Winning the Cream Awards Young Dairy Vet award in 2023 was a real surprise to me and a fantastic honour. I was simply enjoying my work as a farm vet and had never considered nominations for industry awards, let alone reaching the final.
It is testament to the support of colleagues at Synergy Farm Health and our clients that I was nominated, and the hospitality and enthusiasm from organisers at the Cream Awards and British Dairying made it such a memorable night.
The six months since then have flown by and seen some changes in my day-to-day work, including developing the support I am able to offer dairy clients.
The weather before Christmas had significant impacts on areas such as maize harvest or subsequent tasks of prepping fields and drilling grass and wheat. When discussing the effects of the often-frustrating weather, farmers tend to agree that it sorts itself out in the end, but I have seen how stressful and frustrating it can be on farm in the meantime. I am grateful that there are some fantastic support networks available in the industry for farmers who are struggling to cope. Floods came up so quickly during one TB test that I had to abandon my van on farm. I had also been testing in socks in a foot of water after losing wellies in the mud… And now thankfully we are beginning to look ahead to Spring and turnout!
Over the last year, there have been three substantial changes that have enhanced the support I can offer clients. I have developed new skills in data analysis; now act as an advisor for the bovine TB Advisory Service (TBAS); and also, the government-funded Animal Health and Welfare Pathway has opened up new avenues for client engagement on health, welfare and productivity.
Dairy farms generate huge amounts of data, often involving cost and effort. Improving my own skills has enabled me to turn raw data into meaningful reports and supporting evidence for making (sometimes large) changes on farm. When asked by a client about a particular topic, I am now much better equipped to look at the farm’s data and give an answer that is evidence-based. Sometimes the problem and/or solution is quite different to the one we initially guess at. We also take good performance for granted, and it’s always rewarding to show a client a trend in the right direction that has gone unnoticed and deserves credit!
The ongoing mission to eradicate TB is never far from anyone’s mind. However, through TBAS visits I have discovered that I can offer advice that leaves farmers feeling more in control. TBAS visits assess risks to the farm and help clients focus on areas that haven’t received much attention and reveal TB risks that were previously unnoticed. TB can be frustrating for vets as well as farmers, and knowing we have taken back some control and are being proactive is always satisfying.
Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP) grants are also popular with dairy farmers. I have used the funding for nutritional profiles, mastitis pattern analysis and infectious disease screening. Again, all this work has been proactive rather than reactive and helps steer farms towards fixing problems before they start having a major impact.
In my spare time, I have been studying for a masters in Sustainable and Efficient Production. Sustainability may be a difficult subject for many, but it has been rewarding to see so much research and interest going into farming and navigating it through changing expectations. Much of this knowledge involves tweaking day-to-day animal management, which can have big impacts, as much as future technologies and practices. One of the highlights for me is appreciating how much UK farming already does to be efficient and productive and how much it has to offer in terms of solutions. The course has also been useful when discussing sustainability with those outside farming and confidently promoting so much of what we do every day in the farming industry.
The Cream Awards was an incredible event, showcasing the talent and achievements of a fantastic industry and celebrating farming in such a positive light. I was delighted to be a part of it. I never expected to be nominated or to win, but it was an unbelievable experience. I also had a chance to reflect on how much learning happens in a just a few years and how many people have contributed to my career so far. It was also a chance to thank the team I have been a part of for these years and to recognise their time and hard work in supporting young vets at the practice.
I would encourage all young vets in dairy work to enter the competition. I have been so motivated by being part of celebrating the British dairy industry and gained a huge amount of confidence. I look forward to embracing whatever challenges the future brings.
Written By Tom Warboys, BVetMed PGDipVCP MRCVS, Dairy Magazine
