Highlighting Holistic Veterinarian Laura Wilant Willenbring

A major shift for the veterinary profession would be abandoning the egocentric concept of “control over” and instead embracing the idea of “partnership with.”

Laura Wilant Willenbring is a holistic veterinarian who, along with her husband Matthew, has transformed their family farm in Minnesota, USA to being regenerative. Her work on Forgotten Flavors farm is influenced by traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and is driven by the interconnectedness of soil-plant-animal-human health and wellbeing.

What has motivated you to make the planet a stakeholder to your work?

Awestruck admiration that all of the challenges in the human world can be solved by utilizing natural laws and principles…and then realizing the planet will exist beyond us in some form. For the sake of the inheritance from previous generations, and the reverence for the generations to come, having the planet as a stakeholder in my work is non-negotiable. The decisions I make need to be reflective of this longevity beyond whatever problem I’m looking to solve in the moment. With every action having a reaction or response, I need to be mindful of that impact.

We are facing repercussions and industries are continuing to make decisions with lasting negative consequences. Individuals are disengaged from the impact of their choices and feel they don’t have an ability to change policy and industry practices due to reasons which have profits over people in mind. If we each chose intentionally, actively and not on autopilot, I believe there would be a huge shift. There is no harm with me returning to natural law and principles and recognizing there are some systems that don’t need to be improved.

How do you feel the veterinary profession will be affected by climate change in the coming years?

I believe the formal veterinary professional has already deeply felt the effects of antibiotic resistance, evidence-based prescription, and the impact of drug residues in the food animal production chain. There is growing awareness of the environmental impact of concentrated animal feeding operations, where a majority of the conventional commercial animal meats originate. The American Veterinary Medical Association has taken a formal stance on antimicrobial stewardship, and has been at the policy tables discussing actions forward.

The way we manage the interactions between the soil, plants and animals is often the origin of many public health problems. From the contamination of fruits and vegetables grown downstream from animal operations, to antimicrobial drug resistance due to over-prescription, to a lack of diversity in our own gut biome which creates issues with nutritional absorption of foods, all of these have origins with soil-plant-animal interactions. I also see the veterinary profession taking an active role in modeling how optimal nutrition affects animal performance, and the positive role animals play in the ecology of grassland management, prairie regeneration and the cycling of carbon and nitrogen along with plant-soil health.

How might veterinary science help in the green shift?

Veterinarians are at the forefront of OneHealth, the acknowledgement that humans, animals, plants, soil and supporting ecosystems are inextricably linked and there is a need for collaborative, multi-disciplinary health efforts on a global scale. The foundational element of the green shift is recognizing the importance of community, interconnectedness and the need for shared resources and information. Veterinary teams are part of local, state, provincial, national, and international organizations building this interconnected network designed to share data that was previously siloed. It’s the recognition of the synergistic effect of information shared amongst a variety of stakeholders, industries, professions and creative experts. We are all contributing to the cause going forward.

How might it adapt its mindset to bring the planet into operations?

I believe a major shift for the veterinary profession would be abandoning the egocentric concept of “control over” and instead embracing the idea of “partnership with.” There is depth to integrative and indigenous medicines and holistic herd/flock management practices that often come in conflict with the industrialized, efficiency-driven and capitalist paradigm. Taking a simple step back and looking at the human-animal bond and the role nutrition plays in wellness and normal physiological systems are just some of the ways I see the veterinary profession bringing the planet back into its operations. That may mean our focus shifts from reactive to preventative medicine, encouraging wellness and addressing issues before they become deep-seated in the tissues. It may also mean transitioning the responsibility of wellness for animals to also having responsibility for the wellness of the ground they roam on.

Regenerative farming at Forgotten Flavors Farm includes short-duration grazing and a focus on soil-plant-animal health. Photo by Laura Wilant Willenbring.

Can you give some examples of this with your work on the farm?

Integrating Earth-focused concepts as a farm veterinarian at Forgotten Flavors has looked like a couple of things. When there’s a need for therapeutics, I’ll utilize acupuncture and food therapy-based concepts in addition to responsibly-sourced veterinary herbals. As a majority of the animals on the farm are food animals, the utilization of these practices eliminate antimicrobial residues on the pastureland, eliminate product waste with withdrawal times, and eliminate possible wildlife exposure to drugs. When the use of pharmaceuticals is necessary for animal welfare or according to the type of infection we’re treating, these animals will be placed in our on-farm treatment space where we can add music therapy, customize their diets with pre and probiotics, and ensure biosecurity containment and controlled compost-based disposal of in-contact materials. This ensures our carbon cycling is in alignment with degradation times and eliminates the negative effects that chemicals can have on the soil microbial life.

A major overarching concept we carry at Forgotten Flavors is to support the animals in optimized health, which minimizes or eliminates the need for synthetic interventions. We keep low-stress environments and small numbers in the flocks and herds, utilize short-duration grazing which allows the animals to achieve optimal nutrition without overtaxing the plants and depleting the soils. Holistic and integrated veterinary medicine includes daily management practices, focused nutrition, and attention to animal system balance. We are all connected–the health of the soil influences the health of the plants, which influences the health of the animals. Making decisions based on this interconnectedness and recognizing the body has such capacity for healing and health is paramount to our integrated veterinary practices.

What is your advice to someone wanting to start bringing the planet into their work?

I’d say the first thing is recognizing that you are part of the planet. We need to allow ourselves to connect with the Earth in order to grow forward. A lot of the things that optimize humans are ones which cycle with the planet: time for rest and sleep, being creative and time for expression, having seasons of stillness, intention, growth and harvest, as well as making time for community, whole foods and sunshine. If we begin to take care of ourselves in this capacity, I believe we’d see the pandemic of preventable diseases diminish, and people would recognize that chasing money and disease-invested capitalism doesn’t offer health and wellness. People would have the capacity to engage authentically with the world rather than be distracted by the stuff of it.

In formal work environments, I recommend asking questions regarding the status quo: approach the HR department about wellness needs and programming at work, express interest for the cafeteria to support local, seasonal markets, and encourage sustainability in practices for electrical and consumable usage at the office. Everything adds up!

What would you like to see happen in the coming years- what is your wish list for climate action?

I love this question because as a consumer, what I wish for is a decrease in options. I don’t need the middle part of the grocery store full of elaborately packaged, processed, dyed, hyper-sugared food. I’d love to see the eating paradigm to shift to local farmer’s markets, widening the space on the edges of the grocery store with local, seasonal, and culturally reflective produce. Whole foods over processed. Recycling systems optimized and integrated into current packaging markets, so they have a longevity through use and reuse. Transition back to using glass over plastics. Truly biodegradable materials for the packaging of consumables. Up-cycling and clothing re-fabricated into wearables or other textiles.

I’d like to see drastic and dramatic change in American Farm policies through decreasing the subsidy of GMOs and decreasing the subsidies for the mono-cropping practices of corn, soybeans and sugar beets. I’d love to see the implementation of perennial pasture systems, integrated cropping and pasture-grazing our food-producing animals. I’d like to see the elimination of uncovered farmland through intentional interplanting which covers open soils with plants.

Finally, I’d love to see more people inspired and engaged in making choices that support climate action. More people encouraging public transportation, bike-greenway systems in the cities, voting with their food dollar, getting involved with local farms and food systems, and utilizing holistic health and wellness practices. People using their gifts and talents with Mother Gaia in mind.

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Laura Wilant Willenbring can be found through the Forgotten Flavors Farm website, and Instagram account.

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This article was first published on the Hive Initiative Medium account.