From UNH to Stonyfield to You
Farm-to-Campus Yogurt in the Dining Halls
The yogurt station might look like a simple stop in the dining hall, but it’s actually the final step in a journey that begins long before students pick up a spoon. From local pastures to campus, each bowl reflects a larger system of farming, research, and partnerships happening right here at UNH.
Just a few miles from Durham, the UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm in Lee, NH plays a vital role in shaping the food system that supports our dining halls. Operated by the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, (COLSA) the farm is home to organically raised Jersey cows, and serves as a hands-on learning and research environment for students and faculty scientists. Across hundreds of acres of pasture and farmland, the focus is on sustainable practices, animal health, soil quality, and the future of organic dairy farming.
This work doesn’t stay on the farm, it directly connects to what’s served on campus. Through a strengthened partnership with Stonyfield Organic, milk produced at the UNH farm is shipped directly to Stonyfield’s processing facility at Londonderry, New Hampshire. This collaboration builds on a relationship that has existed for more than two decades, rooted in shared values of sustainability, innovation, and support for organic agriculture.
For UNH Dining, this partnership represents more than just a supply chain - it’s a commitment to transparency and local sourcing. The yogurt and dairy products students enjoy are part of a regional system that keeps production close to home, reduces transportation distances, and supports New Hampshire agriculture.
This collaboration also reflects the role students play in that system. At the dairy farm, students gain hands-on experience in everything from herd management to environmental research. They work alongside faculty scientists to explore topics like grazing systems, feed efficiency, and climate resilience, all of which influence how organic dairy is produced. That knowledge feeds forward into the broader food system, shaping the future of sustainable dining both on campus and beyond.
At UNH, food is more than fuel, it’s an opportunity to tell a story, support a community, and invest in a more sustainable future. So next time you stop by the yogurt station, take a moment to think about where it came from. From pasture to plate, it’s all part of the UNH experience.
For UNH Dining, this partnership represents more than just a supply chain, it’s a commitment to transparency and local sourcing. The yogurt and dairy products students enjoy are part of a regional system that keeps production close to home, reduces transportation distances, and supports New Hampshire agriculture.
