Rural Veterinary Workforce Reports Reveal the Shortage is More Than a Recruitment Problem
At first glance, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio shouldn’t have much in common.
Oklahoma’s sprawling cow-calf operations look very different from Maryland’s smaller, increasingly fragmented agricultural landscape. Kansas is home to one of the nation’s largest cattle industries, while Indiana supports a diverse mix of beef, dairy, swine and poultry production. Ohio’s livestock sector has transformed dramatically over the past two decades, with expanding swine and poultry production alongside one of the country’s largest dairy industries.
Yet after four years of veterinary workforce assessments led by Farm Journal Foundation, all five states arrived at many of the same conclusions. The reports consistently identified an aging veterinary workforce, changing agricultural demographics, increasing pressure on rural practices and a growing realization that recruiting veterinarians is only one piece of the puzzle.
By Andrea Bedford
July 31, 2026 10:40 AM
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