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Many U.S. farmers in rural areas have little or no access to veterinarians.
America has lost 90 percent of its large animal veterinarians since 1945. This mass exit of doctors from livestock practice has left many of our farmers without critical access to vet care.
Every decision on the farm matters when you have a legacy to uphold. Bruce Mershon feels the weight of this; he manages a century farm that has been in his family since 1865.
Mershon Cattle, LLC is a growing cow, calf operation that retains ownership from birth to harvest. Mershon and his wife, Tracey Mershon, oversee about five to six thousand heads a year and breed about 80 percent of their heifers.
Over the last decade, they have expanded their operations to ten different counties in Missouri.
“Love seeing those calves come out as newborns and what they turn into," Mershon said. “You don’t get up at 3 o’clock in the morning to come and check ‘em if you’re not concerned and you’re not invested."
A lot has to go right for the return on that investment. That is why the current, and any, calving season has such high stakes. One heifer is worth between $3,200 and $3,800.
“Can be overwhelming at times,” Mershon said. “Every time you lose one, you know, you lose a little piece of yourself, right, that you’ve invested in ‘em.”
Years of experience have given Mershon the expertise, but life has been known to throw a few curveballs. His team of emergency veterinarians are always on speed dial, if they are available, that is.
“They’re busy because there’s not an overabundance,” Mershon said. “Those veterinarians that we have a relationship with can give us counsel and advice — are critical for us to get better and better.”
According to the USDA, three big factors account for the large animal vet shortage.
- The salary disparity between companion animal and large animal vets
- The burnout and safety concerns that come with handling livestock
- The cost of veterinary school
“Yeah, it’s expensive. And I’m an in-state student,” said Kansas State University’s third-year veterinary student, Caleb Hidebrand.
Hildebrand pledged to work with livestock after graduation in rural Kansas — any county with less than 30,000 people.
“I enjoy the people, love to be around the producers and that style of life,” Hildebrand said.
It is a dream made possible through K-State’s Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas, which began around 2007. Students who qualify receive up to $25,000 every year during vet school. It is a scholarship, in the form of a loan, that is repaid as they practice in rural Kansas.
“Since that program’s inception, we’ve had between five and seven students per year that have received that scholarship, and about 90 percent of them are still in areas of rural practice serving Kansas,” said Dr. Brad White, professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences. “Many of them have transitioned into practice ownership, have developed roots in those communities, and they are staying there.”
Kansas State University also offers what is called the Food Animal Veterinary Certificate. While it offers no monetary contributions, it provides opportunities for students to hone their technical and communication skills.
“They take a specific set of elective classes. It doesn’t cost them anymore through their education, but students that complete that program are ready to start into food animal practice the day they graduate from veterinary school,” White said.
Dr. White says the number of applications for K-State’s vet school has gone up, and about a third of their current students are interested in mixed and food animal science. The university has kept their tuition static, which helps with the financial burden on students.
It is his job to foster that interest and equip them for the industry.
We want the veterinarian to be successful because the producer is successful, which makes the veterinarian successful. That's what makes it long-term,” White said.
Efforts to recruit large animal vets go beyond academia. At least ten states have enacted legislation in the last five years to address the shortage. There are also scholarships, grants and loan repayment programs through the federal government.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
- Administered by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- The program accepts about 46% of applications, roughly 70 of the 150 applications received yearly
- Selected applicants can receive up to $25,000 annually (through quarterly payments) toward student loan repayment
- Repayment in exchange for a three-year commitment to working in a designated shortage area
Veterinary Services Grant Program
- EET grants are issued for three-year periods, provide up to $250,000 for American Veterinary Medical Association schools to expand programs that provide veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians with specialized skills and practices
- RPE grants are also issued for three years, providing direct financial support of up to $125,000 to veterinary clinics and practices to purchase equipment for food animal veterinary services in designated shortage areas
American livestock farms brought in nearly $250 billion in the calendar year of 2023. With an impact this big on the U.S. economy, there is no effort too small.
“It’s absolutely critical,” Mershon said.
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