GUELPH/ERAMOSA – It was farming that inspired Rob Swackhammer to become a veterinarian, and now his work and volunteerism in the field has earned him an award named for his mentor.
Swackhammer, owner of Upper Grand Veterinary Services, was honoured with the Tim Henshaw Feeding the Human Spirit Award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair earlier this month.
Swackhammer, who lives near Rockwood, said he felt “very humbled” to be receiving an award named after a man he said was “an inspiration.”
The award was created in 2023 in memory of Henshaw to recognize a leader or mentor for agricultural youth who emulates Henshaw’s generosity and spirit.
Henshaw was a veterinarian and educator known in the agricultural community as someone who supported and inspired youth.
Swackhammer said he was privileged to have known Henshaw personally.
“I’m going to try and live up to the legacy of the man this award was named after,” he said.
He met Henshaw when the two men were both lending their veterinary services at cattle shows for youth, something Swackhammer does regularly.
He and his fellow Upper Grand vets also volunteer as guest speakers at 4H clubs.
“We devote a lot of time to that, and I’ve always done that,” Swackhammer said.
He will also take youths who express an interest in veterinary medicine on “ride-alongs” when he makes calls to farms, and he tries to involve kids who live on those farms in the activities, too.
“I make sure to include the younger generation in anything that I’m doing,” he said.
Swackhammer said he spent a lot of time as a kid helping out on his grandfather’s beef farm, and developed a strong connection to agriculture.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to afford his own farm, so he found another way to stay connected to farming.
“The whole reason I became a vet was so that I would be involved in the agricultural aspect of things,” he said.
He graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1996, and worked at the OVC’s Ruminant Field Services Clinic from 1998 to 2010.
Eventually, he established Upper Grand Vets after purchasing the bovine portion of Cambridge’s Main Street Animal Hospital practice in 2017, and since then dairy cattle have been a primary focus.
“We are devoted to the animal agriculture industry,” he said.
“I really thought I could make a difference in this world by helping people produce food that is safe and sustainable.”
He and his wife Melissa Sinclair, also a veterinarian, now own the farm he once thought he wouldn’t be able to afford.
Swackhammer said they started with beef farming, but began dairy farming when he was able to buy cattle and a quota from a client who was retiring.
His son, who is attending the University of Guelph, has plans to be a dairy farmer.
“The agricultural community is a really tight-knit and supportive industry,” he said.
Janet Harrop, of Harrcroft Acres, was among those in the industry to nominate Swackhammer for the Feeding the Human Spirit Award.
In an email to the Advertiser, she described Swackhammer as “a very quiet, humble person working very hard for the industry and his business to provide amazing service and value to his clients with no desire of recognition.”
She and his partner at Upper Grand Vets, Mike Scalaro, spread the word about the nomination to people Swackhammer works with, and “so many dairy farm clients sent in nominations,” Harrop said.
“Rob’s commitment to the future of the dairy industry is unparalleled,” one nominator wrote.
“From future producers to future veterinarians, researchers, AI technicians and more, Rob actively seeks to nurture their passion for participation in the industry.
“A pillar of his business is to support these individuals and is evident by his financial and volunteer support of youth events including dairy shows and 4-H activities.”
Swackhammer expressed gratitude to those who had nominated him, to his family, and to his veterinary team.
“It’s the whole group of people that I work with every day that make these things happen,” he said.
He added his practice has recently expanded into helping farmers with smaller herds, who can sometimes find it more difficult to access veterinary services.
“We try to be there for people who need us,” Swackhammer said.
He believes the motivation was the same for Henshaw.
“One of the things that Dr. Henshaw said was he loves being a vet, but veterinary medicine is just a vehicle he uses to help other people,” Swackhammer said. “I believe the same thing.”
