General News
The college has a new and improved Facebook page that is on the Roadway to 1k! Follow @calpolyslocafes on Facebook and be sure to tag the college in your posts to share with our supporters all the latest examples of Learn by Doing. #calpolygrown
Events
The college will host an informational booth staffed by CAFES Ambassadors at the World Ag Expo in Tulare from Feb. 13-15. World Ag Expo is the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition with over 1,200 exhibitors and an attendance of more than 100,000 each year. It is held at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. The college is also hosting an alumni and friends reception at the World Ag Expo on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres, Cal Poly wine and beer from Cal Poly alumni owned Dust Bowl Brewing will be served. RSVP today.
Student News
Two teams of students in Professor Terry Lease’s Senior Project class (WVIT 460: Senior Project – Wine Business) took part in the sixth annual Intercollegiate Wine Business Invitational (IWBI). The IWB, led by Tim Hanni and his wine business education organization, is held online and pits teams of wine and hospitality students from around the world against each other to compete for the title.
The Cal Poly team comprised of Samantha Gingrich, Lauren Montgomery, Matt Ogden, Matthew Tibbetts, and Riley Welsh took second place for their concept of the Contravin brand and its Carbonic Grenache wine. The judges praised the team’s clever label and packaging. They liked the unique concept of carbonic grenache and its lower alcohol, lighter wine style as product differentiator.
The team of Nick Ciotola, Taylor Coates, Julia Gregson, Mackenzie Honeycutt, and Camilla McFall created the Rural Rebel brand and its Zinfandel – Syrah Rebel Red blend. The judges said it was a very nice project with excellent buyer personas and commended the depth of the brand the team created.
Students participating in the IWBI work as a team to design a wine brand and label, calculate costs of production, determine a realistic pricing structure, and create a business plan in a true Learn by Doing experience. Projects are evaluated by a panel of industry experts.
The Cost of Goods and Wine Pricing calculators used in the IWBI evolved from spreadsheets developed in Bill Amspacher’s Senior Project class at Cal Poly when Hanni was working in Paso Robles for Foster’s Wine Estates (now part of Treasury Wine Estates). Hanni was one of the first two Americans to earn the title of Master of Wine and is the author of “Why You Like the Wines You Like; Changing the way the world thinks about wine.”
In total, there were 8 teams from 4 academic institutions. The recipient of the Byron Marlow Memorial Trophy for first place was The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel and Tourism and a team from Washington State University came in third place. Other universities competing in the IWBI included Michigan State University, Linfield University and the César Ritz College in Switzerland.
General News
Faculty from the Food Science and Nutrition and the Animal Science Departments recently met with Kori Dover, the director of Food and Nutrition Outreach for the California Beef Council, to discuss future collaborations including internship rotations, community education and outreach and research opportunities.
Student News
Lt. Gabriel Vesneski, a fourth-year construction management major commissioned as an Infantry Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. “While I’ve had a great time at Cal Poly, I am very excited for my future service in the United States Army. I look forward to positively impacting those around me and challenging myself.” The College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences and the Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) extend their best wishes to him for his future endeavors.
General News
In mid-November the Cal Poly Logging Team hosted an all-day Cal Conclave event at the Cal Poly campus, with eight teams from three universities competing. Student teams from Cal Poly, UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Humboldt competed in events, including chopping, chain sawing, dendrology, axe throwing, pole climbing and more. More than 20 alumni volunteered to make the event a success. The Cal Poly “A” team took second place, the “B” team took third place, and the “C” team fourth place.
For the women’s team, fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Kelly Schwenger was named the Belle of the Woods (top female competitor), second-year forest and fire sciences major Cadence Eastermann won fifth place and fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Eden Eliahou won sixth place. On the men’s team, third-year forest and fire sciences major Nolan Hayes won second place, second-year agricultural systems management major Ben Holtzen won fourth place and fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Joey Klugg won sixth place.
Events
You’re Invited! Join us for our annual CAFES holiday open house on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Swanson Center of Effort Conference Hall at the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center For Wine and Viticulture. Guests welcome; childcare provided.
General News
Hundreds of students from across the college attended the CAFES Connections: Fall Career Networking Event on Nov. 16. The event, open to all majors, is designed to provide opportunities for students from across the college to connect with established professionals in industries spanning the breadth of the college. Throughout the event, students met and connected with industry professionals about their companies, internships and full-time employment opportunities.
General News
Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate a lifetime of achievement as we wish a happy retirement to College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Dean Andrew Thulin, who will retire from Cal Poly at the end of 2023 after more than 25 years of service. You can see all the photos from the event here.
General News
Read the latest issue of Cultivate magazine now. In this issue, you’ll read stories about students who are doing critical research in climate science and agronomy. You’ll see the students taking their first classes in the new Boswell Ag Tech Center, where agriculture, food and technology come together. And you’ll read about the latest efforts underway by the Cal Poly Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Institute. Stories also include vertical farming and climate research being done in the tundra. Read the fall issue now.