Continued from Page 1
For the Love of Pigs
When she started working at the sow farm, she had no idea where her food came from. As she learned more and more about the industry, she says she was simply amazed by it.
“Everyone I worked with cared so much about what they did and the animals they raised,” she says. “The people in agriculture are so different than other people. It’s hard to explain – they are just genuine.”
She continued to complete her college vet tech degree while working for Heimerl Farms. After she finished her internship at a vet clinic, the clinic offered her a job. She worked at the clinic and Heimerl Farms until she was offered a position as a gilt multiplication director at the farm. She oversaw 50,000 pigs and traveled throughout Ohio.
“She always made meetings fun and entertaining,” Heimerl says. “Our growers liked Gracee and enjoyed her visits to their farms. Her personality was her greatest asset. She was always a willing participant in whatever we were doing, and never hesitated to put her two cents worth in.”
Years later, when an opportunity came her way to manage the Ohio State University swine farm, Workman says she couldn’t pass up the chance to share a little of her knowledge and passion to other aspiring agriculturists while overseeing the college’s swine operation.
Her unique combination of commercial industry experience and passion is obvious in every project she takes on, says Sheila Jacobi, assistant professor of swine nutrition and immunology at Ohio State University. She also brings relatability because many students in animal sciences do not come from an agriculture background.
“Students often come to animal sciences with the goal of being a small animal veterinarian, but there are a lot of great opportunities to work with animals in food-animal production. Finding ways to relate to students who do not come from an agriculture background is a huge asset to teaching students about feeding the world,” Jacobi says. “Gracee knows this path because it is one she has traveled and there is no better teacher than someone who knows firsthand because they have traveled that path. “
Workman says it’s exciting to see students take her up on her invitation to check out the swine barn and discover what pig farming is all about.
“I’ve been there,” she says. “I can relate to how they feel – of not knowing how it all connects.”
The industry is facing a labor challenge and young leaders like Workman are needed to share these career paths.
In addition to working with students at the farm, she oversees everyday care of the pigs, farrowing, breeding and gestation. She also works with the researchers and vet students who conduct research on pigs at the farm.
Workman has also taken on many facility improvements, from improving the teaching arena at the farm for student classes to helping Jacobi develop an area of the farm to do neonatal pig nutrition research in a more controlled environment.
“The wheels can turn slow in these projects, but her perseverance has allowed for changes and improvements to occur in the year since she started. There is no task she has not met head on with the goal of improving workability of the farm for the students, staff and faculty that utilize the facility,” Jacobi adds.
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
Growing up, Workman was often judged by the actions of her addict parents. In fact, kids were rarely allowed to hang out with her because of who her parents were. She hopes her story helps people see the value of giving others a chance before making assumptions.
“Overcoming obstacles in her life, Gracee kept pushing herself to learn and make herself and her situation better,” Heimerl says. “We always look for young energetic people that may want a career in hog production, so she was a perfect fit for us. At the time she began working for our farm, we had no idea that she would be a long-time employee and grow into an exceptional young woman in the process.”
Despite everything she has overcome, Workman still struggles to get through tough times. She reminds herself that “everything could be worse” and believes things happen for a reason.
“I don’t understand why one thing after another has happened in my life,” she says. “I don’t have the parents other kids have. I don’t have the support system other people have. I’ve never had a home like other kids had. I think we all struggle with our own situation. What got me through is knowing that good times are coming, but bad things will happen again, too. That is just life.”
Her “why” has become apparent over the years. She knows why she is here. She knows life is about finding the good things and focusing on those things. Every night before she goes to bed, she stops to think about the positive things that have happened in her day, even if they are tiny.
“A lot of people go through things that aren’t fair and people don’t understand why they have to go through those things,” she says. “But I think if you fight hard mentally and take care of yourself, it helps. You must keep on because life is beautiful. You just have to find it.”
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
The Night the Fire Took the Farm
When the Unexpected Knocks: How Cancer Gave Audrey Angus Perspective
San Antonio Barrow Show Winner Captures Hearts and Breaks Records
