General News
The spring issue of Cultivate magazine is now out. In this issue you’ll read about students who are researching ways to improve efficiencies in the cider industry and learning what it takes to produce a marketable product like olive oil from the orchard to store shelves. You’ll also read about the advances being made using geospatial technology to better prepare and mitigate natural disasters such as wildfires and flooding.
Student News
The Cal Poly Dressage Team placed fifth in the nation at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association national competition with second-year animal science major Caroline Kargenian winning reserve champion at lower training level.
Lily-Rose Bacon (biomedical engineering) placed seventh at first level, Kaileen Grace (animal science) placed fourth in upper training, Caroline Kargenian (animal science) placed second in lower training level and Lucas Rupp (materials engineering) placed tenth at introductory level. The team is coached by Jackie Eckhaus and kinesiology student Makenzie Ford.
General News
The annual Cal Poly Performance Horse Sale will take place at the Oppenheimer Family Equine Unit on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31. All horses sold are bred, foaled and started under saddle by Cal Poly students. An early bird preview to meet the horses for sale is on May 10 from Noon to 2 p.m. with the chance to participate in a raffle fundraiser.
Learn more about the horses for sale and their student handlers here.
Faculty News
Cal Poly’s newly established faculty and staff wellness program, Nutrition ACES (assessment, counseling and education specialists) aims to give nutrition and pre-health students an opportunity to apply the skills they’ve learned in the classroom by conducting primary prevention activities for Cal Poly faculty and staff.
ACES is hosting its inaugural health fair on May 7 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the University Union Conference Room 220 and extends the invitation to the faculty and staff within the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. The health fair aims to educate and empower Cal Poly employees about key components of health, including nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle-related disease prevention.
Student News
Students in the Latinos in Agriculture club attended the MANRRS National Conference at the beginning of April where fourth-year agricultural science major Angeli Morales placed second in the Impromptu Speaking Contest and fourth-year agribusiness major PJ Crocker was awarded the prestigious Farm Credit and John Deere Scholarship.
Faculty News
We will once again recognize our colleagues in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences for their hard work and contributions to the college and our students with the annual CAFES Faculty & Staff Awards.
To nominate an individual for exceptional service, please complete the form:
and submit to Haley Marconett in the Dean’s Office via email at hmarcone@calpoly.edu by end of day today, Friday, May 2.
We will celebrate awardees and a successful academic year at an event on June 10; more details to come.
Student News
Each year, thousands of students from throughout the state come to Cal Poly’s campus for the annual State FFA Finals, thanks to a longstanding partnership with the California FFA Association. This year’s competition on May 3 welcomed more than 2,000 students from 170 high schools for the culminating event which sends top teams to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana this November.
CAFES students, faculty and staff facilitate every aspect of the event, where competitions range from agricultural communication media plans to livestock judging, land evaluation, vegetable crop judging and more. Third-year agricultural science major Annika Wharton served as general chair for the event, overseeing student sub chairs for each competition. Awards were organized by fourth-year agricultural communication major David Lopez and fourth-year agricultural science major Audrey Herrera. Numerous faculty served as contest advisors and students worked with committee chairs to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Student News
The Cal Poly Soil Judging Team took fifth in the nation at the 2025 National Collegiate Soils contest in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The team competed against 26 other collegiate teams. This is the fourth consecutive year the team has placed in the top 10. Fourth-year environmental earth and soil sciences majors Sarah Hoffman took sixth place place overall in the individual contest (out of 106 students) and Cody Cameron placed fourth overall in the alternate individual event (out of roughly 120 students). The team, coached by Assistant Professor Gordon Rees, includes: Nicholas Baham, Mollie Bressler, Cody Cameron, Abby Evans, Sarah Hoffman, Chase King, Kayla Matheson, Nabila Wildman and Gavin Wong.
Student News
Interested in attending grad school? If you have a 3.0 GPA or above, you can participate in AG-NGINE (Agriculture National Graduate Institutional Name Exchange), a national initiative for colleges to recruit promising students for graduate programs in agricultural and natural resources and related fields. Current and potential participating colleges of agriculture and related sciences use the database to promote their graduate degree programs, recruitment events and other opportunities related to graduate study. If interested, submit your information today. This submission grants AG-NGINE permission to release of your information to other U.S. institutions. There is no cost to participate.
Please note that once the 2025 AG-NGINE database is released to participating institutions this October, the information that you provided cannot be removed from AG-NGINE, as all of the information will have been downloaded to each institution’s graduate student recruiting database by then.
General News
Cal Poly Open House 2025 was one for the books! We welcomed over 1,900 guests to celebrate everything that makes the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences so special. Thank you to all the faculty, staff and students who made this year the best yet. Friday featured engaging student and parent panels, with delicious food prepared by our FSN344 Institutional Foodservice II class, a true showcase of Learn by Doing in action. On Saturday, the Ag Pavilion came alive with hands-on displays from our departments and centers in the Farm Shop. From the Poly Royal Rodeo to the thrilling Tractor Pull, the energy was high and the pride was real.
General News
A crowdfunding campaign to raise $3,000 for the Latinos in Agriculture (LIA) Club is running through May. LIA provides students with opportunities to attend regional and national conferences – helping them develop leadership skills, build professional networks and prepare to become the next generation of agricultural leaders. The funds will assist with sending club members to conferences. Donations help cover the costs of conference registration, travel, food and lodging for LIA students.
General News
Cal Poly’s 30th Annual Winemaker Showcase Dinner was a powerful celebration of three decades of innovation, industry partnership and hands-on student success. Raising over $630,000, the event set a new record in support of student learning, research and engagement within the Wine and Viticulture Department.
Held at the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture, the evening welcomed more than 425 guests for a grand tasting, four-course dinner, and afterparty, featuring wines made by Cal Poly alumni. Students led every aspect of the event under the expert guidance of Amber Karson from Karson Butler Events, gaining real-world planning experience with a professional edge.
Student News
The Cal Poly Dairy Products Judging Team, coached by Professor Vincent Yeung recently competed at the 101st annual Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest (CDPEC), on April 16 in Madison, Wisconsin. The contest was hosted by Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and superintended by USDA. Team members judged six categories of dairy products including butter, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, milk and yogurt, based on flavor, body/texture and appearance.
With sheer determination and an unmatched obsession for critiquing frozen desserts, Cal Poly won the ice cream team category for the fourth consecutive year, while adding the milk and yogurt categories to the trophy haul. Cal Poly also placed second in the butter category. In the Individual categories, Mika Zeplovitch (food science and nutrition) finished first in milk and yogurt, while Brianne Agresti (animal science) was victorious in Ice-cream.
💥 Highlights:
🥇 1st in All Products Team
🍦 1st in Ice-cream Team (4 years in a row!)
🥛 1st in Milk Team
🍶 1st in Yogurt Team
💪 Big wins from Brianne Agresti and Mika Zeplovitch in individual categories!
Student News
The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD) is seeking college students to participate in our Clean Air Ambassadors Program for the 2025-2026 school year. This is a paid, part-time position with a flexible schedule up to 15 hours per week and $17/hour starting pay. Clean Air Ambassadors will work remotely, occasionally in the District’s Santa Barbara or Santa Maria office, as well as travel to schools throughout Santa Barbara County.
Clean Air Ambassadors will gain valuable teaching experience by educating elementary-level students about air pollution and ways to help improve air quality. This position will involve co-teaching hands-on, interactive curriculum in elementary school classrooms, soliciting teacher participation by conducting outreach, and assisting with the ongoing development of elementary-level curriculum and engaging activities related to air quality. Applications close Wednesday, May 7.
Please visit the website for more information and email CleanAirAmbassadors@sbcapcd.org with any questions.