Dairy Research and Education Center

The Dairy Experiment Station at Lewisburg, Tennessee, was established in 1929 and operated by the Bureau of Dairy Industry, US Department of Agriculture, for conducting research in breeding, feeding, and management of dairy cattle. In 1948 the UT Agricultural Experiment Station became a cooperative agency under a memorandum of understanding with the USDA. The station originally had 480 acres, and an additional 135 acres were purchased in 1955. The station has one of the largest and highest milk-producing Jersey herds in the world involved in research. Following consideration of moving the station to save money, the decision was made to keep the herd in Lewisburg. The focus of the research was narrowed to issues related to production and reproductive physiology as part of the decision to have the herd remain at the Lewisburg location. Management of dairy waste, as it affects water quality, has received major attention at this location—the name of which was changed to Dairy Research and Education Center in 2005.