Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The first and primary target audience is the food animal producer. Our investments in mobile equipment infrastructure and additional veterinary FTEs are purposefully directed to improve this clientele's accessibility to medical services and consultation. Secondly, veterinary interns/externs will benefit through use of the mobile equipment as it provides a safe learning environment for performing examinations, surgeries, and any other treatments requiring proper restraint of the animal. Often our veterinary staff is asked to perform public speaking and/or demonstrations for the local community college, school district, and 4-H program. Increased efficiencies in scheduling and performing food animal services will afford more time to interact with local youth and also provide an opportunity to demonstrate our mobile services. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to promote our large animal services and equipment through electronic media, as well as our veterinary internships through constant communication with local veterinary teaching hospitals. Internal advertising and recommendation from staff seemto be our most productive method for informing the local community of products and services we can offer to food animal producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The mobile equipment purchased with grant funds were not completely operationaluntil late fall of the grant period. The implementation of the portable corral will be a determining factor in improving the safety and efficiency of our on-the-farm services and many of our clients were unaware of the opportunity last fall. We have been advertising this feature as discussed previously as well as discussing with clients while making appointments for both on-site and on-the-farm services. As more people utilize the corral, I imagine additional people will become receptive as well. We will promote our veterinary intern program and continue our high school job shadow program which is currently active again as of August 2024. We lost several staff members during this period so hiring and training new employees is also at the top of our priority list for the fall of 2024.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Since May 2023 we were able to hire two new graduate associate veterinarians; one of which still maintains employment and the other moved for personal reasons leaving the clinic with 4 FTEs at the conclusion of the first grant period. Internships have been less than expected over the first grant year: four students have visited totaling 240 contact hours. Out of office visits (farm calls) for September to August of the year prior to the grant period totaled 428 versus 360 for the first reporting period (September 2023 to August 2024). Portable chute rentals were also slightly down for the first year of reporting versus the prior year (11 versus 14) however the newly purchased portable corral has been used five times and will hopefully be utilized more now since clients are aware of its availability. Despite these lower numbers for out of office services total cattle vaccination numbers were up 13% (26815 vs 30283 for first reporting period). Every year Dr. Robért provides carcass ultrasound for the region's county fairs. These services are charitable in nature and provide contact with 4H youth to discuss raising and marketing beef animals. In the first grant period 12 county fairs were visited, which is an increase from 7 the previous year.

Publications