KS214 ROHLEDER VETERINARY SERVICE, P.A.: SERVING RURAL KANSAS FOOD ANIMAL PRODUCERS

Goals for Grant Title: KS214 Rohleder Veterinary Service, P.A.: Serving Rural Kansas Food Animal Producers are (1) continue providing services that are effective and efficient to our current producers while adding new, sustainable producers. (2) Provide education to producers on herd management, preventative health care, nutrition, and safe food supply; Provide exposure to students in grades 11 and 12 to educational and career opportunities in food/large animal medicine and herd health management; Provide information to the general public concerning food animal production and a safe, nutritious and secure food supply (3) Recruit and retain a Food Animal Veterinarian.Measuring the success of our objectives over the three-year period will be accomplished by using software to track processing, pregnancy checks, breeding soundness exams, and new clients. Our goal is to increase these numbers by 5% annually.We will measure the impact of educating our producers on herd management, preventive health care and nutrition by comparing the number of antibiotics sold versus the number of vaccines and dewormers sold annually. If there is an increase in vaccines and dewormers sold, we will be achieving our goal. Additionally, we will track the amount of mineral sold throughout the year to evaluate if education is having an impact on the nutrition of the animals. We would like to see an increase in 5% annually in the areas of preventative health care and nutrition. We will measure the attendance at the annual Producer's Meeting and expect to see a growth of 5% in attendance annually.Outreach and Education will be measured by number of attendees at our educational events. Recruitment begins early by providing educational opportunities to Junior and Senior High School Students. We will host a "Future Rural Food Animal Veterinarians of Kansas Day" at the clinic which will involve discussions about Food Animal veterinary careers, the role veterinarians play in keeping America's food supply safe, and demonstrations of pregnancy checking, a breeding soundness exam, vaccinations and deworming. We will interact with the local 4-H and FFA groups by offering to be speakers at their meetings. We will offer meetings to our producers and provide information on herd management, vaccines protocols, antibiotics and demonstrations of our new mobile equipment. Local media will be invited to attend these events so they can inform the general public about the important role that local producers and Food Animal Veterinarians play in the economy and the safety of our nation's food supply. Our goal is to increase attendance at these events by 5% annually.Our final objective of hiring a new associate will be measured by how many applicants we have, and, most importantly, if we are able to fill the position.