Dr. Tony Forshey who served as the Ohio State Veterinarian and Chief of Animal Health at the Ohio Department of Agriculture has died.
Forshey grew up on a farm in Noble County in the southeast part of the state, which he said, in a 2020 interview, taught him the value of a good work ethic.
He used that work ethic in his long career as a practicing veterinarian and as a professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Forshey held numerous leadership roles related to the swine production industry at the national level.
Forshey was also known across the state for his mentorship.
“When I look at the swine veterinarians in Ohio today, a majority of them have either worked for me or precepted for me at some point in their career early on," Forshey said in 2020. "I’ll tell ya, that makes me very proud, very proud.”
Forshey was inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Council Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Agricultural Council said Forshey’s focus on herd health and disease prevention, instead of just treating sick animals, helped the swine industry grow significantly in the state.
Environmental reporter Chris Welter is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
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