Saturday, August 17, 10:00 am until 4:00 pm
UNH Fairchild Dairy Teaching & Research Center, 36 O’Kane Road, Durham
Starting at 10 a.m., stop by UNH’s Kingman Research Farm in Madbury to learn about ongoing agricultural research at the farm and sit inside large tractors and other heavy farming and logging equipment used by NHAES staff and scientists to manage agricultural, environmental, and forestry studies, and to grow food for UNH’s research and teaching animals.
Also opening at 10 a.m., with a guided tour at 2 p.m., is the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center in Durham, which houses UNH’s conventional dairy herd and serves as a hub for regional dairy research. Visit with NHAES farm managers and scientists and discover how feed trials and other studies at this facility have made a lasting impact on the dairy industry and on dairy operations in the Northeast.
At 1 p.m., UNH’s horticulture teaching high tunnels, located adjacent to the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, will open for a guided tour of the Farm to You program — a two-semester hands-on horticulture training class in which students plant, grow, and harvest food that is then provided to the University community in the UNH dining halls.
“It’s exciting to showcase to nearby communities how their land-grant university is conducting locally inspired agricultural research and providing impactful teaching, both of which support our entire state,” said Anton Bekkerman, director of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station. “I am delighted that this year, we are also able to combine events with one of our long-standing partners, Granite State Dairy Promotion, to highlight dairy farming’s sustained contributions to our local and regional food systems.
The nonprofit Granite State Dairy Promotion (GSDP) will offer free milk from New Hampshire farmers while supplies last and highlight the importance of supporting our local small- and mid-sized dairy operations. Supported by New Hampshire’s dairy industry, GSDP represents the state’s dairy sector and local farms with the goal of increasing the sale of locally produced milk and other dairy products through events and nutrition education.