Events
Please join us from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture as we celebrate the year and recognize our colleagues.
Guests are welcome and childcare will be provided by CAFES Ambassadors.
General News
The latest issue of Cultivate is out. In this issue you’ll read about students who are creating plans to decrease food waste and about a collaboration between food science and agricultural business students to develop a new food product that will go to market in the near future. You’ll also read about the powerful partnership between our nutrition program and Cal Poly Athletics to ensure that the university’s student athletes are fully embracing their health and wellness. Read the full issue.
General News
On Monday, March 25, the Wine and Viticulture Department hosted their second annual walking tour of the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture to nearly 50 WiVi Central Coast attendees. WiVi is an annual symposium and trade show that brings together winemakers, grape growers, winery owners and more. Enology Professor Federico Casassa and Winery Manager Jim Shumate led the tour, showcasing the department’s sensory lab and discussing wine research and the winemaking program. Attendees ended the tour tasting Cal Poly Wine.
General News
Construction of the new Plant Sciences Complex is commencing.
Phase one will be construction of the George Wurzel Plant Sciences Building within the complex, located at the corner of Highland Drive and Mt. Bishop Road. In the coming days construction fencing will be placed around the construction site, just to the west of Building 17 (the Crops Unit). A few parking spots along Highland Drive will be displaced and relocated, as will the chemical storage sheds behind the building. Access to Building 17 will remain fully open, as will access to campus u-picks via the fire road behind the building.
Cal Poly’s Facilities Management and Development has determined that pedestrian access to the running/walking trails on West Creek Road in front of Building 17 will remain accessible until future phases of the project.
General News
CAFES Ambassadors Megan Dixon and Anna Bibby represented the college at the annual California Agriculture Day at the State Capitol. Hosted in partnership with California Women for Agriculture and the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, Ag Day is an annual celebration recognizing California’s agricultural community by showcasing the bounty of crops and commodities produced in our state. It is also a day for farmers and ranchers to show their appreciation by bringing together state legislators, government leaders and the public for agricultural education.
Events
Tickets are going fast for the 2024 Experience Industry Management Auction Celebration, presented by Avenue Twelve event rentals and décor, on Saturday, April 27 at the Swanson Center of Effort Conference Hall in Cal Poly’s JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture. The student-led event is the main annual fundraiser for the department. The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. and includes food and drinks from some of the Central Coast’s premiere caterers, wineries and breweries, as well as in-person and virtual experiences created exclusively for attendees by EIM students. Purchase tickets and learn more.
General News
Students from the Food Science and Nutrition and the Experience Industry Management departments collaborated with the Cal Poly International Center to host the Taste of the World event on Feb. 28. Students in FSN 344, Foodservice Operations II, curated and prepared recipes from cuisines in South Korea, Jordan, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, Germany and more, while EIM students shared information about the various highlighted countries that Cal Poly students can travel and study in.
Events
The college hosted the sixth annual Aspire to Grow Conference, exploring innovation in food, agriculture, and natural resources, on Feb. 28 at the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture. Featured speakers included Monica Chacòn-Baucke, senior strategic inclusion manager at Nutrien; Gina Bella Colfer, sustainable solutions manager at Wilbur-Ellis; Jonnalee Dunn, growth and development manager at Henderson Farms, Inc.; Rob Goff, vice president, west valley farming and research and development at Wonderful Orchards; Joelle Mosso, vice president, science programs at Western Growers Association; Katie Tougeron, Asia regional business manager, global launch manager at Valent BioSciences; and Blong Xiong, state executive director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency. The Aspire to Grow Conference aims to inform and empower students from across campus about the many and varied career opportunities in these industries. View a recording of the event.
General News
The 29th Annual Winemaker Showcase, presented by Serial Wines, raised $565,000 for the Wine and Viticulture Department. The largest fundraiser in the department is planned, designed, managed and produced by students. The annual event brings wine industry leaders from around California and the US to campus to hear from students, enjoy a four-course wine dinner and a new grand tasting walk around cocktail hour featuring alumni winemakers. Industry partners who supported this event included Serial Wines, Center of Effort, Couch Family Wines and J. Lohr Vineyards.
General News
More than 100 different types of tomato plants will be available at Cal Poly’s annual Tomato Spectacular plant sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 at the Horticulture Unit near the Poly Plant Shop. This one-day event will be accompanied by live music on the lawn at the unit’s entrance while customers wait.
Brandywine, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Vintage Wine, and a selection of cherry tomato plants, including Nature’s Bites, are some of the unique cultivars that will be available during the student-run event, one of several hands-on opportunities offered by Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. A catalogue of available varieties will be made available on April 1 at polyplantshop.com.
This year the program is directed by a team of five students who have grown more than 5,000 tomato plants from seeds to provide home gardeners with quality plants that will produce fresh tomatoes throughout the summer. Students sow the seeds and grow the plants in campus greenhouses.
The plants cost $6 each and are available on a first-come basis, with no holds or reservations made in advance. Customers are encouraged to bring boxes and/or wagons to transport plants to their vehicles.
The sale will take place at the Environmental Horticultural Sciences Building (No. 48) on Via Carta Road off Highland Drive. Parking will be provided for free in lot H14. Customer inquiries can be sent here: polyplantshop.com/contact-us.