okPORK Helps Bring Ag to Oklahoma Classrooms
Twice each year good vibrations roll into the okPORK office. This positive energy comes from giving support to the state’s elementary school teachers. Each fall and spring semester okPORK provides the Ag in the Classroom grant program. This spring – seven teachers were awarded funding for their projects. Those teachers were: • Brooke Ketch – Poteau Elementary – Poteau • Charity Guinn – McAuliffe Elementary - Garnett • Connie Copenhaver – Winds West and Council Grove – OKC • Connie Tebow – Deer CreekLamont – Deer Creek • Shelley Mitchell – OSU Extension
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Zena Lewis – Owasso 6th and 7th Grade Centers – Owasso • Briana Brzezinski – Indian Meridian - Choctaw Not one of the teachers is less than ecstatic to get some help with projects in the classroom. Many explain how they would not be able to afford to do many of the hands on type of activities with their students. “Also, their curriculum is really lacking in science,” said Janet Howard, a former grant recipient from Chickasha. “Using the Ag in the Classroom ideas and introducing agriculture to them, science blossoms into an important part of the curriculum.” •
Executive - continued from page 4 what flavors you’re trying today and see what they might recommend for a future dinner. Use some ground pork. My family loves burgers and we use a lot of ground pork at my house. The last time I was shopping, ground pork was a tremendous value when compared to ground beef, turkey, or chicken. If you’ve never tried a fresh ground pork burger, pick up some ground pork and make a burger out of it. I think your family will absolutely love the flavor and the change of pace. You can also substitute ground pork in almost any recipe where you’d use ground beef.
At our house, we use ground pork in our tacos and pasta with meat sauce. It’s a great substitute and provides you significant savings at the cash register. Save money by purchasing whole boneless pork loins. Another money saving tip would be to purchase whole boneless pork loins and then carve them into the chops, strips or roasts your family likes best. You can almost always save $0.50 per pound if you buy whole loins vs. prepackaged chops or roasts. That can really add up if you have a big picnic or cookout coming up. It also gives you the flexibility to cut your chops into the exact thickness you
like them. If I’m going to grill chops, I like a nice 1 ½ to 2 inch thick chop. That helps keep me from over cooking the chops. If I’m making breakfast chops or going to bread them and pan fry them like my mother used to do, then I can cut thin chops. In fact, if I start with a whole boneless loin, I can get four, two-inch thick chops, about 12 thin breakfast chops and still have about a 2 pound loin roast left for the crock pot and Sunday lunch after church. Give it a try sometime. You’ll find you can get the pork your family wants, and save money at the same time. •
President - continued from page 5 Halle, Adylin, Brylea and Ava. Jeff Mencke likes to say tomorrow’s problems have tomorrow’s solutions and you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. Those sayings ring true in this industry. I like to say you can delegate authority but not responsibility and you’ll never meet an activist in a fox hole. So that’s me. I will do my best to represent our farmers and the entire industry. I thank you for allowing me to serve you as the president of the okPORK Board of Directors. • • 27