Our 150-cow herd and facilities, supported by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station and the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture offer shared innovation and education space for dairy production, animal health and herd management. It’s a place where UNH research moo-ves knowledge, workforce and impact forward.
Since the Hatch Act of 1887, which created the national system of Agricultural Experiment Stations, UNH has had a dairy research and teaching program. When the University and Station moved to its permanent home in Durham, a dairy barn was one of the first structures erected on the new campus. Today, one of UNHʼs two dairy herds is located at the Fairchild Dairy Research & Teaching Center, opened in 1989 and named after former professor of dairy sciences and Extension specialist, dean of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, and interim UNH president Thomas (Tom) Fairchild. As part of his legacy, Fairchild helped develop and launch the Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management (CREAM) program, which still thrives at the research and teaching dairy today.
The research and teaching dairy houses about 90 cows of milking age (typically 4–8 years old) and approximately 70 growing replacement animals. Included are 20-25 cows managed by the student-run CREAM program, which enables experiential training for the next generation of the food sector workforce. Animals are milked twice each day, producing 26,000–27,000 pounds of milk per year. The dairyʼs three staff are supported by students from across the university to aid in the daily management of barn operations and animal care.
The dairy supports research projects, provides opportunities for hands-on training for future scientists and experiential learning for students, and offers space for public–private partnerships and public educational engagements. The facility represents a typical New England dairy operation, ensuring that new knowledge and management recommendations apply directly to state and regional stakeholders. Research focuses on calf health, animal nutrition, reduction of methane emissions and cow reproductive health. Academic programs rely on the dairy to provide place-based learning for modern food production, large-animal veterinary handling and sustainable dairy management.
The Keener Dairy Research Building, which honors Harry Keener, former long-time director of NHAES and dean of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, sits adjacent to the Fairchild Dairy Center and houses multiple laboratories, offices, and research support areas for associated faculty, staff, and graduate students. Also adjacent to the Center is one of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station's forage production areas, the Agriculture and Food Systems program’s high tunnel greenhouses, and the UNH Organic Garden Club.
Learn about in-person or virtual visits to the Fairchild Dairy Research and Teaching Center.
Getting Here
Contact
Jon Whitehouse
Phone: (603) 862-1027
Email: jon.whitehouse@unh.edu
Public visiting hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily. Milking at 3:30 pm.
36 O'Kane Rd.
Durham, NH 03824
United States
CONDUCT RESEARCH AT THE FACILITY
With many users at our research farm, it is critical to ensure that we have knowledge of all ongoing and planned activities in order to ensure compatibility and to coordinate resources required to provide support and facilitation as needed. Importantly, we have responsibility for compliance with federal, state, university and local regulations, and to ensure safety for our staff, students, faculty and visitors.
To request the research, teaching, Extension, or outreach/education use of the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, please complete the Fairchild Research Dairy Facility User Request form.
In the form, you will be asked to provide information about the proposed project well in advance, so that we can evaluate our abilities to accommodate your requested use of facilities and resources. If conducting activities with animals, you must have an approved IACUC protocol prior to submitting the facilities use request form. For questions, please contact the Fairchild Research Dairy manager, Jon Whitehouse by email or phone.
The Fairchild Dairy Research and Teaching Center welcomes public visitors daily between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. Visitors can observe milking at 3:30 pm. For school and other groups, please contact the facility's manager, Jon Whitehouse, to coordinate visits. Please read and follow all visitation rules to ensure your, the employees', and the animals' safety.
VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE FACILITY
Click here to access the Google Earth virtual tour. Once the tour loads, click the "Slideshow" button in the top left corner and use the keyboard arrow keys to navigate across buildings on the farm. Don't forget to listen to the information at each stop by clicking the "Play" button on the right-hand panel.
FACILITY AND SELF-GUIDED TOUR MAP
(Download PDF of facility map)
