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C E L E B R A T I N G
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Y E A R S
DAIRY ST R 25
Volume 25, No. 23
Addressing a shortage of rural veterinarians
“All dairy, all the time”™
January 27, 2024
Extricating his survival
UMN, SDSU collaborate for creative solutions
mand from those interested in pursuing veterinary medicine. Recently, however, universities have begun to add or expand programs. One reason the shortage is greater in rural areas, Molgaard said, By Jan Lefebvre is that incomes for rural jan.l@star-pub.com veterinarians are not as high as those with urban practices. Those pursuST. PAUL, Minn. ing a career in the pro— Across the United fession must be sure their States, there is a shortage income can justify the of veterinarians, espe- cost of veterinary school. cially in rural Dr. Russ America. The Daly, DVM, shortfall has extension vetbeen trending erinarian and for decades, professor in but universities the Veterinary are working and Biomedito address the cal Sciences problem. Department at “The supSouth Dakota ply of vet- Dr. Laura State Univere r i n a r i a n s Molgaard, DVM sity, said the has remained University of rural shortrelatively at, Minnesota ages vary. This whereas the can affect the demand has escalated,” availability of healthsaid Dr. Laura Mol- care services for large gaard, DVM, dean of animals, where shortages the College of Veterinary are greater. Medicine at the “For at University of least the last Minnesota. “It decade or so, is across the there’s been whole eld, a realization and in fact, the that veterimore specialnarians who ized the indipractice foodviduals, the animal or more dramatic mixed-animal the shortage Dr. Russ Daly, medicine in DVM becomes.” some parts of The prob- South Dakota State the area have lem is not due University had trouble to a lack of apnding new plicants. For veterinarians to come instance, the UMN re- into their practices,” ceived around 1,700 ap- Daly said. “Many solo plicants for 125 spots last veterinarians in small year. Instead, the prob- towns are reaching retirelem lies in the number ment age, and a smaller and sizes of programs available. Those have remained roughly the same Turn to VET SHORTAGE and do not meet the de| Page 6
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Marshall and Alyssa Friese stand outside the barn Jan. 5 at Rodash-View near Wanamingo, Minnesota. Marshall recovered aŌer being crushed between a skid loader and the unloader of the mixer June 12, 2023, and is back working on the dairy farm.
Friese back on farm after being crushed between skid loader, mixer By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
WA N A M I N G O , Minn. — Marshall Friese said he thought his life was over when he was pinned between the cab of his skid loader and the unloader of the mixer at his family’s farm near Wanamingo. The morning of June 12, 2023, started as usual with Marshall mixing feed. The mixer was backed into a large feed room, and Marshall was driving a skid loader to load hay. The particular skid loader tended
to creep forward and no longer had safety features. As he was loading, hay was blocking his view of the scale. As he had done in the past, Marshall leaned up and out of the skid loader part way to move the hay out of his sightline. “That day, (the skid loader) decided to creep forward,” Marshall said. “I don’t know if I thought I had time, or if it was revved up more than normal and just moved quicker.” When he was initially trapped, the skid loader was not fully extended so he had room to move. But this ran out as the skid loader creeped forward. Then, Marshall feared for his life as he heard a crunching sound. Turn to FRIESE | Page 2
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Alyssa and Marshall Friese smile at the hospital during the hospitalizaƟon for Marshall’s pseudoaneurysm in July 2023 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. From June 2023 through September 2023, Marshall was admiƩed to the hospital six Ɵmes, where he spent a total of six weeks in surgeries and recovery.