Since 2023, Smoky Mountain Farmers Cooperative board members and staff have been working to meet a demand for a large animal veterinarian service in their area. On July 8, Co-op personnel met that demand. They hosted a formal ribbon cutting for their new Large Animal Veterinary Clinic at the Newport location with customers, board members, staff, and community members on hand for the celebration.

“Some of the vets in the area are aging out, and some don’t even treat large animals anymore,” said Chris Cox, chief executive officer of Smoky Mountain Farmers Co-op, as he explained the need for the new vet clinic. “We felt that this would be a great asset for the community, and we could offer the service to everyone.”

Chris said that to accomplish this goal, the Co-op received funding from the state.

“Through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, we applied for a grant that helps small businesses and supports agricultural communities,” he explained. “We were thrilled to be awarded the grant and make this project a reality.”

Although the facility’s grand opening was in July, Lead Veterinarian Dr. Trent Lartz, DVM, has been with Smoky Mountain Farmers Co-op as an on-site veterinarian since 2023. Board member, Mike Anders, explained the long-term planning behind this addition.

“Two and a half years ago we started talking about this,” said Mike. “We hired Dr. Lartz at that time or shortly thereafter. He was doing farm visits and writing scripts, and the more he got out and talked to farmers, the more he understood that we needed a vet clinic here.”

As a farmer, Mike is appreciative of this service.

“Most of us farmers try to do our own vet work,” he said. “But when you need some help, it’s nice to know you have a vet clinic in the community.”

As the only veterinarian on staff, Dr. Lartz had a lot of ground to cover. To help meet the growing demand, the expansion into a clinic has allowed for several new team members, including two veterinarians — Dr. Emily Mardiks and Dr. Emily Ellison; two veterinary assistants — Sierra Franklin and Hunter Ramsey; and office staff member Becky Judd.

Dr. Mardiks graduated from Virginia Tech two years ago and has been on staff for a little over a month.

“I worked in a mixed [small and large] animal practice for two years, and I really just wanted to be a large animal veterinarian,” Dr. Mardiks said.

Dr. Ellison graduated from the University of Tennessee last year. As a Cocke County native, she was excited to move back home.

“This is my hometown, so I was excited to come back and serve the farmers in my community,” said Dr. Ellison, who raises registered, polled Dorsets, and Shropshire sheep. “As a farmer myself, I’m excited to be able to provide this service.”

The clinic operates Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with limited emergency care available on evenings and weekends. The comprehensive large animal services are for cattle, equine, small ruminants, pigs, poultry, and even some large animal exotics. Services include herd health management, reproductive services, on-farm consultations, equine dental services, resolution of calving, lambing, kidding, foaling issues, and more. They also offer vaccinations and routine disease testing on the farm for hunting and farm dogs.

So far, the clinic has already been a hot topic, according to the Co-op’s Chief Marketing Officer, Stephanie McQueen.

“It has gotten quite a bit of traction on social media,” McQueen said, “so that’s a clue that this was needed in the community.”

The veterinary team is proud to serve clients and members across Northeast Tennessee and Western North Carolina. To contact the veterinary clinic, call 423-540-6005, email vetservices@smfc.coop, or visit smfc.coop/Veterinary.