Farmers and those involved with New Hampshire’s food and agricultural industry are invited to meet with researchers and industry experts and explore how they can partner and collaborate with the University of New Hampshire.
UNH will host Food and Agriculture Day Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. The event is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Huddleston Hall Ballroom, 73 Main Street. It is one of UNH’s bi-annual industry “Sandpits” that promote innovation and industry/university collaboration by providing companies in various industries with direct access to UNH researchers working in the same field. It is free to attend, but registration is required.
Attendees will learn about UNH research, including sustainable agriculture and food systems, aquaculture, nutrition and nutrition trends, organic dairy farming, animal and crop health, veterinary technology, extending New England growing seasons, big data and farming, brewing science, ecogastronomy, and fisheries.
There will be networking opportunities to exchange ideas with researchers, faculty, scientists, engineers, and industry experts. Attendees also can tour New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station’s Woodman Horticultural Research Farm and Macfarlane Research Greenhouses, and the NH Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
In addition, there will be information about additional UNH resources and facilities, including the experiment station’s Kingman Research Farm, Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm; Hubbard Center for Genome Studies; UNH Cooperative Extension soil testing, insect ID, and Plant Diagnostic Laboratory; and the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture’s Brewing Science Laboratory.
Ag day attendees can learn about the experiment station’s breeding, variety trials and season extension work, including its landmark kiwiberry breeding and research project at the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm.
“The food and agriculture sector is undergoing rapid transformation due to changing consumer preferences, new technologies, and climate changes. Industry participants in our state can potentially benefit from UNH expertise to help them address these opportunities and challenges,” said Denis Ward, president of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation.
Marc Eichenberger, director of corporate engagement at UNHInnovation, added, “we know that many local companies could benefit from UNH capabilities in their pursuits to innovate and commercialize new ideas. UNH Food and Agriculture Day will give UNH the opportunity to showcase its resources, facilities and relevant research with the goal of building business/academic partnerships that result in commercialization and economic development.”
The UNH Food and Agriculture Day brings together the combined expertise, capabilities and facilities of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, NH Agricultural Experiment Station, and UNH Cooperative Extension. The event is administered by UNHInnovation in partnership with NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs, the Business and Industry Association of NH, the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, the New England Farmers Union, and the NH Farm Bureau.
For more information and to RSVP, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unh-food-and-agriculture-day-registration-70682241487.