The J. Franklin Witter Teaching and Research Center in Old Town is the home to the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station’s teaching and research programs in animal sciences and sustainable agriculture.
The Center has two units: the Witter Farm, adjacent to the University of Maine campus and Rogers Farm, located several miles from the Orono campus. The Witter Farm is the home of undergraduate and graduate education and research programs in dairy and equine science. Rogers Farm has a focus on sustainable agriculture research and education.
If you would like to make a gift to support the farm, please visit our.umaine.edu/farms. Donations to the Emerald Dairy Operations Improvement Fund provides programmatic support for the student-managed dairy herd at Witter. Donations to the Durable Farm Fund will be used to improve and modernize infrastructure across the facility. Please specify “Witter Center” if contributing to the Durable Farm Fund.
Dairy barn modernization project
We are undergoing a major renovation and upgrade of our facilities. This modernization will support long-standing relationships with industry and corporate partners, increase student and faculty productivity, and provide a welcome center to thousands of visitors from the region.
With these renovations, the Witter Center will be poised to contribute significantly to the state’s workforce and economic needs. Witter is a center where students take animal and veterinary sciences classes, conduct research, and enjoy the farm setting for stress relief. Moreover, Witter welcomes more than 6,000 visitors annually, helping recruit new students to major in Animal and Veterinary Sciences. With excellent faculty and hands-on large-animal experience, many graduates are successful candidates for veterinary schools and other graduate programs.
The modernization plan includes a new milking barn with a DeLaval VMS Series V300 milking robot, a 50-cow, free-stall system, teaching spaces, staff and research offices, as well as a public viewing platform. Investment in Witter supports UMaine’s land-grant mission to conduct original research, investigation, and experiments which contribute to the establishment and maintenance of the agricultural industry in the United States. A modernized facility will return investment costs through revenue generation from increased student enrollment, additional research grants, and farm- operation efficiencies.
We hope our friends, alumni, associations, and business partners will support the new Witter Farm project. Please see naming opportunities below:
If you are interested, contact us:
Elizabeth Erickson – Senior Director of Philanthropy, University of Maine Foundation (Email: elizabeth.erickson@maine.edu; Phone: 207-581-1145)
George Criner – Associate Director, Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station (Email: criner@maine.edu; Phone: 207-581-3205)
Patricia Henderson – Superintendent, Witter Research and Teaching Center (Email: patricia.henderson@maine.edu; Phone: 207-0581-2793