Latest News and Information
June 2021
New and returning team members
We recently expanded our team at Tarn Farm Vets and welcomed back a member of our team who's been away on maternity:
First we are pleased to welcome our new Veterinary Administrator Heather Sowman. She joins us having recently moved from Suffolk where she worked as a qualified nurse and midwife in the NHS.
"I wanted to take my career in a new direction, one that has always interested me" says Heather.
Heather is gaining some experience out on goat farms in Cumbria, but her chief role is supporting our team from the office, saving us all a great deal of time and keeping us all well organised.
We are also glad to welcome back vet Gemma Dobson who has been away on maternity leave. She is already enjoying being back out on farm and reconnecting with clients and meeting new ones. Gemma has rejoined us on a part-time basis and will be helping us providing cover for our expanding practice and TB workloads.
After such a turbulent year or so, it's great to have new blood in the team and have our team grow to make sure we can offer the best care to our clients and their animals.
New and returning team members
We recently expanded our team at Tarn Farm Vets and welcomed back a member of our team who's been away on maternity:
First we are pleased to welcome our new Veterinary Administrator Heather Sowman. She joins us having recently moved from Suffolk where she worked as a qualified nurse and midwife in the NHS.
"I wanted to take my career in a new direction, one that has always interested me" says Heather.
Heather is gaining some experience out on goat farms in Cumbria, but her chief role is supporting our team from the office, saving us all a great deal of time and keeping us all well organised.
We are also glad to welcome back vet Gemma Dobson who has been away on maternity leave. She is already enjoying being back out on farm and reconnecting with clients and meeting new ones. Gemma has rejoined us on a part-time basis and will be helping us providing cover for our expanding practice and TB workloads.
After such a turbulent year or so, it's great to have new blood in the team and have our team grow to make sure we can offer the best care to our clients and their animals.
November 2020
Tarn Farm Vets expands
Our practice based in Shap is expanding and will be offering its services to new clients south to Kendal.
Tarn Farm Vets was launched single-handed by Ben Dustan six years ago. It has proved so successful Ben has now moved the practice into larger premises and is bringing new vets into the business so that he can meet demand.
“It’s a really exciting time being able to expand and take on new work and provide the service we believe in, to more clients,” says Ben.
Tarn Farm Vets is known for its personal service and for only charging farmers for the time the vet spends on the farm; there are no additional call-out fees.
Tarn Farm Vets expands
Our practice based in Shap is expanding and will be offering its services to new clients south to Kendal.
Tarn Farm Vets was launched single-handed by Ben Dustan six years ago. It has proved so successful Ben has now moved the practice into larger premises and is bringing new vets into the business so that he can meet demand.
“It’s a really exciting time being able to expand and take on new work and provide the service we believe in, to more clients,” says Ben.
Tarn Farm Vets is known for its personal service and for only charging farmers for the time the vet spends on the farm; there are no additional call-out fees.
Ben Dustan of Tarn Farm Vets
“When I set up the practice, I didn’t want to be part of another big corporate practice,” explains Ben, who grew up on a dairy farm in Somerset and is also honorary secretary of the Goat Veterinary Society.
“We concentrate on the client-vet relationship and building up that trust. We really value being able to offer the continuity of seeing the same vet time and again.
“We know our farms and we know what’s going on, and we will work with the farmer to get things sorted and move forward.”
Two vets who have worked on a locum basis with Tarn Farm Vets will increase their hours. They are Gemma Chaters from Kendal and Gemma Dobson from Appleby.
In addition, Tarn Farm will be supported by Paragon Veterinary Group’s farm vet team at Newbiggin, including sharing an out-of-hours rota.
“I have worked with the Paragon team over the past couple of years and we are very aligned in our thinking, so this is a natural progression,” said Ben.
“I’m an experienced vet clinician and the Paragon team at Penrith are five very experienced farm vets too. All together this expansion means we have a huge depth of experience and qualifications.”
Tarn Farm Vets began in small premises attached to Ben’s previous home in Shap, when he and his wife Kate launched the business. It has recently moved into bigger premises beside the main street in Shap.
“The practice needed a bigger space,” said Ben. “We have been getting lots of enquiries from existing clients asking, when is the new vet coming on, and we have also been getting enquiries from potential clients in the Kendal area.”
Ben has also recently moved house from Shap to live in Kendal, and says that a Tarn Farm vet will always be in the Kendal area.
He said: “I would encourage any farmers who might be looking for a dedicated farm vet to pick up the phone and have a conversation with us. There’s a lot we could be doing.”
Ben says that although many vet practices have been bought up by big corporate groups, Tarn Farm Vets and Paragon remain proudly independent.
“Every single client, no matter how big or small, is very important to me. They have a hotline to me. If you call Tarn Farm Vets you will speak to one of our vets almost right away. Farmers are not just a number to us, they really are known and valued.”
Ben and Kate have two children George, seven, and Evie 10 months.
“We concentrate on the client-vet relationship and building up that trust. We really value being able to offer the continuity of seeing the same vet time and again.
“We know our farms and we know what’s going on, and we will work with the farmer to get things sorted and move forward.”
Two vets who have worked on a locum basis with Tarn Farm Vets will increase their hours. They are Gemma Chaters from Kendal and Gemma Dobson from Appleby.
In addition, Tarn Farm will be supported by Paragon Veterinary Group’s farm vet team at Newbiggin, including sharing an out-of-hours rota.
“I have worked with the Paragon team over the past couple of years and we are very aligned in our thinking, so this is a natural progression,” said Ben.
“I’m an experienced vet clinician and the Paragon team at Penrith are five very experienced farm vets too. All together this expansion means we have a huge depth of experience and qualifications.”
Tarn Farm Vets began in small premises attached to Ben’s previous home in Shap, when he and his wife Kate launched the business. It has recently moved into bigger premises beside the main street in Shap.
“The practice needed a bigger space,” said Ben. “We have been getting lots of enquiries from existing clients asking, when is the new vet coming on, and we have also been getting enquiries from potential clients in the Kendal area.”
Ben has also recently moved house from Shap to live in Kendal, and says that a Tarn Farm vet will always be in the Kendal area.
He said: “I would encourage any farmers who might be looking for a dedicated farm vet to pick up the phone and have a conversation with us. There’s a lot we could be doing.”
Ben says that although many vet practices have been bought up by big corporate groups, Tarn Farm Vets and Paragon remain proudly independent.
“Every single client, no matter how big or small, is very important to me. They have a hotline to me. If you call Tarn Farm Vets you will speak to one of our vets almost right away. Farmers are not just a number to us, they really are known and valued.”
Ben and Kate have two children George, seven, and Evie 10 months.
Ben is a featured author / contributor on the Vetstream Bovis homepage. click the link below to take a look
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