Three years on from the release of the Veterinary Book for Cattle Farmers, author Cathy Thompson says she still gets feedback from farmers telling her how useful the book is in their farm business.
It is a practical guide to help farmers deal with common issues seen in cattle farming.
The 365-page book features more than 800 colour photographs and has been sponsored and sold by Shoof Direct.
Thompson says often it’s the wives or mothers who have bought the book – only for their husband or partner to borrow it and keep it for themselves.
“A farmer wanted a book for herself and thought Father’s Day was a good excuse to buy a copy. Her husband hasn’t given it back yet,” Thompson says.
Shoof Direct has put a tongue-in-cheek warning in their website book description: “WARNING: This is the real world of veterinary procedures. Definitely not suitable material for children or townies. Not suitable for the coffee table, but essential for the real dairy or beef farmer to have on hand.”
A warning like that for a book guarantees that it’s going to be the real deal. The book is also more first aid-oriented.
Thompson says the book’s advice can also help those who may lack the physical strength to complete certain tasks on the farm.
“It helps to be strong but brute strength isn’t needed if you use the tips in the book.”
The book is based on her previous book, the Practical Guide for Cattle Veterinarians, which she wrote after retiring as a veterinarian in Taranaki in 2017.
Although written for the vet industry, the book’s emphasis on practicality came to be greatly appreciated by farmers. This inspired her to completely rewrite the book and create a book specifically for farmers.
Her book is not just a “how-to”; its practical information is interspersed with stories from her own on-farm experiences.
“Farmers love stories. They know what you do on their farm, but don’t realise the things you get up to on other farms. Especially some of the strange things you end up doing like climbing down cliffs and wells, and being chased by cows,” she says.
“When I was working as a vet I’d sometimes be at a property for quite some time and you usually end up telling stories of the jobs and the situations you’ve encountered. The farmers always seemed fascinated, so I thought they’d probably enjoy reading about some of the weird and wonderful experiences I’ve had on farms.
“Some farmers, hearing the stories, said I should write a book – so here it is.”
She feels that the stories help make the books relatable. Some vets told her that they went through her first vet book and read the stories first.
Thompson says she has enjoyed writing the books, which are aimed at helping farmers learn more about what they’re doing on the farm, how to do it, and look for things that need attention sooner rather than later.
This article first appeared in our sister publication, Dairy Farmer.
