3.5. Perceived benefits of using veterinarians proactively
Some farmers considered that only bad farmers need veterinary help.
3.6. Updating knowledge
When farmers were asked how they updated their knowledge, some older farmers remembered free farm visits with advice on husbandry and grassland management and free post mortem examinations and visits from state veterinarians when disease outbreaks occurred. This advice was still considered useful for current farming (although 30+ years old). Many farmers listed many sources of information (most of them free) including farming magazines, newsletters from farming groups and veterinarians, EBLEX, Moredun, farming shows, animal health suppliers and the internet, also listed by farmers in Wassink et al. (2010a). Most farmers were of the view that there is enough information available to keep them updated. Some, but not all, farmers were sceptical of meetings organised by veterinarians; they were of the view that these meetings are generally sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians could have a biased view