DURHAM, N.H. – The Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center and the Organic Dairy Research Farm at the University of New Hampshire have been awarded a 2015 Gold Quality Award by the Dairy Farmers of America.

“Our dairy farms produce some of the highest quality milk in the country,” said Jon Wraith, director of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station and dean of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. “This is a testament to the exceptional work of our dairy managers, staff and students who carefully care for our herds and ensure that our dairy cows are among the healthiest in the nation.”

As a result of receiving the Gold Quality Award, UNH is paid the highest price for its milk – called quality premiums. Dairy Farmers of America is the leading national milk cooperative with nearly 13,000 dairy producers in 48 states. Milk from the Fairchild Dairy goes to the Hood plant in Concord, and milk from the organic dairy goes to the Organic Valley Coop.

The Dairy Farmers of America tests milk for a number of factors that indicate herd health, hygiene, and sanitation. Among those is the somatic cell count. Dairy herds with a low somatic cell count tend to be more profitable herds since they have reduced treatment and veterinary costs for mastitis, which is the most common and costliest disease for dairy cattle, higher milk production per cow, and higher milk quality premiums.

This is the first time the Organic Dairy Research Farm has received a Gold Quality Award. The first of its kind at a land-grant university, it is home to about 100 registered Jersey cows, heifers, and calves and is managed as an integrated agro-ecosystem that includes the biological, physical and human-related components.

The Dairy Farmers of America is a leading milk marketing cooperative and dairy food processor. It serves nearly 13,000 members through marketing members’ milk, paying them a competitive price, and being a leader in the dairy industry.

Founded in 1887, the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is UNH’s original research center and an elemental component of New Hampshire's land-grant university heritage and mission.