July 2025 - Journal FINAL - Flipbook - Page 22
Our Team
DR. BRYAN MYERS
A Partner in Pig Farming
Though Dr. Bryan Myers (Doc) didn’t
grow up on a farm, livestock were part
of his life from a young age. “Most of
my relatives lived on farms,” he says,
“so from about age 昀椀ve or six, I spent a
lot of time around animals.” Back then,
farms were smaller and raised multiple species—dairy,
beef, and swine.
Unlike many vets drawn to companion animals, Myers
was inspired by livestock. “I became a veterinarian
because I enjoyed being around livestock,” he explains.
After earning his DVM in 1988, he worked in a mostly
food-animal practice with dairy, beef, and swine.
What led him to focus on swine was the impact
he could make at the herd level. “Improving feed
ef昀椀ciency or growth rates by a small margin sounds
minor, but across thousands of pigs, it’s a big deal,”
Myers says. His interest in population medicine and
numbers pushed him further into swine health.
About 昀椀ve years into practice, Myers enrolled in the
Executive Veterinary Program in Swine Health and
Production at the University of Illinois. “That program
changed how I approached herd health and working
with producers,” he re昀氀ects.
Adapting to Change
Dr. Myers has seen tremendous changes in the pig
industry since he started practicing. “The size of
farms has grown. The way we raise pigs has changed
dramatically,” he said. “But one of the biggest changes
is in expectations—from consumers, from regulators,
even from ourselves.”
Above: Dr. Bryan Myers sits proudly atop his vet truck early in his career.
At right: Surrounded by his family, Myers celebrates two meaningful
milestones—昀椀rst in 1988 with his parents, Bruce and Faye, and wife, Lisa,
on the day he graduated from Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine,
and again in 2025, joined by his wife, children, and parents as the Buchanan
County Pork Council honored him as Master Pork Partner.”
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