General News
Happy Holidays
May your holidays be filled with love, family, good health and happiness. And a joyous new year!
General News
General News
Events
Save the Date: Ag Showcase on January 13-14
Ag Showcase, the largest student-run career fair in Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, is hosted for students who are searching for an internship or full-time employment with companies involved in all facets of the agriculture industry.
This year’s event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Cal Poly Farm Shop, Building 09. Students of all majors, and classifications, are invited to attend.
An industry social for juniors and seniors only will be held Jan. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Madonna Inn for students to interact with companies on a personal level in a more casual setting. The event, which is hosted at the Madonna Inn will feature food and drinks at no cost to participants.
During the beginning of winter quarter Hannah Steen, the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ Career Counselor will host workshops prior to Ag Showcase to help students prepare.
If you have any questions, please contact the Ag Showcase chair at agshowcase.cp@gmail.com.
Events
Save the Date: Aspire to Grow 2022
Save the date for the fourth annual Aspire to Grow Conference: Aspire to Grow 2022: Resilience, Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders: Diversity and Innovation in Food and Agriculture. This year’s conference will be held Wednesday, March 2, from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Though the conference is designed for students, the entire campus community is welcome and encouraged to attend. As you plan for the winter quarter, please consider including this event in your course syllabi and otherwise encouraging students, faculty, and staff to attend.
The fourth annual Aspire to Grow Conference explores innovation in the food, agriculture and
natural resource sectors. The symposium will focus on the theme of resilience, and the role diversity
of thought and experience plays in achieving this.
This year’s student co-chairs are:
Susanna Hoffman, recreation, parks and tourism administration
Isaac Lopez, agricultural communication
Kayla Reiman, agricultural and environmental plant sciences
General News
USDA’s 2022 Agricultural Outlook Forum
Join U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, USDA leadership, and other industry leaders for the agricultural sector’s premier event — the 2022 Agricultural Outlook Forum. This year’s forum, “New Paths to Sustainability and Productivity Growth,” will be held virtually on February 24-25, 2022. Learn about the latest trends in agriculture, forestry, and related areas. Attendance is free with advance registration here.
General News
Director of the Center for Organic Production and Research…
Matthew Grieshop, associate professor of organic pest management and director of the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems academic program at Michigan State University, has been named as the director of Cal Poly’s new Center for Organic Production and Research. Grieshop will begin in January 2022.
“I am thrilled to welcome Matthew Grieshop to the team as we prepare to launch a unique learning model that will enable research and innovation across disciplines, focusing on real-world issues that directly impact the state’s multibillion-dollar organic industry,” said College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Dean Andrew Thulin.
Cal Poly’s new Center for Organic Production and Research will integrate the greatest talents in academia, private industry, government and a wide range of disciplines to benefit the organic industry.
In addition to serving as director of the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems academic program, Grieshop served as Michigan State University’s organic pest management specialist, leading a multitude of research activities, and providing classes focused on providing economically viable pest management knowledge, training and tactics for organic farming systems designed through a better understanding of agroecosystem dynamics, pest natural history, and behavior.
“I’m thrilled to join the faculty, staff and students at Cal Poly to work with the nation’s premier organic industry in developing solutions to applied problems while training future generations of organic professionals,” said Grieshop.
Read more here.
General News
Zoom Backgrounds
Feeling festive? Click here to download a couple of new zoom background options that highlight our very own poinsettias, grown by students in the greenhouses near the Poly Plant Shop.
General News
Fall Career Fair a Success
The new CAFES Connections: Fall Career Networking Event hosted 16 employers, giving students the opportunity to meet with them to discover new career and internship opportunities. Employers attending include Nutrien, the J.M. Smucker Company, G3 Enterprises, Inc., American AgCredit, San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden and Superior Foods International, LLC.
The next student networking event will be held in January. This year’s Ag Showcase will be held on January 13 and 14, 2022. Click here for more information, including how to register.
Events
Upcoming Commencement Ceremonies
Fall 2021 Commencement:
Saturday, December 11, 10 a.m., gates open to grads and guests at 9 a.m.
Fall 2021 total eligible grads: 900 (anticipated participation = 700 grads)
Class of 2020 Commencement Celebration:
Sunday, December 12, 10 a.m., gates open to grads and guests at 9 a.m.
Class of 2020 RSVP: approximately 1,400 grads
General News
JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture
An exclusive unveiling of the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture was held Nov. 6, revealing the completed center to the donors who made the $22 million facility a reality. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in front of the complex to commemorate the project’s completion. Students will begin classes in the new center in 2022.
The JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture will complement the university’s existing 14-acre teaching and commercial vineyard that produces chardonnay and pinot noir, and several additional varieties in teaching blocks. The Center will enable students to gain a comprehensive understanding of not just vineyards and grape cultivation, but also of the winemaking process and the business of wine marketing, distribution, and sales. Cal Poly graduates are known in the industry for graduating prepared to join the workforce immediately – having gained the hands-on skills needed in both in classes and internships during their undergraduate studies.
General News
Cal Poly Annual Poinsettia Sale Starts Dec. 3
Cal Poly’s annual poinsettia sale, with thousands of plants and dozens of varieties and colors, will kick off Friday Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Poly Plant Shop and will run through mid-December.
The flowering holiday plants are grown by students who work in the Horticulture and Crop Science Department’s greenhouses. This year’s poinsettia project offers many shades of red, white, pink and other variegated varieties. Sizes range from small plants in four-inch pots to large poinsettias reaching three feet high, in 14-inch pots. Prices range from $8 to $75.
In addition to poinsettias, the Poly Plant Holiday Sale also features student-made wreaths, centerpieces, succulents, ornaments and gifts.
The Poly Plant Shop is located on campus off of Via Carta Road and will be open Dec. 3-4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again the Dec. 9-11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All customers are required to wear masks while inside the Poly Plant Shop. For more information, call the Poly Plant Shop at 805-756-1106 or visit www.polyplantshop.com.