Dr. Ed

Dr. Ed grew up in Linwood, Ontario and has always had an interest in agriculture and livestock production. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2016 before joining the South West Vets team in Stratford.  Ed’s professional interests in the health management of swine have led him to many opportunities across North America; experiences that allow him to bring a fresh and diverse perspective both to farmers and colleagues. Ed lives with his wife and young daughter on a small farm in Wellington County where they grow corn, soybeans, wheat and barley.

Since making the decision to place his professional focus on swine, Ed hasn’t looked back. “My job as a veterinarian is to help the producers I serve achieve their goals. First and foremost, that goal number one would be to produce healthy pigs. That can reach far beyond what would be a traditional pig doctor. That could include anything from ensuring that the pigs, when they’re on trucks, are trucked safely. That could include anything from auditing farms to ensure that they comply with the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, or it could include things like auditing their washing and disinfecting of trucks and barns and equipment to reduce disease on the farm.”

Ed is also a validator for the Canadian Pork Excellence program, performing annual farm validations to ensure they are meeting or exceeding the high standards set by the program. “One thing I think the Ontario pork industry does well in terms of quality of care is focus on the health of the animals. And that encompasses more than just the health while the animals are on the farm, but also how those animals are moved in and out of the farm as well.

“An aspect of continuous improvement in the pork industry that consumers should be aware of is the focus on research and ensuring that we are raising pigs with the absolute best practices we can,” says Ed.  “And, if I could tell consumers one thing about hog production in Ontario, it would be a story about families. Entrepreneurial farm families whose livelihood is based on producing pork for all of us to eat.”

Dr. Ed’s favourite way to enjoy pork is a smoked pork shoulder, and with his insider knowledge of local pork, a second serving is an easy call.