Bridging the gap and connecting the dots to engage with consumers are vital, especially now that more and more consumers are removed from agriculture and are curious about how food is produced and how animals are cared for.
Earlier this month, Stensland Family Farm, located outside of Larchwood, Iowa, opened its barn doors to host fourth-year medical students, allowing them to learn more about dairy’s farm-to-table story. This unique tour was a request by Dr. Susan Anderson, Executive Dean and Dean of Rural Medicine for the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and spearheaded by Midwest Dairy, which understands that health professionals, including physicians, are trusted resources when it comes to food and nutrition.
“Today’s consumers want to know more about where their food comes from and how it was produced, as well as its impact on the environment,” says Whitney Blindert, manager of programs and partnership with Midwest Dairy. “So, we find it valuable to connect with current and future health professionals and provide them with a dairy farm experience, so that they can see things firsthand and feel confident in answering questions they may get about dairy.”
For the last several years, the South Dakota One Health group has held working meetings that bring together veterinarians, human health professionals, health and agricultural educators, regulatory officials, industry stakeholders and livestock producers to discuss the issue of zoonotic disease. A direct result of the South Dakota One Health working group meetings birthed the idea for a One Health elective for medical students, which was first offered in 2020. “One Health stresses the linkages between human, animal and environmental health,” says Dr. Susan Anderson, Executive Dean/Dean of Rural Medicine at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. “Particularly in a rural state, students need to be prepared to prevent, diagnose and treat zoonotic disease.”
The One Health elective has a variety of objectives, including having students develop an educational intervention for human or animal health providers, or livestock producers. Furthermore, each student is required to write at least one paper addressing the above objective. “The medical students are very excited about the One Health elective,” Dr. Anderson says. “Increased understanding of the relationships between animal and human health will result in better health outcomes for all.”
As a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Conner Fullerton says his experience at Stensland Family Farms has allowed him the opportunity to educate patients on the high standards of care local dairy farmers take regarding processing and handling of their food products, as well as the quality control measures taken to ensure the safety of food products. “I was impressed with the level of care that is provided regarding living conditions, safe and efficient milking practices, and individual health assessments of their animals,” he says.
