Many farm veterinarians (and allied professionals) are looking to build knowledge and confidence talking to their clients about sustainability, so they can approach difficult conversations with an evidence based approach. “A Veterinary Approach to Sustainable Food and Farming”, our online course in partnership with Vet Sustain, is designed to do just that; empowering veterinary professionals to unlock their unique toolbox of skills and knowledge to help producers attain multiple sustainability objectives.
With our May 2025 cohort open for pre-order, VetSalus spoke with some previous participants to understand how they found their learning experience, and what impact this has had on their approach to sustainability conversations with their clients.
Rebecca Cavill, vet and director at Torch Farm Vets in Devon, United Kingdom, has completed the course content and is currently working on her final assignment.
Rebecca first heard about the course through the VetSalus newsletter. We asked Rebecca what her learning objectives for taking the course were:
I wanted to increase my base knowledge of sustainable farming, and know how and where to get involved as a vet.
The course is broken up into ten modules covering a range of topics from ‘The Role of Veterinary Professionals in Sustainability’, ‘Farming Systems of the World’ to ‘Driving Change’. The modules take participants on a journey through the topics, understanding the issues we face and learning how to approach them. Alongside the course we invite participants to engage in discussion forums, join a cohort Whatsapp group and attend live meetings with their fellow participants.
We asked Rebecca about the overall course experience and how she found it:
The course has given me confidence to have conversations regarding grazing, regeneration and soil health.
There are no specific prerequisites for taking the course which is designed to fit around a busy work and life schedule. The course is specifically designed for veterinarians and paraprofessionals working with production animals with examples and case studies from around the world.
We asked Rebecca if the course had improved her understanding of (and ability to) practise sustainably
Yes, I am now looking at what we do well as a practice and what we could do differently, with the potential of giving alternative advice on farm.
Thank you to Rebecca for taking the time to discuss her course experience. To find out more about the course itself, please visit our website. Our next cohort is open for pre-order now, and will close on 6th May 2025.