Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences

This week our focus is on the Horticulture and Crop Science Department! This department offers the agricultural and environmental plant sciences degree program with concentrations in three specialized areas: environmental horticultural science, fruit and crop science, and plant protection science. You'll be able to work and study in our fields, groves, vineyards, nurseries, orchards, gardens, and greenhouses.. Did you know, this department is home to our the Leaning Pine Arb...oretum and the Cal Poly Organic Farm? Produce from the organic farm is sold to the community through Campus Market and farmers markets, as well as to local vendors vendors, grocery stores and restaurants. Produce not sold is often donated to the local food bank. The arboretum is a 5-acre expanse of teaching gardens, home to hundreds of unique plants from the world’s five Mediterranean climates. Want to learn more about the department and its majors? Take a look at the department website linked below! https://aeps.calpoly.edu/about/program-overview #CalPolyGrown #LearnbyDoing *some photos taken in previous academic years Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Horticulture and Crop Science Department Cal Poly Hort Club Cal Poly Crops Club Cal Poly Organic Farm Cal Poly Strawberry Center Poly Plant Shop

Congratulations to our team who won first place in the National Grocers Association 2021 Student Case Study Competition! The Cal Poly team, all agricultural business seniors, presented their plan on how grocers can combat the major economic issues caused by COVID-19 by staying competitive through their local supply chains against low-price operators. Join us in congratulating Katherine "Scottie" Lester, Joshua Smith, Annika Bertelsen, and Amber Eckert, as well as Agribusiness Associate Professor Ricky Volpe who advised the team.

Happy National Agriculture Day! Thank you to all of our hard working faculty, staff and students that help make Learn by Doing possible. We are so grateful for the agriculture industry and the opportunities it holds for our graduates! #LearnbyDoing #CalPolyGrown

This week our focus is on the Experience Industry Management Department! This department ties together their values of promoting healthy lifestyles, protecting memorable places and facilitating life-enhancing experiences through every hands-on opportunity they provide their students. This department teaches students how to design, co-create, deliver and manage experiences which prepares graduates to facilitate experiences across all sectors of industries related to tourism, ...hospitality, travel, event planning, outdoor recreation management, community recreation, sports management, and destination marketing. Some of the top companies hiring these graduates include the San Francisco Giants, George P. Johnson and Salesforce. Want to learn more about the department and its major? Take a look at the department website linked below! https://eim.calpoly.edu/ #CalPolyGrown #LearnbyDoing

Take a look at this video from a bioresource and agricultural engineering major about the research and other hands on opportunities he has been a part of in the department. #CalPolyGrown #LearnbyDoing

Good news! All current employees, including student employees, who want to be vaccinated can now sign up for San Luis Obispo County’s Vaccine Appointment Regist...ry to get a first-dose appointment at one of the county’s three vaccine clinics. See all the details on eligibility, what to bring, and how to make your reservation: bit.ly/CPVaccineInfo #ThisIsOurShot #CalPolyNow See more

The CZU Lightning Complex fires swept through Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch on Aug. 19 and 20, destroying much of the ranch and its structures. Most importantly, all staff and students were able to evacuate safely. We are grateful that no one was injured and that all livestock were safely transported from the ranch. While much is still unknown, we do know that the Cal Poly community is resilient. Our thoughts go out to all of those who suffered losses in this fire and the ...many other fires that continue to ravage California. A full assessment of the damage will take weeks, perhaps even months, to fully identify. At this time we know that important structures, including the Al Smith House, Seaside School House, Red House, Archibald House, Staub House and yurts, Cal Barn, Little Creek House, Car Barn, rail cars, Roundhouse and Car Shop have all been destroyed. We will work closely with both our Cal Poly family and our partners in the surrounding Santa Cruz community to rise up, rebuild and grow from the ashes. For now, we are focused on the immediate needs of those Swanton staff, faculty and students impacted by the fire. To learn more and contribute to the Swanton Pacific Ranch Recovery Fund, visit: https://crowdfund.calpoly.edu/project/22001. We invite you to share your Swanton Pacific Ranch memories in the comments. See more

It is time for another #FunFactFriday! Did you know the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences has 52 enterprises for students to participate in? Enterprises are courses taken outside of required units for students to get extra hands on experiences in an area of their choice. From our poinsettia enterprise to citrus trees, dairy calving and soil and water testing enterprises, there are experiences there for anyone to get involved. You do not even have to be... enrolled in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences to participate. Whether you are a beginner or advanced in the field, the college has an opportunity for you to get more involved. Take a look at the link below for the full list of enterprise opportunities broken down by department. https://content-calpoly-edu.s3.amazonaws.com//CAFES%20Ente #CalPolyGrown #LearnbyDoing

Are you interested in Cal Poly but have questions you need answered? Look out for our Q&A session on our Instagram story all day on Friday, October 30! Ask questions and get answers about student living, opportunities within the college and more. The answers will be posted back to the story and saved to a highlight for you to view later. We look forward to hearing from you!... #LearnByDoing

Join Thanayi Jackson from the Cal Poly History Department this Thursday, Oct. 29 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. as she moderates an election panel discussion on issues on the 2020 ballot. The panel features campus and community experts including Erica Stewart from the SLO City Council, Marilyn Tseng from Kinesiology and Public Health, and Ben Ruttenberg from Biological Sciences. This discussion will answer questions on ways to approach the ballot with a focus on local issues, as well as environmental and health issues on all levels. For questions, please contact Elena Keeling ([email protected]) or Thanayi Jackson ([email protected]) To join the meeting, please use the Zoom ID above.

Agribusiness Associate Professor Ricky Volpe has prepared a digital tool summarizing his studies of grocery prices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Volpe's research paper was prepared for the FMI - Food Industry Association and has since been used for articles by Business Wire, Progressive Grocery, MeatandPoultry.com, BakingBusiness.com and more. His findings explore the factors affecting an increase in pricing and how COVID-19 has changed where consumers spend their income on f...ood. Follow the link below to take a look at the web experience created to summarize his work. https://www.fmi.org/foodprices #CalPolyGrown #LearnByDoing

Cal Poly partnered with the California Avocado Commission to plant nearly 500 avocado trees on campus in June. This project will provide more than a decade of research studying a rootstock variety resistant to Phytophthora root rot, the most common avocado disease. The research is important to the industry as a whole and will provide real world experience to students and faculty for years to come. Read more at the link below https://cafes.calpoly.edu/cultivate-summer-2020/gro...wing- California Avocados Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Horticulture and Crop Science Department

There are so many opportunities to explore the beautiful area we live in. Agriculture and environmental plant science senior Rhealynn Ravarra ran into Dean Andy Thulin and his grandson as they prepared for a zip-line tour at Margarita Adventures in Santa Margarita! What will you do this weekend to get outdoors? #CalPolyGrown

As the deadline to apply to Cal Poly approaches, we are launching #FunFactFriday to help prospective students get to know the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences ! For today's fun fact, we are highlighting the college's many Earn By Doing opportunities. Did you know the college offers a variety of on campus jobs where students get first-hand experience in their fields of interest? From the Animal Nutrition Center to working in the campus greenhouses and f...ields, the units across the college help students learn how to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real life experience. There is something for everyone, and the best part is you do not need experience in the field to get involved. Check out the link below to watch a video highlighting some Earn by Doing opportunities! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCyo-uwHmzY . . . . #CalPolyGrown #LearnbyDoing #EarnbyDoing San Luis Obispo FFA Arroyo Grande FFA Templeton FFA

Are you curious how Cal Poly CAFES is keeping Learn by Doing alive and well during the pandemic? Join us this Friday, October 23 at 10 am to chat with Dean Andy Thulin, faculty, and students as they share how hands on learning continues to be a priority. Register at the link below http://calpoly.imodules.com/s/699/bp19/interior.aspx #LearnbyDoing #CalPolyGrown

The Cal Poly Society of American Foresters Student Chapter was selected as the second place winner of the 2020 SAF Outstanding Student Chapter award! This is an award given based on rigorous criteria and accomplishments of the chapter throughout the academic year. Congratulations on this recognition of all your hard work. #LearnbyDoing #CalPolyGrown

Bill and Cheryl Swanson have donated $1 million to our Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture. Their generous gift has been used to fund the construction of the Swanson Center of Effort Conference Hall which will hold lectures, meetings and events. We are grateful for their continuous support of Learn By Doing efforts throughout the college. Read more at the link below. https://cafes.calpoly.edu//swanson-center-effort-and-confe #LearnByDoing #CalPolyGrown

You never know where you might run into fellow alumni! CAFES alumnus Beau Black (Animal Science, '11), a veterinarian, is pictured above with alumnus Mike Sommers (Animal Husbandry, '66), a retired agriculture teacher. The two happened to meet up in Aubrey, Texas when Dr. Black was inspecting Mr. Sommers' horse. We are #calpolyproud of our alumni, the work they do, and places they travel. #CalPolyGrown

The employees and managers at Cal Poly Meats have been working hard to provide people with the food products they need when our community came to a halt. Their drive through has attracted hundreds of customers since it was created in March. Read more about their story at the link below. #LearnByDoing #CalPolyGrown

Floral design professor, Melinda Lynch, has been creating floral design kits her students pick up every two weeks to make four different designs during lab. Her goal is to have students still design at home, and has made it easy for them to continue Learn by Doing on a virtual platform. Pictured below shows the kits ready to pick up, as well as three designs created by Thayara Almeida. #LearnByDoing #CalPolyGrown

Right as the wave would come I would tell her ‘Three, two, one. Hold your breath.’" Freshman BioResource and Agriculture Engineering student, Bennett Morris, is being praised as a hero after rescuing a drowning girl this weekend in Pismo Beach. Read more about this incredible story at the link below https://www.sanluisobispo.com/n/local/article246232520.html