Surrounded by some of the most "ski-able" mountains in the eastern United States, the town of Farmington is well known as a center of ski-related business. Nearby major ski areas such as Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Saddleback, Mt. Abram, Lost Valley, and Shawnee Peak serve as on hill labatories for the Ski Industries Program. Over the past decade, UMF has become known as a center for coaches education in New England. Each fall the Ski Industries Program sponsors a coaches education speakers series which is open to the general coaching population. The series allows students to meet and interact with a variety of professionals from the snowsports industries.