Research, Teaching, and Extension Activities at
J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center
The University of Maine's
Livestock Research Facility in Old Town, Maine
History of Witter Center
For much of the University of Maine's history, the Orono
campus was home to cows and chickens as well as students. Due to pressures of a
growing campus and a fire that nearly leveled one of the University's old dairy
barns in 1972, however, an animal science research facility was constructed on
the edge of the University's land in Old Town, and the dairy cows were moved
off-campus. This facility housed the dairy herd along with some poultry and
sheep.
By 1996, following years of budget cuts and downsizing at
the University, the Witter Center had fallen into disrepair, so the dairy
herd was sold and the farm was closed. Using proceeds from the sale of
the animals, the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station was
able to complete much-needed renovations. The renovated farm reopened
in 1998.
 Current
Information
Encompassing approximately 300 acres of land off College
Avenue in Old Town, the J. F. Witter Teaching & Research Center (most
often referred to as the Witter Center) now has a 35 tie-stall dairy, a
livestock barn, a horse barn with stalls for boarding,
classroom/laboratory/lounge space, and a house for the livestock program manager. The
Witter Center is home to a herd of Registered Holsteins, Black Angus brood cows and Belted Galloway brood cows, a flock
of Suffolk sheep, and a herd of standardbred horses used for teaching
and research purposes. Most of the herds were developed from
donated stock.
Research, Teaching, & Extension Activities
The most heavily visited of all the University's research farms,
the Witter Center is also the most integrated into the
University's teaching mission, with heavy emphasis placed on student use. An
energetic group of students, the University of Maine Applied Dairy
Cooperative of Organized Working Students (UMADCOWS), are fully
involved in the daily operation of the farm. UMADCOWS is a yearlong
experiential learning program that blends theory and practice in
teaching students how to run a dairy farm.
 The equine program at the farm includes student stall
leases and riding programs. The University offers an equine
studies minor and a certificate in equine studies, including an equine
internship. There is also an active student equine group as part of the
Maine Animal Club.
The Witter Center has an active composting program. Manure
from the dairy and horse barn is combined with leaves and other
material from the University and composted. The resulting compost is used
on the farm and sold to the public. The Witter Center is also the home of the relief milker training
program where trainees can learn the basics of milk production and how
to care for and milk cows.
Current research projects at the farm include studies of
fertility problems in horses and cows, of nutrient use by dairy animals, and
of ways to improve forage quality through biological additives.
Directions
North: Exit 193 off of I-95, right onto Stillwater Ave. At the 4th traffic light turn right
onto College Ave. Witter Center is on the left.
South: Exit 193 off of I-95, left onto Stillwater Ave. At the 4th
traffic light turn right onto College Ave. Witter Center is on the left.
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