At the Oklahoma State Capitol today, Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Kylee Deniz with the Oklahoma Pork Council to discuss the accumulation of National Champion livestock exhibitors at the Capitol.
Cattle, Sheep, Goat, and, of course, pig exhibitors who won championships throughout the year were invited by Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur to a tour of the Oklahoma State Capitol to meet various legislators and Governor Kevin Stitt.
“I showed pigs a little bit growing up,” Deniz said. “There was nothing like this when I was a kid. These kids are experiencing something very special and I think, unique to Oklahoma.”
Although Deniz didn’t have an official tally of how many kids made the trek to the Capitol, she said four of the ten qualified pig showmen were there.
“The students that are here today won at a national level so to see these kids be successful beyond our state lines is incredible,” she remarked proudly.
The Oklahoma Pork Council often invests generously in its youth. Deniz commented, “That is one of our strategic intentions. If we can do right by the next generation, in terms of engagement and education, and train them to be our future leaders – to take my job – then that’s winning.”
