University of Maine’s large animal research farm
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 Witter Farm is the home of undergraduate and graduate education and research programs in dairy and equine science.
Schedule a visit
The Witter Center is currently closed to the public and we cannot allow walk-ins due to the sensitive research activities at the farm. However, we do offer scheduled visits to the facility. Schedule a visit to the Witter Center.
Group tours: We welcome K-12 classes (especially those involved in the adopt a cow program), university clubs and courses, and other organizations or associations interested in visiting our facilities and meeting the animals. Picnic tables for outdoor seating are available if your group would like to bring lunch for after your tour. While campus is 5-minute drive, it is about a 30-min walk down the bike path and is not recommended for school groups.
Support the Witter Center
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.