Oklahoma's agricultural past paves pork present
Executive Q&A with Roy Lee Lindsey

"I told them if they were wanting someone to tell them how to raise pigs, you’ve got the wrong guy,” Lindsey recalls.

But what the Oklahoma native excelled at, and what was appealing to him about the position, was working with the organization’s members and dealing with the legislative side of the job.

"I had never thought about working in the pork industry,” he said. But after a friend from Oklahoma State University encouraged him to apply, Lindsey said he found a good fit for his interest in supporting and promoting a segment of the agriculture sector.

"Pork is the most widely consumed protein in the world,” he said, adding that his daily challenge includes everything from food safety to consumer education about where food comes from and helping producers become involved in their communities.

"The challenge for everyone in the agriculture industry is that it’s not considered in the same light as it used to be,” he said.

Lindsey was born in Stillwater, but spent his childhood in Cordell. His father owned a farm equipment business and raised cattle and wheat.

"I grew up around agriculture,” Lindsey said, and early on he became involved with 4-H, the youth organization administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

His early work experience also involved the ag industry: from working as a customer service representative for a farm equipment company in Chicago to a 4-H program coordinator for Cleveland County after returning to Oklahoma. He then finished a previously-started undergraduate degree and then a master’s degree from OSU.

Lindsey was working in Kansas in the same 4-H capacity when he was hired by the pork council’s board of directors.

He recently sat down to talk about his passion for the job that the challenges of his job.

Q: What was your childhood like, and what was the best aspect of living in a smaller community?

A: I have two younger brothers and we spent a great deal of time working in my dad’s farm equipment dealership. From sweeping the floors before we went to school to washing equipment after school, we started working at a young age and that taught us to be willing to work when it was needed and to play when you could.

The best part of living in a smaller community for me was all the opportunities that existed for us. I was able to participate in 4-H, FFA, competitive speech tournaments, school plays, chorus and several other school and community-related activities. In a larger school where you have so many more kids wanting to participate, kids may not have all the opportunities I did.

Q: You mentioned your high school ambition to be a history teacher. What changed your mind?

A: To this day I still love history — especially the Civil War. I remember telling my mother I wanted to be a history teacher when I grew up. Mom was an elementary school teacher and she quickly convinced me that would be a very frustrating profession as most students would not share my love of history and I just would never understand why they didn’t love it like I did.

Q: You have partially completed work on your doctorate. While you aren’t in a position to take any day classes now, is that still a future goal?

A: Ultimately, I would love the opportunity to finish my degree and possibly teach a class or two at a college or university. Experience really is the best teacher, and I have a wide range of experiences that I would love to share with others.

Q: What do you and your family do for fun on the weekends?

A: Mostly, we chase Elizabeth around the house. Entertaining a three-year old little girl is a full-time job. We’ll visit the park or businesses that have a playground or play area for kids and let her have a great time. It is fun to just watch her giggle and smile while she plays. My wife and I both really enjoy cooking and entertaining friends, so having friends over for dinner is always fun.

Q: The latest flu virus, which was publicized in the media as swine flu, has had a negative impact on the pork industry. What irks you most about all the coverage on what is officially known as the H1N1 flu virus?

A: Trying to get media outlets across the country to use the H1N1 name for this new virus has been really frustrating — not just for me but also for pork producers across the country. Unfortunately, the virus was given an incorrect name when it was first discovered.

Both federal and state governments quickly realized the negative impact this incorrect name was having on the pork industry and began using the H1N1 moniker. Many media outlets have either refused to make the change or simply don’t understand the negative impact the name is having on our producers.

The best analogy I heard for this is to consider that there is another person in your home town that has the same name you do. That person gets arrested for robbing the local bank and the newspaper puts your name and your picture in the page one story about the robbery. You didn’t rob the bank, but you certainly got the blame. And months after the robbery, the media continues to use your name and picture, even though the DA’s office has recognized that you’re not the criminal.

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