Industry Award Spotlight: Conley Nelson

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 2025, two producers who recently finished their distinguished pork production careers were presented the Golden Pig Award at last month's Oklahoma Pork Congress.

Conley Nelson grew up in Goldfield, Iowa, where he still owns a 4,400 head wean-to-finish hog operation and his family’s Century Farm. He began his pork industry career working for Plainview Hogs before the company was purchased by Murphy Family Farms in 1986. Throughout the last four decades, Conley fulfilled various roles within the company amidst mergers and significant changes in the pork industry. Most recently, Conley served as Smithfield Foods’ Midwest General Manager overseeing sow operations, employees, and contract finishing sites throughout Iowa, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, and Utah.

In addition to his success within the Smithfield Foods system, Conley has passionately served the broader industry and his local community for decades. He previously served as president of the National Pork Board and chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. After more than 40 years of dedicated leadership within the U.S. pork industry, Conley retired from Smithfield Foods in June.

Congratulations to Conley Nelson on his retirement and this special honor from his peers! Keep following along as we highlight all our 2025 award winners this fall. To check out the full list now, see this Pork Congress awards story in Farm Journal's Pork.

State Fair Highlights Pigs and Pork to Thousands

Without question, the State Fair of Oklahoma features quite a few reasons for pork producers to celebrate: quirky pork snacks for fairgoers to enjoy, a swine show starring 4-H and FFA members with their pigs, the AGtropolis animal birthing center, workshops for young people interested in animal careers, and much more. In many ways, the State Fair continues its original purpose of showcasing agriculture and rural traditions very well.

The Oklahoma Pork Council staff also enjoyed visiting the fair to proactively share positive stories about two of our favorite things: pigs and pork! We spent time at the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) birthing center watching countless fairgoers see with their own eyes the incredible reality of modern pig farming. We also helped facilitate constructive media attention for the birthing center, including an OKC influencer "Tiffany in OKC" visit and a promotional story on KOCO 5 News featuring footage captured by Oklahoma Pork's Shay Stegmann. 

No visit to the fairgrounds is complete without taste-testing pork treats, so our staff also took time to scope out dozens of pork offerings for any appetite. Whether fairgoers are craving BBQ, breakfast food, or about anything covered in bacon - there is no shortage of memorable pork dishes available. Make sure you are well hydrated for the heat and put on your stretchy pants to go see for yourself before the fair wraps up this Sunday, September 21. Click here to see more photos of our favorite pork finds on Oklahoma Pork's Facebook page!

Celebrating Excellence: Hugo Hidalgo Pacheco

In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award was established 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.  

Hugo Hidalgo Pacheco began his career with The HANOR Company in 2016 as part of the T.N. Visa Program. After first working for HANOR in North Carolina, Hugo transitioned to farms in Mooreland, Oklahoma, where he has gained extensive experience across the business for the past decade.

Hugo served as a department head and a farm manager before being named compliance manager for the company’s Oklahoma operations. As compliance manager, Hugo oversees adherence to production practices, employee compliance with PQA+ standards, and fulfillment of animal well-being standards. In this role, Hugo is a constant encourager of everyone on the team.

He is known among his HANOR colleagues for being proactive, dedicated, and humble. Thanks to Hugo’s commitment to thorough education and employee support, HANOR has elevated its performance standards and adherence to PQA+ standards during his tenure. Congratulations Hugo for your example of excellence in Oklahoma’s pork industry! Click the embedded video above, or click here to watch Hugo's heartwarming award video that debuted at the 2025 Oklahoma Pork Congress!

New Board Leadership for Oklahoma Pork

Oklahoma Pork's board of directors held their September board meeting today to discuss the organization's upcoming fall events, annual budget, and more. After three board members were re-elected to their seats and one new member joined the board at last month's Pork Congress, this meeting also provided the opportunity for officer elections to fill out the 2025-2026 executive committee.

Tom Layne of Enid began his term as board president at last month's Pork Congress after serving as president-elect for the previous year. Tom has worked in the pork industry for more than 25 years, including his tenure with The HANOR Company that began in 1998. As HANOR's Director of Human Resources, Tom's work impacts the company's 600+ employees located across seven states. Tom previously served as board president in 2023 and provides leadership on a variety of Oklahoma Pork's strategic intentions, including workforce development.

Joe Locke of Marietta re-enters the executive committee as our organization's vice president for 2025-2026. Joe's 30-year career in pork production includes experience across multiple states and production systems. He currently serves as Director of Sow Operations for Tyson Foods' The Pork Group. Joe’s involvement with the Oklahoma Pork Council includes service as a board president last year and volunteer pitmaster at several of our charitable events across the state.

Roy Cansler of Seiling was tapped by his fellow board members to serve as treasurer for the 2025-2026 term. Roy has been involved with the pork industry for more than 40 years. He was raised working on his family’s farrow to finish operation, then began his career with the Pig Improvement Company (PIC) in 1997. Since 2000, Roy has worked for Seaboard Foods in Northwest Oklahoma. He currently serves as supervisor of genetic Gilt Development Units (GDUs) for the company. Roy first joined the board in 2023, and this is his first time on the executive committee. 

Dr. Suzanne Genova of Perkins was chosen as Oklahoma Pork's president-elect. After completing this role, Dr. Genova will automatically become board president at the 2026 Pork Congress. She owns Red Dirt Veterinary Services where she provides veterinary care to show pig clients across five states. She is active in Oklahoma Pork's disease prevention and preparedness efforts, including involvement with the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) and service as the lead Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) veterinarian. Additionally, Dr. Genova raises purebred Yorkshire and Meishan hogs through her operation SweetGrass Livestock. She served as vice president of the board throughout the past year. 

Congratulations to our newly elected executive committee members! 

Celebrating Excellence: Dr. Michael Tripp

In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award was established 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.  

After graduating from Fairview High School in 1975, Michael Tripp attended Oklahoma State University in pursuit of his lifelong dream to become a doctor of veterinary medicine. Once he achieved that goal in 1982, Dr. Tripp began his veterinary career in Guymon, Oklahoma, before purchasing Southern Plains Animal Hospital in Ringling, Oklahoma, almost 40 years ago.

Dr. Tripp’s dedication to pork production includes his decades-long service as an animal health expert through his veterinary practice and a pork producer himself through his family operation Tripp Yorkshires. As a veterinarian, Dr. Tripp educates hundreds of client families about animal husbandry, feeding, breeding, herd health, and more. One of his greatest joys is mentoring students from the Baptist Home for Girls in Madill, generously helping with all aspects of their swine show projects.

Over the years he has also shared his expertise through various national boards and committees, including the National Swine Registry Executive Committee and the American Yorkshire Board. Passionate, devoted, and knowledgeable have all been used to describe this hard-working role model within Oklahoma’s show pig community.

On behalf of the Oklahoma Pork Council, congratulations to Dr. Tripp for award-worthy service as an animal health expert and pork producer! Watch above, or click here to check out Dr. Tripp's Excellence Award video that debuted at the 2025 Oklahoma Pork Congress!

Sharing Realistic Agriculture Stories

Bringing back a fun opportunity for relationship building and basic agricultural education, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF)'s Agriculture in the Classroom program just held its annual "Read An Accurate Agriculture Book Week" to encourage more transparency about food and farming among young people.

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. Continuing the special Oklahoma Pork connection during "Read an Accurate Agriculture Book Week" for a second year, several guest readers across the state chose to share "It Takes a Team!" written by Oklahoma Pork's Matti Carlile with photography and design by Oklahoma Pork's Shay Stegmann.

Matti and Shay's story takes readers through a modern Oklahoma sow farm, led by "Dr. K" and other farm leaders in a way that is both accurate and encouraging. The book features more than a dozen key terms to help students grow their understanding of scientific knowledge and herd health. Click here to request a copy of Oklahoma Pork's modern pig farming book to read in your own community or to little ones in your family soon!

Oklahomans Engage at U.S. SHIP Meeting

At this week's 2025 United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP) House of Delegates meeting in Minnesota, nine voting representatives provided valuable perspective on behalf of our state's pork industry. As a reminder, 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).

Before the meeting, there were questions if U.S. SHIP's recent transition to an official United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program during a time of reprioritization at the agency would still lead to a productive meeting. With a record-setting 310 registered attendees and lots of deep discussion, the meeting was certainly meaningful in the eyes of Oklahoma's delegation. Thank you to each of Oklahoma's delegates for participating!

Seaboard Foods Hosts OSU Veterinary Students

Recently, around 15 Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU-CVM) third-year students and faculty members went on a two-day adventure for an unfiltered look at the pigs to pork pipeline with an emphasis on animal health. The Oklahoma Pork Council proudly tagged along to connect with these future veterinary leaders and several of our friends at Seaboard Foods

Thanks to thoughtful planning from Seaboard leadership including Dr. Brooke Kitting and Noel Williams, the OSU crew not only got an eye-opening on-farm experience at a Seaboard finishing farm in Perryton, Texas, but they were also able to participate in a learning session about Seaboard Foods, a series of case study scenarios related to animal health, and a hands-on activity that made classroom learning a memorable reality. In a picture-perfect example of allied industry support, animal health experts from the Pig Improvement Company (P.I.C.) and Boehringer Ingelheim (B.I.) also added to the students' experience.

From showering into the farm to seeing modern barn technology and much more - the comprehensive tour proved incredibly interesting and educational. Many of these students had never seen any large scale agricultural operations, especially focused on swine. Taking the experience to a new level since these students obviously have a keen interest in animal health, Dr. Kitting led participants through a memorable series of necropsies to test and expand their diagnostic knowledge. 

It was clear to Kylee Deniz and Shay Stegmann that these students will forever have a deeper understanding of how pork is produced and a greater appreciation for the hard-working people who make it possible. We also believe this exposure undoubtedly makes veterinary careers within pork production part of the consideration set when these young people finish their education. A huge thanks to Seaboard Foods production and animal health experts who made this tour possible.

Oklahoma Pork Helps Lead AgHERculture Sessions

Last weekend, the Oklahoma Pork Council participated in two special days focused on developing young leaders hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF). As part of Secretary Blayne Arthur's authentic commitment to fostering a passionate and engaged next generation, her team held the sixth annual AgHERculture conference for high school and college young women. 

The Oklahoma Pork Council was honored to again be tapped to help lead various portions of the AgHERculture programming. What an incredible asset to our next generation of producers that we have a regulatory agency that devotes time and resources toward such an impactful mission. We applaud Secretary Arthur and the ODAFF crew for the generational difference their leadership is making!

On Friday, our team enjoyed serving as mentors during ODAFF's collegiate night of the conference. Held at the Oklahoma Governor's Mansion Pavillion, Kylee Deniz and Ashton Mese Johnston got to interact with dozens of collegians from various schools each with a passion for agriculture. Kylee and Ashton both took full advantage of opportunities to promote careers in pork production, involvement with Oklahoma Pork's leadership programming, and share advice from their personal experiences. 

Then on Saturday, two of our most devoted collegiate leaders Molly Buckmaster-Hoffman and Laela Begley joined Kylee to run a pork careers workshop during the high school AgHERculture programming held at the Meridian Technology Center in Guthrie. To wrap up two packed days of learning, Kylee also continued her conference-favorite role as the event's closing speaker where she proudly shared her pork story and led participants through a meaningful "letter to your future self" experience.

Oklahoma Pork's board and staff take our investment in the next generation very seriously. We love opportunities to develop pork's talent pipeline and expose impressive young people to all our industry can offer. 

Celebrating Excellence: Mario Gonzalez and Miguel Roniss

In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award was established 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.  

Business partners Mario Gonzalez and Miguel Roniss began their partnership in 2012 after each immigrating to Oklahoma from Mexico. Despite both having successful careers prior to pork production, they have truly excelled once they joined forces to own and operate pig farms in Allen, Oklahoma, through contract agreements with Tyson Foods. 

Miguel, who studied accounting and administration in college, handles day-to-day responsibilities related to farm production and employee management on their farms. Mario, who previously owned a local restaurant, oversees all maintenance and business administration for their operations. Together, Mario and Miguel are known for creating an exceptional work environment that focuses on employee development and success. 

Mario and Miguel are fantastic examples of excellence within the pork industry due in part to their commitment to embracing on-farm technologies and being good neighbors to their community. They are continual top performers within the Tyson system, in addition to frequently donating their time and talents to the Allen FFA Chapter and local church. 

The Oklahoma Pork Council congratulates Mario and Miguel for their leadership and commitment to modern pork production!  Watch above, or click here to check out Mario and Miguel's Excellence Award video that debuted earlier this month at the 2025 Oklahoma Pork Congress!