DURHAM, N.H. – The NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the Granite State Dairy Promotion invite the public to come “meet your milk” at the UNH Open Barn Saturday, June 29, 2019. The annual statewide event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at the UNH Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The UNH Open Barn is an annual event we’re proud to be a part of. Connecting consumers with their local dairy food system is of the utmost importance. It’s a day of educational fun for the entire family. We encourage people to enjoy the facility, meet the staff, and of course, the cows,” said Amy Hall, director of Granite State Dairy Promotion.
The event gives the public the chance to see a working New Hampshire dairy farm that is representative of a typical New England dairy operation. Free New Hampshire-made milk and ice cream, wagon rides, hourly tours, and visits with the UNH milking cows and calves are the highlights of the day’s activities.
According to Granite State Dairy Promotion, the New Hampshire dairy industry is located primarily in the Connecticut River Valley on the state’s western borders and along the Merrimack River Valley in the center of the state. There are approximately 96 dairy farms in New Hampshire with an average of 130 milking animals per farm. The New Hampshire dairy industry impacts state and local economies with more than $140 million in total output, 3,500 jobs, and more than $17 million in labor income. Dairy farming also helps support many businesses related to the production of milk such as feed stores, milking equipment suppliers and tractor dealerships.
“We encourage the public to join us and learn more about the UNH facility, but also the industry as a whole. The milk consumers’ purchase, no matter the brand or point of purchase, comes from a family-owned farm near them,” Hall said.
The Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center develops new knowledge and management expertise geared directly toward many state and regional stakeholders. It houses 100 milking cows and 85 heifers. Included in that number is the 24-cow, student-managed Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management (CREAM) herd, with the remaining animals devoted primarily to research in the area of dairy nutrition and reproductive biology.
The Fairchild Dairy Center has been long recognized for its quality milk and operations by the Dairy Farmers of America, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and Dairy One. Cows at the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center produce an average of about 26,000 to 27,000 pounds of milk per cow per year for the CREAM and research herds, which is greater than the national average of about 22,000 pounds per cow a year.
The Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center is located at 36 O’Kane Road off Mast Road Extension in Durham. It is open to the public seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors can observe the milking of cows at 3:30 p.m. each day. Map: https://colsa.unh.edu/nhaes/directions/Fairchild.
Granite State Dairy Promotion is a nonprofit organization funded by New Hampshire dairy farmers. Granite State Dairy Promotion aims to increase demand for dairy products and a deeper appreciation for family owned farms.
Founded in 1887, the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is UNH’s original research center and an elemental component of New Hampshire’s land-grant university heritage and mission. We steward federal and state funding, including support from theUSDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to provide unbiased and objective research concerning diverse aspects of sustainable agriculture and foods, aquaculture, forest management, and related wildlife, natural resources and rural community topics. We maintain the Woodman and Kingman agronomy and horticultural research farms, the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses, the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, and the Organic Dairy Research Farm. Additional properties also provide forage, forests and woodlands in direct support to research, teaching, and outreach.
The University of New Hampshire is a flagship research university that inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top ranked programs in business, engineering, law, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. UNH’s research portfolio includes partnerships with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, receiving more than $100 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.
The event gives the public the chance to see a working New Hampshire dairy farm that is representative of a typical New England dairy operation. Free New Hampshire-made milk and ice cream, wagon rides, tours, and visits with the UNH milking cows and calves are the highlights of the day’s activities.
VIDEO ABOUT THE FAIRCHILD DAIRY TEACHING AND RESEARCH CENTER
Credit: Granite State Dairy Promotion
