celebrate our board donating $10,000 this December to help cover processing costs of Pork for Packs donated animals. After Oklahoma Pork hit an impressive $200,000 lifetime giving mark to the Regional Food Bank in 2023, we are proud to continue celebrating the generosity of pig farmers and a strong partnership with our state food banks!

Give-A-Ham Feeds 300 in Maysville

At Oklahoma Pork, we have the incredible blessing of spending many days between Thanksgiving and Christmas giving on-the-go thanks to the unrelenting generosity of our farmers. Thursday's free pork lunch in Maysville was the second of five similar community feeding events Oklahoma Pork is hosting over the next few weeks.

As we work to give free pork in different regions of the state, visiting the hometown of Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile proved to be a perfect fit to celebrate pork producers and feed many great folks. Matti and her family members including Steph and Addi Allen of AMS Show Pigs helped coordinate a memorable day sharing 300 pork meals with Maysville residents. This event was a beautiful example of community cooperation, and our crew at Oklahoma Pork wants to sincerely thank our partners Newman's Firehouse BBQ, Toodles Tacos, Ozarka Water, Seth Wadley Ford, and the Maysville FFA Chapter. Together we accomplished something special this holiday season!

OSU Students Share Ideas for Pork Recruiting

Earlier this week, members of the 2024 Pork Industry Group completed their leadership experience by presenting workforce ideas to the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors at the Pork Industry Group Banquet at Oklahoma State University (OSU). The students, board members, and several special guests 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. Our board and staff are excited to use this creative feedback to continue evolving our "Workforce at All Levels" strategic intention efforts.

As the evening concluded, the Oklahoma Pork Council presented nine student scholarships to deserving next generation leaders. Members of the "Boar to Win" group including Cade Harris, Chyann Emerson, Jalyn Collier, Krysha Green, and Raylee Stuckey were awarded "Outstanding Group Project" for their plan to develop virtual reality farm tours and career exploration modules for young people considering jobs throughout the pork supply chain. Thanks to generous sponsorship from John Patrick Lopez of Lopez-Dorada foods, the "Boar to Win" team members earned $2,500 in scholarships toward their continued education. Agricultural Education junior Ethan Drake of Mountain Grove, Missouri, was named "Outstanding Student" for the 2024 program earning a $500 scholarship sponsored by Dr. Jared Harshman of Huvepharma. Additional student celebrations with financial support from the Oklahoma Pork Council included the "Future Producer Award" given to Maria Shea of Owasso, the "Speaker's Choice Award" presented to Jalyn Collier of Oblong, Illinois, and the "Banquet All-Star Award" earned by Molly Buckmaster of Porter.

Thank you to everyone involved in making Pork Industry Group an incredible success. Our team has cherished the opportunity to mentor every one of these special students, and we look forward to being a longterm resource as they continue their academic and career journeys. One last thanks to OSU leaders like College of Agriculture Dean Jayson Lusk and Animal and Food Sciences Department Head Richard Coffey for supporting this program and joining us on Tuesday night. We are grateful for countless ways OSU's work complements that of Oklahoma's pork industry!

Joe Locke Launches Give-A-Ham in Stillwater

On Giving Tuesday this week, Board President Joe Locke set the 2024 Oklahoma Pork Council Give-A-Ham Challenge in motion by hosting a generous community feeding event for students, staff, and others outside the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Student Union in Stillwater.

Joe, who serves as Director of Sow Operations for Tyson's Pork Group, used his impressive pitmaster skills to cook up 500 Blue & Gold Sausage breakfast biscuits and more than 700 pulled pork sandwiches to grateful OSU cowboys throughout the day. Through his Give-A-Ham Challenge video linked here, Joe also encouraged others to donate pork products within their own communities, including tapping Governor Kevin Stitt and fellow Oklahoma Pork board member Cathy Vaughan to participate. Additionally during Tuesday's free feeding event, Joe went on the air with WWLS the Sports Animal's Jim Traber motivating Jim and those listening to give hams or other pork this month as well.  

Thanks in part to helpful volunteers like our OSU Pork Industry Group students and several Oklahoma Pork board members, the Oklahoma Pork Council distributed heartfelt giveaways like branded hand warmers, gloves, hats, bags, and more while sharing pork's story of generous giving with those who came by for a free meal. A special shout out to VIPs like OSU First Gentleman Darren Shrum and OSU College of Agriculture Dean Jayson Lusk for joining the fun and supporting pork producers!

Between now and Christmas, we encourage all our members to take part in the Give-A-Ham Challenge. Donate a holiday ham to your local food bank, deliver a pork meal to a neighbor, volunteer at a charity you support, or meet another need you see in your community. The "Giving Season" is the perfect time to spread generosity and make a small difference at the local level. Share your participation by posting a photo or video on social media using #GiveAHam.