Urbana artist David Greenlee drew the illustration for the cover of Dr. Don Sanders’ new book about his 50 years as a country vet, which is available for order.
Don “Doc” Sanders knows cows from every angle, inside and out. Even from under a fallen cow, as depicted below in an illustration from his newly published book, Beyond the Barn. This, his eleventh book, offers a mix of humorous and poignant recollections from his far-flung 50-year career as a large animal veterinarian.
On most days, Doc Sanders has managed to stay atop his profession:
- On Friday, August 4, the Ohio Agricultural Council inducted him into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame – in recognition of his professional contributions to agriculture. (Check out the video about Don’s career, produced by the Ohio Agricultural Council, at the end of this post.)
- Bovine Veterinarian Magazine once included him in a list of 20 of the most influential beef and dairy veterinarians.
- He was president of the Society for Theriogenology, a national organization of veterinarians, who like him, are board-certified in reproductive medicine.
- He’s served on the respected Council for Agriculture, Science and Technology, which provides unbiased, science-based information about food and agriculture to policymakers, the media, the private sector and the public.
If you want the whole story about how Doc ended up like this, order his book.
After growing up with three brothers on the Sanders family farm in Waynesfield, Ohio, Doc went on to college and the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. There he met Judy Sauerbrei, who, after some persistence on Doc’s part, became his vet school sweetheart. Before graduation, they married, and boldly dove together into life and veterinary practice.
They started out in a storefront office in Urbana, Ohio. Dr. Judy cared for small animals, and Doc, large animals. Eventually, on the edge of town, they designed and built, for efficiency’s sake, a round veterinary clinic. Their Urbana Veterinary Clinic gained national recognition for the unique design and the quality of its veterinary care.
Doc and Dr. Judy practiced together for more than 40 years, until her passing in 2011.
Through the years, Doc extended the range of his practice, from farm calls in the immediate area, to across the state, and then nation. And eventually around the world.
Spreading His Knowledge Beyond the Barn
He served as a dairy consultant to the World Bank and has trained veterinarians and farm managers in China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Nicaragua. He’s helped them feed their neighbors more efficiently and treat their animals humanely.
He’s further shared the breadth and depth of his knowledge in farm animal health and management through the written word. Which is where I came into the picture. I’m grateful he’s asked me to edit several of his books, including Beyond the Barn. Most of his books are practical guides on food animal health and management, some for 4-Hers. (By the way, for many years Doc served as the official veterinarian of the Champaign County Fair.)
Doc’s most widely published and translated volume is Milk Them for All Their Worth! (which is not, as he often jokes, a how-to for lawyers or church stewardship committees). He’s also written columns in agricultural publications like Ohio’s Country Journal. He was a regular on the Our Ohio public television show and Down the Road TV, and is co-host of Beyond the Barn, on Ready-FM 105.1.
Plus, for eight years he served as an associate professor for his alma mater, training, mentoring and accompanying fourth-year veterinary medicine students on farm calls.
With all his impressive accomplishments, Doc approaches life with humility, generosity and a strong faith in God (we both attend and serve at Urbana United Methodist Church). And he maintains a mischievous sense of humor, which you’ll get a hardy taste of in Beyond the Barn.
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