There are hundreds of women rockin the swine industry and there is no better place to meet some of these women than during a Swine Link event. Swine Link is a network for women, by women and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, and is focused on women in agriculture and especially women in the swine industry. Several women took on Des Moines, Iowa on July 12-13, 2013 including Dr. Abbey Harding, a swine vet working with Lowe Consulting.

I had a chance to get to know Dr. Harding a bit over the weekend and asked her how she became a swine vet. Like so many other vets, she knew she wanted to be a vet for small animals since she was young, but after working with production animals and enjoying the experience, she shifted gears. She said since joining the swine industry, she has discovered that she really enjoys the travel and working with the people in the industry, including other swine vets.

Dr. Harding said she came to Swine Link through an invitation from Dr. Erin Johnson. She mentioned that the event has been a great experience for her and has really enjoyed getting to know the other women who participated. She said it was also great to put a face to a name, such as Dr. Marie Culhane, with whom she has been corresponding one various swine issues.

She encourages other women to participate in Swine Link and gave a piece of advice for others: “Get out of your comfort zone. Try new things.” Schools are time to take advantage of different opportunities and she encourages women and men alike to try out swine medicine.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Abbey Harding here: Chicks Rockin the Swine Industry

Check out the photos from the event in the Swine Link photo album.