Dr. Dettloff’s Vet Workshop Sponsored by Organic Valley:
It seems like my life has been blessed with a succession of positive influential relationships. Such has been the case with my introduction to Jim and Gwen Helfter of Advanced Biological Concepts and Helfter Feeds by Dr. Susan Beal. Over the last year, we have worked together on a phytogenic project for ruminants. Jim and Gwen are very giving people and sold out to higher education for advancing healthy livestock production. So much so that they invited me to co-represent them with Dr. Richard Holliday at the 2009 Veterinary Workshop in Viroqua, Wisconsin hosted by Dr. Paul Dettloff and Organic Valley. Jim and Gwen help to sponsor the workshop. It was a wonderful learning experience and one I would heartily recommend to any grass based operator committed to holistic and organic practices.
The workshop is conducted annually by Organic Valley. Dr. Paul Dettloff, the principal trainer, was a very successful large animal practitioner practicing in a 6-man dairy practice in Wisconsin. In 1967 he had a series of life-changing exposures. A couple of his top dairy accounts quit calling him to their farms. He contacted them to find out if he had offended them in some way. Their response was uniform. He had done nothing to offend them. They just changed their management to holistic practices and subsequently rarely had sick animals. These events triggered his quest of discovery of organic and holistic practices for animal health. Today, he is the principal veterinary counsel for Organic Valley Coop and several other large organic livestock production enterprises. Dr. Dettloff’s voracious appetite for learning and aggressive work ethic have made him a teacher of teachers.
The Veterinary Workshop was spawned by the lack of holistic veterinary practitioners available to the Organic Valley network of producers. It is intended to expose veterinarians and producers to the wealth of knowledge available today through the redigging of old wells of knowledge and uncovering of new ones by pioneers in holistic animal health such as our own Gearld Fry and a host of others past and present. The gamut of topics covered was exhaustive. Thankfully, a reference workbook was included to allow further study on the plethora of information covered in the three day workshop.
Classroom work delved in to virtually every biological system of a ruminant and how factors in genetics and environment affect their health status. Workshops provided hands on exposure to health techniques designed for humane health care and treatment. Alternative health care practices as well as conventional practices were related.
Leaders in the fields of soils, forages, nutrition, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, and a host of other topics were on hand to share their wisdom. The instructors were dedicated, knowledgeable people who were unique in their personality but common in their passion. It was one of those educational experiences that enriched the spirit and the soul of the participants.
Time and space do not allow an adequate expose of the benefit of attending such a workshop. The testimony of one attendee from South Dakota says it best. She was there for the third year and expanded her knowledge with each attendance well beyond the price of admission. I highly recommend the workshop to any livestock producer with a heart dedicated to holistic excellence.
Many thanks go out to Mr. Joe Pedretti, Dr. Dettloff, Heather Dolan, the teaching staff at the workshop and Jim and Gwen Helfter who contributed greatly to the learning process and my capacity to share some words and pictures of this wonderful event.
