Every year okPORK members from across the state travel to Norman to be a part of the Oklahoma Pork Congress. After rescheduling the event from February to June, swine producers and okPORK members still managed to make the trip for a fun day of in meetings, meals, learning and sharing along with a new, fun-filled casino night.

During the work on last year’s warthog bill, it became clear to okPORK that Senator Eddie Fields would be a perfect recipient for the 2018 Outstanding Legislator Award. 

“It was great to work with the Oklahoma Pork Council,” Senator Fields said. “We established a great working relationship during the warthog bill and made sure they were not going to be imported into the state,”

Darren Wheeler, a long-time pork supporter and owner of Wheeler Meat Market in Oklahoma City, Okla., has been selected to receive the 2018 Ambassador Award for his extensive service with okPORK. 

Wheeler said the meat business has and always will be a family affair.

The first okPORK Excellence Award winners were honored at Oklahoma Pork Congress on June 29, 2018. Robert Teel with Prestage Farms, Juan Ovalle, Sr., with Smithfield, and Sam DeHaas with The Maschhoffs were the inaugural recipients of this award. Read more about these outstanding Oklahoma pig farmers.

For the past 12 years, the Oklahoma Pork Council and the Oklahoma Blood Institute have teamed up for the annual Memorial Day Blood Drive held during the last week of May. This year’s event included the theme “Give Local” where 1,299 donors were accounted for at the OBI buildings and busses around the state. A total of 3,897 lives were saved.

We have selected 12 outstanding FFA Students to attend our 2018 Youth Leadership Camp. Read more about them here!

Karen Hiltbrand is interning with okPORK this summer. She hails from Seven Mile, Ohio, and is going to be a Senior at Oklahoma State University. Learn more about Karen here!

In rural America, a Blue and Gold jacket holds a very special meaning. It represents leadership, hard work, and a commitment to care for the land and animals that feed us. The okPORK spent May 1 and 2 among great Oklahoma FFA students proudly donning their Blue and Gold.

The Legislative Reception has been a longstanding event for okPORK. But this year brought some new partners and a new location. Read on to learn about the new Legislative Round-up.

Oklahoma hog farmers and oKPORK Staff traveled to Washington D.C. in April. Read on to find out what issues they discussed with Oklahoma’s National Legislative Delegation.