Paul Miller Research Complex

Interesting Facts: Vermont has 1,300 dairy operations and 150,000 milk cows Vermont holds steady at producing just under 3 billion pounds of milk a year Vermont is also home to 20 farms which milk goats and 4 farms which milk sheep Per capita, Vermont has more horses than Kentucky

The Paul Miller Research Complex is located at 500 Spear Street in South Burlington.

MISSION STATEMENT:

The mission of the Paul Miller Research Center is to provide excellence and cost effective facilities for agricultural research, education and to play a key role in the development and promotion of agriculture in Vermont and New England.  The Miller Complex activities emphasize dairy research, equine sciences, mammary biology, milk quality, biosecurity and safety.

With today’s global travel we are faced with the unprecedented concern with the spread of diseases from one country to another and even from one farming operation to another.  Biosecurity issues have taken center stage in every corner of the world.   

CHANGING FACE OF AGRICULTURE:  Biosecurity Issues

At a time when many University Farms have shut their gates to visitors, we at the University of Vermont are making a concerted effort to meet the challenges of biosecurity and also remain open to the public.  We are open daily from 2-4 in the afternoon during our milking time.  We ask that individuals who have been out of the country in the last 7 days refrain from visiting until a later date.  There are also booties located at our main entrance, which we would ask you to wear during your visit. 

MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST

The ELLEN A. HARDACRE Equine Center is located on the northern edge of the complex.  This is a student cooperative barn which contains 22 stalls, a tack room, horse shower and an inside riding arena.  There is a state of the art 220 X 110 foot outside area, as well as a riding trail accessible from the complex, which compliment the facility.  This is the home of the UVM Horse Club—an organization which promotes the educational and recreational aspects of equine activity.  The facility is run as a student cooperative—students are able to bring their horses to UVM while they are enrolled and enjoy the pursuit of their equine interests with their own animals.

The CREAM Program (Cooperative for Real Education in Agriculture Management) is a two semester hands on experience for students learning to manage an actual 30 cow dairy herd.  It’s a chance for pre-vet and other students with dairy interests to learn all aspects of bovine care, milking, care for young calves as well as business decisions associated with a real farm operation.  All chores are performed by students seven days a week.

The MILLER RESEARCH HERD consists of approximately 150 milking cows and 110 calves and heifers.  Cows at the facility represent two of the five major dairy breeds:  Jerseys and the black and white Holstein.  Jerseys are a smaller animal weighing in at approximately 1000 pounds—they are noted for the high butterfat content of their milk.  The Holsteins are a larger animal (1500 lbs.) which produce a larger volume of milk with a lower fat content.

Research which is conducted at the Miller Complex is centered on several areas of interest.  Nutritional research investigates different nutrient components and their efficiencies in cattle nutrition.  Work with photoperiods (the length of daylight) indicates milking cows which experience 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness give more milk. Other basic biological research is also conducted to learn more about milk secretion, mastitis and animal health issues. These and other areas of research are aimed at improving the efficiency and over all health of a modern dairy operation. 

The CONSTRUCTED WETLAND is a new facility which receives the effluent from our milk house, milking parlor and the material during rain events from our cattle yard.  This is an experimental subsurface flow wetland that controls the flow of effluent through a group of gravel beds. By using bacteria located in colonies on the gravel and plant material growing on the surface of the wetland, organic material and other nutrients are extracted from the effluent.  This facility is being used as an “outdoor laboratory” to find ways for agriculture to reclaim nutrients in an ecologically beneficial manner.

Research conducted at the Paul Miller Research Center is aimed at improving the productivity and sustainability of Vermont agriculture. Basic biological research is also conducted here to learn more about nutrition and milk secretion. Research conducted here has been applied world wide.