“We’ve Had the Best Time Living Here”: Rural Veterinarians and TV Stars Grateful for Having Chosen the Good Life in Nebraska

Working in a rural vet clinic is its own animal!” Ben Schroeder exclaimed, taking a short break between helping a horse named Ginger and caring for an injured calf.

As he spoke, a multi-parameter monitor beeped in the background where Ben’s wife, Erin, performed dental surgery on a dog wrapped in a Huskers blanket.

“You might be delivering a litter of kittens or puppies in the morning, and then you’re doing a C-section on a cow two hours later, and then you’re back to the clinic to finish up with small animal appointments,” Ben related. “And that night you might get a call to go sew up a horse laceration. Literally anything that calls in, you get to handle it. I love that!”

Inheriting a veterinary vocation 

Ben and Erin Schroeder own Cedar County Veterinary Clinic in Hartington, Nebraska. Founded by Ben’s father, the clinic serves all types of veterinary needs in and around Cedar County in Northeast Nebraska. “Because I saw my dad in this area love his job and love his clients, it made me want to become a vet,” said Ben.

Watching his father enjoy a rewarding career as a vet inspired Ben to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Kansas State University. While studying there, he met and fell in love with Erin, a fellow student from Westport, New York. When Ben and Erin graduated, they had multiple job offers in other states, including an offer to return to Erin’s hometown. However, they chose Hartington, Nebraska, to be their permanent home.

The warmth and welcome of Nebraska

Moving to Nebraska from rural New York, Erin was familiar with the benefits of small-town living. “Growing up in upstate New York – which is a far cry from New York City – I always felt like I was a Midwestern girl at heart,” she laughed. While the way of life in Nebraska wasn’t necessarily new to Erin, she found the state to be an incredibly special place.

In other communities where she lived, Erin did not sense the same level of warmth and welcome that she now enjoys in rural Nebraska. “The support and the lifestyle for young families wasn’t necessarily there. There were a lot of people who grew up and just left. So, you didn’t have friends and family that were close by that might have children your [kids’] age. That’s really one of the big reasons we chose to come to Nebraska,” she explained. “It’s a great place to raise a family.”

Broadcasting Nebraska’s Good Life nationwide

Ben and Erin’s move to Nebraska has allowed them to experience the life they dreamed of together as newlyweds. In addition to running their veterinary clinic, they raised their two sons (now 20 and 22) in Nebraska, became active in community development, and even starred in their own National Geographic TV show: Heartland Docs, DVM.

The TV series spotlighted the couple’s rural veterinary practice for five seasons, while also highlighting their work to redevelop local properties. Their revitalization of the 1917 Hartington Hotel and former Globe Clothing building caught the attention of the Omaha World Herald, which likened them to HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. Not long after that, National Geographic television producers contacted them about the project.

“Everyone was wondering why this veterinary team in Nebraska was renovating old buildings,” explained Ben. “So they said, ‘That’s going to be a great TV show! We’re going to send you guys all around the country. You’re going to renovate veterinary clinics, and this is going to be a home reno show.’”

But Ben and Erin turned down the opportunity. Their hearts were in Nebraska, and they didn’t want to venture too far away from their veterinary practice. Instead of filming the show nationally, they lobbied to have it shot in Nebraska.

The National Geographic team agreed to visit Hartington to film a pilot episode based on the Schroeder family’s life in Nebraska. After the pilot episode aired, “They said, ‘We know where we’re going to put you. We’re going to put you at 8:00 on Saturday night.’ It just all turned out,” said Ben.

The success of the show allowed them to showcase the beauty of Nebraska and the unique benefits of working in a rural veterinary clinic. Episodes chronicled the joys and sorrows of caring for animals, the benefits of living in a strong farming community, and the interconnection of the couple’s careers and lives.

“We go on dates in our vet truck,” Ben chuckled. “We go, ‘Okay, let’s go sew up this prolapse then we’ll grab some supper on our way home.’ And that’s just how we’ve lived.”

Nebraska’s family appeal

The TV show helped Ben and Erin revel in the joys of raising their kids in Nebraska. “We have the best home footage of our boys,” said Erin. “The show made us appreciate every moment. It’s easy in life to think about what’s next. It made us slow down and really see what was around us.”

Working on Heartland Docs also allowed them to see parts of Nebraska they otherwise may not have taken the time to visit. This included watching the sandhill crane migration near Kearney, caring for bison at the Crane Trust in Wood River, assisting with raptor recovery at Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, and helping with animals at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.

Ben and Erin’s two sons are following in their footsteps, choosing to stay in Nebraska despite having many opportunities elsewhere. “Our boys have had a lot of experiences away from Nebraska,” explained Ben. “They got to go see their grandparents in New York, and they went on lots of trips and fun vacations.”

Ultimately, both Schroeder boys chose to continue their education in Nebraska. “They’re both going to school right near our hometown here. They said, ‘You know what, this is where I want to be too.’ I think that says a lot for an area,” Ben continued.

Unrivaled community support

Many young Nebraskans choose to start their careers in small towns due to the tremendous community support. Ben and Erin believe that support is unrivaled in Nebraska, allowing people to forge a path and find opportunities they wouldn’t discover elsewhere. “People support their local businesses and entrepreneurs, and I think that’s huge to be able to figure out who you are, what path to take, and be able to take it,” Erin remarked.

“The work ethic in this community and this area is unbelievable,” added Ben. “From the farmers we see every day to the construction workers—and it’s passed from generation to generation.”

Having now spent more than two decades together in Hartington, Ben and Erin are glad they chose Nebraska. “There were opportunities for us to go anywhere, and we decided this was the best spot to raise our family,” Ben reflected. “And we’ve had the best time living here.”

“It’s been a great life. It’s not the good life; it’s the great life!” echoed Erin.

The Good Life Is Calling

If you’d like to learn more about the Good Life that Ben and Erin have discovered in Nebraska, visit https://thegoodlifeiscalling.com/live/.

Learn about launching a veterinary career in Nebraska through the Nebraska Rural Veterinarian Grant Program or the Nebraska Elite 11 Veterinarian Program.

Find out more about small business opportunities in Nebraska here.