okPORK PAGEs 2019

okPORKPAGES

official magazine of the Oklahoma Pork Council | www.okpork.org Volume 23 | 2019

#TheGreatestSh

okPORK continues support at Oklahoma Youth Expo

By: Lindsay Henricks

For most students spring break is a week away from

homework and time for some much needed relaxation, but for 4-H and FFA members in Oklahoma, spring break means one thing – the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

OYE is recognized as the largest youth event in the state of Oklahoma. The livestock show brings over 7,000 exhibitors along with their educators and families from all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Over the course of the ten-day event, OYE has a $24 million impact on Oklahoma City.

Although the excitement of OYE may seem like it is coming from all the exhibitors, the exposition also gets the okPORK office energized for the ten-day event. There are several ways okPORK gets involved and most of the staff is able to get in on the action one way or the other.

Livestock Show and Sale of Champions

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Cattle, goats and sheep are some of the livestock that are

exhibited at OYE, but the toughest ring of all is getting through the sift ring with gilts and barrows. There is no doubt every swine showman wants to make it out in the “big ring” for a chance at making top ten in class and to possibly hear okPORK Executive Director Roy Lee Lindsey announce their name as a class winner and champion contender over the loud speaker.

Lindsey spends each day of OYE sitting at the top of the swine show ring helping keep the show moving, organized and in working order. Lindsey also serves as a member of the Swine Committee where he assists in class breaks and organizing the Sale of Champions order. okPORK also supported the purebred gilt show by presenting scholarships to the breed champions and reserves.

The Sale of Champions is what each of these exhibitors work for and hope to make. However, only 211 kids of the 7,000 qualify to partake in the Sale of Champions. This year’s sale grossed a record number at $1.3 million – all of which goes to the exhibitors. okPORK was fortunate enough to support

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Oklahoma FFA and 4-H members buy purchasing their barrows in the Sale of Champions.

Pork Chop Shop

State fair and OYE are the only times people get to experience the Pork Chop Shop. Fortunately, exhibitors and their families can enjoy this experience for the entire duration of the livestock show. Pork burgers, pulled pork and of course the famous pork chop sandwich were offered all day to visitors and if you were not hungry, a person could get a caffeine fix or hydrate for the day. We also sold “You Had Me at Bacon” t-shirts this year, all of which were a hit!

The Pork Chop Shop always has something for everyone, so in the future if you find yourself at OYE or State Fair make sure you stop by and grab something to eat or drink!

Legislative Showmanship Contest

Another event that gets exhibitors and in this case legislators excited is the Legislative Showmanship Contest which brings more than 80 of our state legislators into the arena. Several exhibitors from across the state received letters before OYE telling them that they were invited to participate in Legislative Showmanship. Each of the legislators are paired with a youth exhibitor who helps them understand how to properly show the animal and why it is important to do so. While most legislators take to it quickly and learn how to accurately navigate and drive the hogs, some were simply just following their pigs in circles. Cade Leonard, OYE exhibitor and past YLC attendee, was one of the young instructors attempting to show his selected legislator how to show his barrow.

FFA and 4-H exibitors look forward to OYE every year and okPORK iss proud to support #thegreatestshow. •

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okPORK Teams Up with Oklahoma Blood Institute for 12 th Year

By: Karen Hiltbrand

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Going

“All In”

By: Lindsay Henricks

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 meetings, meals, learning and sharing along with a new, fun-filled casino night.

The day began with an important update form Jarrod Sutton, vice president of domestic marketing at the National Pork Board. His insights on the swine industry and its future all look promising for the growing pork population. Another update was also shared by the National Pork Producers Council’s very own, Dr. Dan Kovich. Dr. Kovich went over what producers should expect in the area of public policy in the coming months. Next on the agenda, Dr. Janeen Salak- Johnson, the newest member of the Oklahoma State Animal Science faculty, shared her research on animal well-being and how production decisions should be made. Even though she did not grow up on a pig farm, her knowledge about large scale production gave hog producers hope about educating young minds about animal behavior and well-being.

Lunch had a new twist this year at the 2018 okPORK Congress. Instead of an inspiring guest speaker, okPORK presented its yearly awards. Five honors were awarded during the lunch banquet. okPORK recognized Darren Wheeler, owner of Wheeler Meat Market, as the 2018 okPORK Ambassador Award winner and Senator Eddie Fields received the Outstanding Legislator Award. There were no nominations for the Hall of Fame or Distinguished Service awards, but okPORK came up with a different award to acknowledge pork producers who have made the daily work of hog farming more than just a job. okPORK proudly recognized Robert Teel, Juan Ovalle, Sr. and Sam DeHaas as the Excellence Award recipients. Videos about our Excellence Award winners can be found on our YouTube page by searching okPORK.

After the luncheon, okPORK’s executive director, Roy Lee Lindsey gave a quick update about okPORK and the Oklahoma swine industry and James McSpadden gave a legislative update on how Oklahoma was coping with the upcoming election. During the business meeting, Keith Reiner and Chris Wallis

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okPORK hosts new and improved Pork Congress.

finished up their terms and Angie Johnson, John Hardaway, Jesse Donaldson and Robert Peffley were welcomed on the 2018 Board of Directors.

An inside look at how consumers make food purchasing decisions was another new and rather interesting event added on the agenda this year. A group of consumers along with Allyson Perry from the Center for Food Integrity answered the many curious questions from the pork producers, some of which included how the consumers picked out the products they were going to buy.

Reception, Auction and Trade Show

This year’s silent and live auction consisted of more than 30 items and generated more than $4,000. The money from this year’s auction went back to the Oklahoma Pork Council so we can continue to sponsor and host more events across the state. We also had numerous agricultural companies come to the congress trade show to promote their businesses to the many pork producers in attendance.

Viva Las Bacon Casino Night

The theme of the 2018 okPORK Congress evening activity was named Viva Las Bacon Casino Night. A fun-filled evening full of food, music and casino themed games including: roulette, craps, blackjack and Texas hold’em quickly took over the room soon after the reception. The players’ winnings were turned into tickets which were dropped in bags to win a different array of prizes from an Ultimate Sandbox adventure to a Bacon of the Month membership. Upon entering the event a single casino

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chip from every attendee was dropped into a glass pig for a chance to win $1,000 cash, sponsored by Smithfield. Jeremiah Mallard was this year’s grand prize cash winner!

Donors

The Oklahoma Pork Congress would not be what it is today without the help of our sponsors that come back year after year. okPORK staff and the board of directors want to thank the following sponsors and donors: Hog Slat – Platinum Sponsor

PIC – Platinum SponsorBlue and Gold Sausage Co. – Silver SponsorSmithfield – Bronze SponsorFirst United Bank, Holdenville – Bronze SponsorAgri Clean – Bronze SponsorMaximum Ag TechnologiesNational Pork BoardNational Pork Producers Council

If you are interested in supporting Oklahoma’s pork producers or the Oklahoma Pork Congress, please visit www. okpork.org and call 405-232-3781.•

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Standing out From

The Crowd

By: Karen Hiltbrand

okPORK hosts annual Youth Leadership Camp.

Most high school students can be found in the pool,

sleeping-in, or at the lake during the summer. This couldn’t be further from the truth for the elite group of

12 students who attended okPORK’s Youth Leadership Camp.

From June 17 to June 22 the young pork enthusiasts were kept on a tight schedule learning about the commercial swine industry, leadership and how to stand out from the crowd. By the end of the week campers; Dalton Baggs, Woodward; Brooklyn Barnes, Sand Springs; Curren Bailey, Moore; Madison Baker, Marlow; Cash Bronson, Chelsea; Keaton Clark, Minco; Whitney Glazier, Omega; Hunter Gorry, Oologah; Kailey Guinn, Porter; Mckenzie Holman, Kiefer; Billie Ann Jervis, Sapulpa; and Shilo Thompson, Ratlif City; proved their ability to advocate for the swine industry.

The calm before the storm is the best way to describe the quiet, yet eager aura which filled the Oklahoma State University inspired conference room at the Best Western Hotel in Stillwater, Okla.

Camp kicked off with a warm smile and welcome from Nikki Snider, director of marketing and promotions at okPORK. Roy Lee Lindsey, executive director at okPORK followed with a swine industry update and policy overview. Emphasizing points on economic drivers such as jobs and trade.

“These kids are the future of our industry and we here at okPORK are dedicated to providing learning opportunities for our youth,” Snider said.

The skills of making a first impression, and advocating

yourself on social media were among the topics introduced on the first day of camp by Lindsey Henricks, communication specialist at okPORK. Mastering these skills will prepare students to successfully share their their agricultural story.

After receiving backpacks donated by the National Pork Board, campers were divided into teams led by Dr. Scott Carter, associate professor in animal science at Oklahoma State University; Kylee Deniz, director of marketing and producer outreach at National Pork Board; and Rusty Gosz, youth livestock specialist at Oklahoma State University.

Team leaders were given the task of assisting their students in navigating through specific scenarios about swine industry issues. Then at the end of the week campers would use their new found knowledge to complete media interviews. The team leaders began to pave the way for each group’s success on Sunday evening with an intense scavenger hunt across the campus of OSU.

Bright and early Monday morning campers were greeted by Joe Popplewell, operations manager at Seaboard Foods, who spoke about the company as well as the breeding and genetics program.

YLC is focused around the swine industry, leadership and personal growth. Karen Hiltbrand, okPORK’s summer intern, presented on the value having goals and living life with a grateful heart.

To ensure students are comfortable during a media

"These kids are the future of our industry and we here at okPORK are dedicated to providing learning opportunities for our youth."

Nikki Snider okPORK Director of marketing and promotions

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YLC Participants from left to right; Kailey Guinn, Whitney Glazier, Brooklyn Barnes, Hunter Gorry, Curren Bailey, Billie Ann Jervis, Madison Baker, Shilo Thompson, Mckenzie Holman, Dalton Baggs, Cash Bronson and Keaton Clark.

interview, Austin Moore of Oklahoma Career Tech and Snider, discussed the “dos and don’ts” of speaking with the media and public. In celebration of all the campers getting through their first mock interview they were rewarded with Chick-Fil-A for lunch.

As lunch ended, the excitement was evident over the smell of nuggets and waffle fries as the campers were anxious to hit the road towards Trails End, HANOR’s number 1 farm near Ames, Okla. Upon arrival students showered in and were split into two groups to tour the 10-thousand-head farrow to wean farm. Under the lead of Jeff Mencke, Bill Barnes, Gustavo Lopez, and Robbie Woods, students were given a full tour of a larger scale farm.

“It was really an eye-opening experience to see that many pigs at one time,” Baker said, “It was cool to see how different farms are ran on the commercial side of things compared to what we do at home.”

Following the tour campers were hosted by the HANOR Staff at the “Rock House” lodge for great food cooked by Keith Reiner, okPORK west district board member and HANOR maintenance supervisor. Following dinner Jeff Mencke and Bill Barnes led further discussion about the operation and answered the campers’ questions.

With full stomachs, tired eyes, and brains fully

loaded with information, campers made the trek back to Stillwater as the sun began to set.

Tuesday wasn’t for those with weak stomachs. Campers started the day by evaluating live hogs at Oklahoma State’s Food and Agriculture Products Center (FAPC) with Jim Coakley, OSU Swine Unit herd manager. After making live calls on dressing percentage, loin eye area, back fat and carcass value, teams were led by student employees at FAPC in the harvesting process.

“My favorite part about camp was going to OSU and being able to learn the process of harvesting pigs and then being able to compare that same process to what is done at the Seaboard plant,” Barnes said.

To finish up on campus the campers and staff shared a quick lunch at the OSU Animal Science building with Animal and Food Sciences department head, Dr. Clint Rusk.

Campers then loaded onto the charter bus for a long drive to Guymon, Okla., where they discussed their scenarios and watched pig themed movies like “Sing” and “Babe.”

Not only does YLC have great people, but it also has great food! Dinner at Hunny’s BBQ is always a highlight for past campers, and this year was no different. After plates were cleared and fingers were

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Left: Kailey Guinn at HANOR farms in the nusery barn holding a piglet. Right: Left to right; Whitney Glazier, Brooklyn Barnes, Karen Hiltbrand (okPORK Intern) and Shilo Thompson processing a hog in FAPC.

wiped Jason Hitch, of Hitch Enterprises, shared about his multi-specie operation.

After an eventful night of Oklahoma weather, the campers made their way to one of the largest economic drivers in Guymon, the Seaboard Foods Processing Plant. Under the instruction of Elena Guerrero-Caballero, a production training supervisor at Seaboard Foods, campers and staff pulled on their rubber boots, put on their white frocks, and completed their wardrobe with hard hat, ear plugs, and safety glasses to prepare to enter the plant.

While touring the plant students were able to see every aspect of how a large facility which harvests thousands of hogs a day operates.

“At FAPC it took us a while to harvest our own animal and to see 20 thousand animals done in one day was crazy,” Jervis said.

The campers next bus ticket was to Oklahoma City, with a stop in between with Bert Luthi, of Luthi farms. While visiting, Luthi discussed his farm and the contract-growing he does with the Maschhoffs.

Bus time always proves to be the best time for group discussion. A fly on the wall would have heard 12 passionate agvocates repeating Rusty Gosz as he said, “Agriculturalists produce the safest most wholesome food supply in the world.”

Long days of engaging conversation and touring called for a break, and that was just what the campers

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got as they spent a night full of laser tag, high ropes and arcade games at Main Event in Oklahoma City. It was a well deserved night to wind down and have some fun.

A huge part of preparing students to advocate for the agricultural industry is arming them with knowledge about what’s going on in the legislature. This is exactly what students did as they intently listened to James McSpadden of McSpadden and Associates, Rep. Jon Echols, and Rep. John Pfeiffer go over the basics of agriculture policy on Thursday morning at okPORK’s office.

“The people that are representing us in the legislature are actually people that farm,” Thompson said, “They’re constantly advocating for us agriculturalists that live in Oklahoma and making a difference behind the scenes.”

Shortly after students were lucky enough to become YQCA certified by Dianh Peebles, directornational certification programs at National Pork Board. Team white lightning leader, Kylee Deniz, then lendt some inspiration about embracing being different and standing out from the crowd.

“You need to be the five percent,” Deniz said, as she explained the importance of embracing being different and using it as an advantage.

Hands of service are often the best kind of hands. Campers embraced this as they entered the Regional

Food Bank of Oklahoma. In just a short two-hours campers, staff members and Dave the bus driver, packed 5,104 pounds of light bulbs, and packaged 1,636 pounds of onions. According to the Food Bank they were able to package the equivalent of 5,616 meals for Oklahomans in need.

Following volunteering, students were led by Bill Hendrix on a tour of the 10 thousand square-foot warehouse. He shared about their partnership with okPORK and Oklahoma Youth Expo for the Pork for Packs Program, which supplies pork sticks for the food banks backpack program. What a better way to celebrate a successful day then with cheese fries and burgers from Eskimo Joes. The evening ended with the sounds of constant chatter and laughter under the parachute at Joe’s.

Anticipation filled the dew dense air as campers made their way back to FAPC Friday morning to fabricate the hogs they had harvested earlier in the week and compare their estimates to some actual results. Backfat was measured, yield grades were calculated, and pork was packed.

Nerves were at an all time high for some students as they mic’d up for their media interviews on camera. In front of a full audience, one-by-one campers carefully answered questions on issues about their specific scenarios led once again by Austin Moore of Oklahoma Career Tech.

After a few group pictures, the time had come for the wrap-up cookout at the OSU Equestrian Center. There Dr. Clint Rusk addressed campers on their accomplishments, staff members made remarks about the personal growth of each individual camper, and completion certificates were awarded to campers.

As the the festivities came to a close, team leaders, staff members and campers all said their goodbyes.

“I encourage anyone who wants to have fun and learn about the swine industry to apply for YLC,” Bronson said. “It truly opened my eyes to what all the swine industry has to offer.”

After a long, but successful week YLC 2018 came to a close – strangers became friends, leaders were realized, and agvocates were born. •

Dalton Baggs packaging light bulbs at Oklahoma Regional Food Bank.

Campers after enjoying dinner at HANOR’S Rock House.

Mckenzie Holman participating in a mock media interview with Austin Moore.

#YLC2018

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By: Nikki Snider

OKPORK’S SWINE AND STEIN DINNER RETURNS WITH SUCCESS

After a couple years hiatus, okPORK’s Swine and Stein

dinner came back with a roar. Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant was the perfect venue for the group that gathered on August 12.

Chef Chris Bickel prepared four amazing courses featuring pork and the evening’s theme was Mexican. The first course featured puffed chicharrons with a salsa trio featuring guacamole, salsa fresca and salsa verde. These puffed and fried pork skins were far better than convenience store pork rinds and each salsa option was full of flavor.

To complement each course, our friends at Twisted Spike Brewing Company were on hand with four amazing brews. Their light Golden Spike was a perfect fit for the chicharrons.

Course two was a creamy Carrot Chorizo Bisque. The carrot’s provided a beautiful orange color and hint of flavor. But the texture of the chorizo mixed in with all the creamy bisqueness was the star of this dish. Twisted Spike’s Crew was also a big hit with the crowd.

Chef Bickel brought out the big guns for course three, Blood Orange IPA Carnitas Enchiladas with Mole sauce. The hearty homemade tortillas encased tender perfectly prepared pork carnita meat smothered with a smooth, chocolatey mole sauce. All this was surrounded by amazing cilantro lime rice and a borracho bean trio. The Cerveza paired with this course had a wonderfully fresh flavor, kind of like a beer mixed with a mojito, and was delightful. It was hard to imagine eating any more at this point in the

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evening, but when the Bacon Vanilla Flan arrived, everyone decided they did indeed have plenty of room for this sweet treat. A light, fluffy vanilla cream encased perfectly crunchy, salty bites of bacon. On top was a dark chocolate and Russian Stout sauce and whipped crème that added more amazing sweetness to this dish. The chocolate notes of Twisted Stashe we’re the icing on the cake (so to speak).

Spectacular food and drink may be the perk of okPORK’s special pork pairing dinners. But the purpose goes deeper. The proceeds from these dinners support okPORK’s non-Checkoff activities and they’ve become an important component of that budget. They are also a great way to invite other food interested folks into okPORK’s circle.

We greatly appreciate everyone who attended Swine and Stein and hope you will join us for another yummy paring dinner again soon! •

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Gotta

By: Lindsay Henricks

On another chilly and rainy October day, pork producers from all over the state of Oklahoma gathered together, stocking caps and all, at the John Conrad Golf Course in Midwest City, Okla., for a day of golf.

Just like past years, the purpose of having the yearly tournament in the middle of the state was to attract producers from all over Oklahoma to come mingle, eat pork and of course play golf.

“The okPORK OPEN is something we look forward to having every year,” said Lloyd Hawkins, okPORK community outreach specialist. “Even though it was a bit chilly again this year, everyone had a great time!”

As the day drew closer, everyone was hoping it would be another cool fall day, perfect for playing golf. That morning dawned and instead of a sunny and 75 day, we got a rainy 50-degree day.

As they made their way through the course, players from the 13 teams enjoyed Hawgaritas thanks to cart drivers, Christy Gammon and Lindsay Henricks. The players also enjoyed a trip to the bloody marry tent run by Nikki Snider. Gammon, Henricks and Snider made sure the players stayed hydrated during their golf outing,

Even though it was a bit cold and wet during the tournament, a big perk was the staff at the John Conrad Course. They helped fill the drink coolers, helped with set up, helped tallying score cards and determined flights.

“The staff was such a big help,” said Nikki Snider, okPORK director of marketing and promotions. “They made everything so easy and fault free for us.”

By lunchtime, the cold golfers were ready to rest their feet and enjoy some pork carnitas for lunch.

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Here’s how the scores played out: 1st – Seaboard Foods 2nd – First United Bank 3rd – DNA Swine Genetics

And the day of golf would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors:

Mansion Farm – The King’s | First United Bank | McSpadden & Associates | National Pork Board | DNA Swine Genetics | Robinson Family Farm | PIC | Blue & Gold Sausage |Hudiburg Fleet Services | P & K Equipment | Minitube •

go golfokPORK

swings another successful okPORK OPEN

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