The University of New Hampshire is establishing an organic dairy farm for research, education, and outreach, making it the nation’s first land-grant university to have an organic dairy farm. Yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, N.H., has donated $200,000 in seed money.

The $1.5 million project will make UNH the nation’s first land-grant university to have an organic dairy farm.

“This project represents completion of a full circle for Stonyfield Farm,” said Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm pres. and CEO. “Nearly 24 years ago, Stonyfield Farm Yogurt was launched as a project of the Rural Education Center, a small New Hampshire school created to help teach farmers new organic farming methods. Now we are proud to provide our largest single grant ever to the University of New Hampshire to continue the critical work of teaching the next generation of farmers.”

The new research dairy farm, located on a 200-acre parcel of certified-organic land at the university's Burley-Demeritt Farm in Lee, N.H., was to begin operation last month.