I am Indiana Agriculture: Bruce Lamb

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family's Life

Bruce Lamb, DVM of Milford, Indiana in Kosciusko County is a 1976 graduate of Purdue University and is also the proud father of four Purdue University graduates.  He and his wife Beth of 38 years live on a farm and raise Registered Angus cattle and hay.  They also have three grandchildren.  Prior to his job with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH), Bruce was a large animal veterinarian at Milford Large Animal Clinic where he also served as co-owner for 27 years, was a consultant for Progressive Pork Concepts for 5 years, and was the owner of Northern Lakes Food Animal Veterinary Service.   For the past 12 years he has worked as field veterinarian in District 2 and is also the Director of the Johne’s Program and Cattle Specialist for BOAH.

 

As Director of the Johne’s Program and Cattle Specialist, Bruce’s job responsibilities include: regulatory issues, including testing and monitoring for regulatory diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, chronic wasting disease, avain influenza, PED virus, and foreign animal diseases.  He also investigates milk and meat drug residue violations, animal welfare and abuse cases, and other investigations.

Bruce didn’t grow up on a farm directly, but he had a close connection.  “We lived 2 miles from my grandparent’s farm and I spent as much time there as possible.  I was a 10-year 4-Her and went to the farm to train and raise my calves for the county fair.  I took a lot of 4-H projects and tried to take advantage of everything the Indiana 4-H program offered.  The 4-H program was also an influence in my career and college choice.  My wife, Beth, grew up on a farm and showed cattle, as did all four of our children.”

“When I was a freshman in high school, my grandfather took me to a career night sponsored by our local veterinary association.  He knew I liked animals and thought I might be interested in going to the meeting.  I loved being on the farm with my grandfather.  He raised beef cattle, hogs, and chickens.  Whenever he worked with the animals, I was there.  After high school graduation, I was fortunate to get accepted to Purdue.  I applied to Veterinary School and the rest is history.”

Not only does Bruce have a love for animals, he also enjoys working with the farmers who raise them.   “I like farm animals.  More importantly, I like helping livestock owners keep their animals healthy and their operations profitable.  I like working with people, especially people involved in agriculture and animal agriculture.  They are genuine and hard working.”

“Society considers veterinarians as credible professionals.  That trust and credibility has given me the opportunity to develop a platform and inform others about the importance of animals and animal products in our diets and in our lives.  There’s a lot of misinformation in the media and I like to do my part to talk about the benefits of animal agriculture.  Agriculture and animal agriculture are more than businesses; they define you and become a way of life.”