CALF_News_August_September_2019

33 CALF News • August | September 2019 • www.calfnews.net Officials say the veterinary school will address the hundreds of applicants who are leaving Texas for a more costly education.“From the onset of this discussion, the School of Veterinary Medicine has been about addressing a need for the state and especially for rural Texas and the livestock commu- nity,” says Lawrence Schovanec, Texas Tech president.“Amarillo is the optimal location to have that school.” Many feedyard operators see strong benefits of the new veterinary school. One is Paul Defoor, co-CEO of Cactus Feeders, the nation’s biggest cattle com- pany, headquartered in Amarillo. “It’s a great accomplishment and a great outcome for those of us in the Texas Panhandle and inTexas agriculture,” he says.“It’s particularly great for students seeking access to veterinary training.” Defoor holds a doctorate in animal nutrition from Texas Tech, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech and an MBA fromWTAMU. He sees the value of a new state veterinary school over and above just graduating the next round of veterinarians. We Bring Information and Management Together! For more information email sales@turnkeynet.com , or call (800) 999-0049. Turnkey Computer Systems, LLC . 6117 Amarillo Blvd. West . Amarillo, Texas 79106 . Phone: (806) 372-1200 www.turnkeynet.com T he Turnkey Visual Management System is a decision support and analysis tool for feedyard management. INTRODUCING THE VISUAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FROM TURNKEY • Decision Support • Buyer Analysis • Vet/Feed Statistics • Customer Management • Customized Data Views • Multi-Yard Comparison • Customized Data Alerts • Scheduled Reporting “For us at Cactus, it’s really about developing leaders in animal agriculture who understand the science behind their decisions, and have a comprehensive understanding of the impact on food pro- duction, food safety and animal wellbeing. “I have a Ph.D. in animal nutrition. While today I don’t practice it, I have certainly used that foundation to lead the company.” Defoor adds that since the Amarillo area is “the epicenter of livestock pro- duction in the U.S.,” there will be many benefactors from the new Texas Tech veterinary school. “Ag students at WTAMU will have additional access to vet school training,” he says.“Surrounding communities that depend on agriculture for their wellbeing and the entire Texas Panhandle will ben- efit from this new educational facility.” Pete Bonds, a Saginaw, Texas, rancher and former president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Associa- tion, had this comment in a March edi- torial in the Fort Worth Star Telegram: “For a state as big as Texas, which leads the nation in cattle production, it only makes sense to add a second veterinary school to support our growing demands.” While Texas Tech is ready to begin construction of the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in College Station is expand- ing into the Panhandle with two major veterinary-related programs. Being built in Canyon, the construc- tion involves a new 22,000-square-foot Veterinary Education, Research Facil- ity and the 11,000-square-foot Texas A&MVeterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. Some of the nation’s finest veterinar- ians are part of the WTAMU faculty. Amarillo has always housed the diagnos- tic lab, and the new facility will expand its capabilities to closer serve students and the WTAMU faculty. So whether it’s through the WTAMU training facilities or the new Texas Tech school, the future looks bright for poten- tial veterinary students in the Panhandle and Southern Plains regions. It’s a win-win for feedyards, ranchers and all regional agriculture. 