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C ollege of A griCulture , f ood & e nvironmentAl S CienCeS S pring 2015 Cal Poly Students Mix It Up with Middle Schoolers Tasty Lessons Cal Poly Students Mix It Up with Middle Schoolers
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Agriview Spring 2015

Jul 22, 2016

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The quarterly newsletter of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences, a globally recognized center of excellence in applied sciences through responsive scholarship, leadership and service to others. Since 1901, the college has used a Learn by Doing approach to prepare leaders in agriculture, food systems and environmental and life sciences who are equipped to contribute to the diverse needs of society. cafes.calpoly.edu
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Page 1: Agriview Spring 2015

C o l l e g e o f A g r i C u l t u r e , f o o d & e n v i r o n m e n t A l S C i e n C e S • S p r i n g 2 0 1 5

Cal Poly Students Mix It Up with Middle Schoolers

Tasty LessonsCal Poly Students Mix It Up

with Middle Schoolers

Page 2: Agriview Spring 2015

Dear CAFES Alumni and Friends,As we head into the final weeks of the academic year, I continue to be excited about the incredible momentum we’ve gained as a college and a university.

Across campus there are many exciting projects underway as Cal Poly continues to look to the future. Within CAFES, we’ve worked hard over the last year to prioritize our most critical projects — those that will most move the needle. The CAFES Strategic Vision will set the stage for this (see opposite page). The result of months of important work by key representatives in the college and on our external advisory councils, it represents the collective thinking of students, staff, faculty and external advisors. Although the tactical action plans will be developed in the fall, this is a momentous step for the college in terms of setting our sights on where we want to go.

At the same time, we’re making significant progress on enhancing key programs. When the Wine & Viticulture Department became a reality in 2013, a holistic, multi-disciplinary center was identified as a must-have to meet the program’s goals of immersing students in a three-pronged curriculum of grape cultivation, winemaking, and the business of wine marketing and distribution. Over the last six months, significant effort has been focused on developing the Cal Poly Center for Wine & Viticulture. The facility programming — the planning of the labs and meeting, research, teaching, and hands-on learning spaces — was recently completed with input from faculty, staff, students and industry experts. The facility is set to break ground within the next three years. (For more information, see page 18).

At the end of the day, it’s about the students. In this issue of Agriview, we highlight some of the amazing work they’re doing as they embody the Learn by Doing experience.

Andrew J. Thulin | deAn

FROM THE DEAN

Sowing Seeds of ChangePLANS TAKE ROOT TO ENRICH CAFE’S PROGRAMS AND EXPAND FACILITIES

Dean Andy Thulin (right) welcomes visitor Sonny Ramaswamy, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Read more about Ramaswamy on page 7.

Page 3: Agriview Spring 2015

ON THE COVER: Mesa Middle School student Sarah Wasil (left) collaborates in the kitchen with Cal Poly student Michaela Clauss during a session of Pink and Dude Chefs, a Cal Poly outreach program. Read about the program on pages 10-13.

SPRING 2015

3 News & Notes Strategic planning; Faculty News; Advancement update; By the Numbers; CAFES On the Go

6 Learn by Doing Strawberries go to market; U.S. Department of Agriculture director visits; two pre-veterinary students start Doggy Days nonprofit

10 Cover Story The Pink and Dude Chefs outreach program gets middle schoolers excited about cooking and nutrition

14 Program News Animal science and dairy science programs merge

15 Student Success Meeting with Sacramento legislators; operating the Western Bonanza Junior Livestock Show; wins in the Rose Parade, Dairy Challenge, Young Farmers and Ranchers meet, Oral Undergraduate Research Symposium, and national lumberjack contest.

18 Facilities News Center for Wine & Viticulture is in the planning and fundraising stage

AGRIVIEW is published for alumni and friends by the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences (CAFES).

Dean’s Office 805-756-2161

Communications Team Haley Marconett [email protected] | 805-756-2933

AnnMarie Cornejo [email protected] | 805-756-2427

Editor Jo Ann Lloyd [email protected] | 805-756-7266

Publication Designer Shirley Howell [email protected] | 805-547-0120

Printer Journal Graphics, Portland, Ore.

Stay Connected on:

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 3

NEWS & NOTES

THE COLLEGE REFINES ITS STRATEGIC VISIONThe College of Agriculture, Food &

Environmental Sciences (CAFES) Strategic

Vision and Planning process continued

with a meeting of the Steering Committee

on Jan. 22-23. The committee refined

the goals and objectives drafted last fall

and began generating strategies to tackle

those goals.

In small groups dedicated to the four

overarching Vision and Planning Goals

— Students; Faculty and Staff; Industry

and Community; and Leadership — the

committee brainstormed strategies

that will be leveraged to accomplish

the college’s goals over the next five to

10 years.

The resulting strategies were

distributed to the larger CAFES

community using an electronic survey.

The results of the survey were discussed

at a meeting of the Strategic Visioning

Project Team on March 10. The strategies

were further defined using feedback

generated by the survey. Glenn Tecker,

the outside consultant who facilitated

the process, synthesized the results of

the meeting into the final Strategic Plan.

The final Strategic Plan will be launched

to college stakeholders this spring.

Over the next few months, volunteers

from the CAFES community will be

recruited to help marshal the knowledge

and resources necessary to address the

strategies and achieve the objectives and

goals that were developed in fall 2014.

Achieving these strategies will be

key to the realization of the CAFES’ Big

Audacious Goal: To be the intellectual

and experiential hot house, cultivating

and nurturing people who creatively solve

problems in agriculture, food, health and

the environment.

Focused on the FutureVolunteers gathered to brainstorm at the launch of the strategic planning process last fall.

Page 4: Agriview Spring 2015

4 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

NEWS & NOTES

Aydin Nazmi Bill Hendricks

FACULTY NEWSAYDIN NAZMI REAPPOINTED TO SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD

Nutrition Professor Aydin Nazmi was

reappointed to the Governor’s Science

Advisory Board. Nazmi, director of Cal

Poly’s Center for Solutions Through

Research in Diet & Exercise (STRIDE) and

associate professor in the Food Science

& Nutrition Department, will serve on

the Developmental and Reproductive

Toxicant (DART) Identification Committee.

Its members are expert scientists

appointed to identify chemicals that cause

developmental and reproductive toxicity.

HENDRICKS ON SUNSET COMMITTEE

Bill Hendricks, head of the Recreation,

Parks & Tourism Administration

Department, visited Sunset Magazine

headquarters in January as one of 12

advisory board members in the Western

U.S. to serve on the committee for the

magazine’s first Sunset Travel Awards.

The awards, to be announced in June,

will recognize achievements in lodging,

dining, cultural tourism, outdoor adventure,

environmental stewardship, and more.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Fork and Bottle: Members of the CAFES

advancement team attended this February

event, organized by the Modesto Chapter

of the Cal Poly Alumni Association. More

than 200 guests raised money for student

scholarships through a silent auction.

Unified Wine & Grape Symposium:

Students, faculty and staff traveled to

Sacramento in January for this annual

event — the largest wine and grape

industry trade show in North America.

World Ag Expo: In February, students and

faculty participated in this event at the

International Agri-Center in Tulare, Calif.

CAFES On the Go

Wine and viticulture senior Zachary Merkel and Gianna Gallo (WVIT ’14) attended the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium (above).

Earth science sophomore CJ Chew (below, left) and agriculture science senior Jake Odello met potential Cal Poly students at the 2015 World Ag Expo.

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!Keep up to date with CAFES’ latest

news via social media. We have a lot

going on and want you to be the first

to know about it! Follow us on Twitter

@CalPoly_CAFES and on Facebook.

Page 5: Agriview Spring 2015

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 5

THE CAL POLY

ORGANIC FARM

was ranked

among the top

20 university

farms in America by the independent

website Best College Reviews.

The 11-acre farm in the

Horticulture & Crop Science

Department is certified organic

by the California Certified

Organic Farmers and is managed

by students, faculty and staff.

November 2014 marked the farm’s

20th year of organic certification.

The farm provides a place for

undergraduates to Learn by Doing

20ENDOWMENT UPDATES

CAFES LEARN BY DOING ENDOWMENT

Thanks to available matching funds from

the founding members of the College

of Agriculture, Food & Environmental

Sciences (CAFES) Learn by Doing

Endowment, for a limited time, individuals

can establish a $25,000 CAFES’ Learn by

Doing Endowment for only $12,500.

“The endowment‘s founding

partners joined forces to make financial

commitments that enhance and protect

the hands-on nature of the college’s

programs,” said Russ Kabaker, Cal Poly

assistant dean of advancement and

external relations. “These industry leaders

realize Learn by Doing’s value to the future

of agriculture, food and the environmental

sciences in California and beyond.”

If your company has a gift-matching

program with Cal Poly, the cost to you

could be as little as $6,250 to establish a

$25,000 Learn by Doing Endowment, said

Kabaker. To learn more, contact him at

805-756-3269 or [email protected].

THE IVAN A. WOOD MEMORIAL EARN BY DOING ENDOWMENT

Created with a bequest of $50,000 from

Ivan Wood, a friend of Cal Poly, the

endowment, which will be used to support

student technicians in the Dairy Science

Department, will fund up to 150 hours of

paid internship hours for students each

year into perpetuity.

AdvancementB Y T H E N U M B E R S

organic and sustainable farming practices. Dozens of varieties of produce are grown

each year, including green onions (shown), broccoli, squash, kale and carrots.

CAL POLY’S AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATION bachelor’s degree

was ranked eighth best in the nation based on a peer-reviewed study

of 40 such programs by researchers at the University of Arkansas.

“Our ranking is a testament to the work we have been doing for

many years to build our reputation in agricultural communication,”

said J. Scott Vernon, Cal Poly agricultural communication professor. “We continue

to evolve to meet the changing demands of the communication landscape. Our

students deserve it, our alumni appreciate it, and the agriculture industry expects it.”

The program prepares students to become professional communicators

in agriculture by encouraging enrollment in diverse courses such as digital

communication, graphic design, journalism and technical agriculture. In the fall, a

course focusing on digital video and social media management will be offered to

help prepare students for careers in online and visual communication strategies.

8

JUNE 13: Spring Commencement: Mustangs Forever, 5 p.m.

JULY 16: Cal Poly Alumni Salinas Rodeo Mixer, 4:30-7:30 p.m., California Rodeo Museum. Hosted wine, beer and barbecue. $25 without rodeo ticket; $50 includes rodeo ticket. For details, contact Jordan Albiani at 805-756-2161or [email protected]

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Page 6: Agriview Spring 2015

LEARN BY DOING

6 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

Ripe and ReadyFIRST STRAWBERRIES FROM CAMPUS CROP GO TO MARKET

Gerald Holmes (left) and Cal Poly research associate Ryan Brantley (right) deliver berries and smiles to Vons produce manager Mike Chew in San Luis Obispo.

The first strawberry harvest by the Cal

Poly Strawberry Sustainability Research

and Education Center blossomed into full

production in March — proving to be an

abundant one.

The red, juicy, heart-shaped fruit is

now available for purchase at Vons in

San Luis Obispo and at multiple campus

locations, including the twice weekly farm

stand. The Cal Poly-grown fruit is also

being incorporated into student dining.

Director Gerald Holmes, researcher

and Professor Kelly Ivors and a small staff

of student assistants planted more than

an acre and a half of the fruit on university

farmland adjacent to Highway 1 in

November 2014.

“This first harvest shows that we

can successfully grow strawberries at

Cal Poly,” Holmes said. “The research

that follows will be invaluable to future

strawberry growers and the industry.”

The Cal Poly Strawberry Sustainability

Research and Education Center, in

the College of Agriculture, Food &

Environmental Sciences, focuses on

applied research that incorporates both

teaching and learning experiences for

Cal Poly students, faculty and California

strawberry farmers. The center is a joint

partnership between Cal Poly and the

California Strawberry Commission.

In 2013 the California Strawberry

Commission donated $1 million to create

the Cal Poly Strawberry Sustainability

Research and Education Center — a one-

of-a-kind concept rooted in the hands-on

learning model that defines Cal Poly.

Cal Poly faculty and students are

studying various fumigants used by

farmers to eradicate pests such as insects

as a way to provide an ecologically

superior method of growing strawberries.

Page 7: Agriview Spring 2015

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 7

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE’S DIRECTOR ADDRESSES

The director of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and

Agriculture visited Cal Poly in February and

spoke on the future of the industry.

Sonny Ramaswamy presented

“Setting the Table for a Flatter, Hotter,

More Crowded Earth,” which focused

on the challenges that the must be

overcome to feed, clothe and shelter a

global population expected to exceed

9 billion by 2050 without wreaking havoc

on the environment.

During his visit, Ramaswamy toured

Cal Poly’s agricultural facilities, including

the new Strawberry Sustainability Research

and Education Center and the Irrigation

Training & Research Center.

Ramaswamy was appointed director

of the U.S.D.A’s National Institute of

Cultivating Plans for Our Changing PlanetFood and Agriculture (NIFA) in 2012.

He oversees the award of NIFA funds

for a wide range of extramural research,

education and extension projects that

address the needs of farmers, ranchers

and agricultural producers.

Ramaswamy is a strong supporter

of the College of Agriculture, Food &

Environmental Sciences’ (CAFES’) research

and has dedicated millions of dollars to Cal

Poly through NIFA in past years for research

to help combat future obstacles such as

climate change and water shortages.

CAFES Dean Andy Thulin followed

Ramaswamy’s campus visit with a

meeting at Ramaswamy’s Washington,

D.C., office in March to discuss

potential funding opportunities.

“NIFA and Sonny Ramaswamy

strongly believe in Cal Poly’s unique

Learn by Doing philosophy and the

value we bring to California’s — and

the country’s — agricultural industry,”

Thulin said. “We are excited to

continue to strengthen our partnership

with them.”

Visiting VIP Sonny Ramaswamy (left) with Gerald Holmes, director of Cal Poly’s Strawberry Sustainability Research and Education Center

Page 8: Agriview Spring 2015

8 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

Cal Poly animal science majors Megan Parry, 20, and Sasha Greenlee, 20, have transformed their shared passion for

veterinary medicine into a community service project benefiting the pets of the local homeless population in San Luis Obispo County.

They spend one weekend each month offering basic veterinary services at the Prado Day Center in San Luis Obispo, a place that provides day-to-day services for the homeless such as meals, showers and laundry facilities.

In May 2014 Parry and Greenlee founded the nonprofit, Doggy Days at Prado Day, to collect donations of dog food, flea medicine, and other basic care items. In addition, student and faculty volunteers hold a veterinary clinic one weekend every month.

TWO PRE-VET STUDENTS TREAT A LOCAL HOMELESS SHELTER’S FOUR-LEGGED RESIDENTS

LEARN BY DOING

have taught Parry and Greenlee how to give a physical, draw blood, give vaccines and various other clinical skills.

Because the homeless clientele is often mobile and difficult to reach, the Cal Poly volunteers make a point of offering as much veterinary care as they can on a client’s first visit.

“We can’t always contact the owner and do a recheck, so we do as much as possible in that moment,” said Parry.

Professor Kim Sprayberry, who assists when needed, said that the students’ experience through their voluntary effort is invaluable. Following Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing motto, the students get firsthand experience but also learn valuable life lessons that cannot be taught in the classroom.

“The students take what they’ve learned in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, companion animal care, and

COMPASSION FOR CANINES

“There is a need in our community, and so far we really like doing it,” said Parry, a senior from Cupertino, Calif. “It has been so rewarding to see people learn to trust us.”

They have mostly treated dogs. Cali, a sweet and affectionate pit bull terrier, is one of their favorite clients.

Cali’s owners, Debbie and Joe Ramirez, both homeless, found her hid-ing under a car in search of shade one hot summer day. She has been by their side every day since. Until recently, Cali had never been to a veterinarian.

“A lot of people wonder why the homeless have pets if they can’t even take care of themselves,” said Greenlee, a sophomore from Pleasanton, Calif. “We see it differently. These pets are the only reason some of these people are alive.”

A combination of animal science courses, past work and FFA experiences

Page 9: Agriview Spring 2015

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 9

Animal Science students Sasha Greenlee (left) and Megan Parry with satisfied clients Joe Ramirez and his dog, Cali

dentistry right into the immediacy of an open-air exam room,” Sprayberry said.

Certain procedures, such as administering the rabies vaccination, must be done by a licensed veterinarian. Sprayberry and Professor Jennifer Staniec assist with those treatments.

Donations of medications, specialty foods and shampoos, coupled with low-cost medications and supplies purchased through Cal Poly’s Veterinary Clinic, are dispensed on site.

The students, said Sprayberry, are also getting a lesson in compassion.

“They experience the gift of being able to communicate with the warmth of a smile, eye contact, a handshake or hug, and giving care to an animal whose love for the client is about all that person has in the world,” Sprayberry said. “This is a large part of what veterinary medicine is all about — caring for others by caring for their pets.”

This is not the first time that Cal Poly students have aided Prado Day Center. Five years ago, Cal Poly students helped build dog kennels at the day shelter so that people have a safe place to keep their pets while accessing services.

“We could not do what we are doing without Cal Poly,” said Grace McIntosh, deputy director at Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, which operates the shelter. “For a lot of our clients, their pets are the only family they have. These students are not just taking care of animals; they are caring for the shelter residents’ loved ones.”

Sasha Greenlee administers medication (above) and a heartfelt hug (opposite) during a monthly visit to the Prado Day Center.

Page 10: Agriview Spring 2015

COVER STORY

CULINARY EXPERIENCEHUNGRY FOR A

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS DEVELOP AN APPETITE FOR NUTRITION AND COOKING LESSONS, THANKS TO PINK AND DUDE CHEFS

The shrill ring of the final school bell on a Friday afternoon is followed by a scurry of excited middle school students scrambling

to embrace the weekend.But nearly a dozen 7th-graders stay

back, equally enthusiastic to head to an afterschool program that has become a highlight of their school week.

Nutrition graduate student Jessie Bierlich (below) with Mesa Middle School taste-testers Fabian Rodriguez (left) and Julian Reyes

10 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

Page 11: Agriview Spring 2015

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 11

CULINARY EXPERIENCEMIDDLE SCHOOLERS DEVELOP AN APPETITE FOR NUTRITION AND COOKING LESSONS, THANKS TO PINK AND DUDE CHEFS

The program, Pink and Dude Chefs, is a Cal Poly initiative that connects college students with local middle school students to provide nutrition education and hands-on culinary skills.

The 12-week program, part of Cal Poly’s Center for Solutions Through Research in Diet and Exercise (STRIDE), is now being taught at Mesa Middle School in Arroyo Grande, Calif., but has been taught at other middle schools in San Luis Obispo County and nationally.

The program is one of several offered by STRIDE that focuses on obesity prevention by providing real-life learning experiences — a vital step toward a healthy future.

The facts about childhood obesity are startling. It’s an epidemic that is plaguing the nation. In 2012, more than one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 18 percent in 2012.

“Given that obesity costs the nation more than $200 billion per year and comes with untold public health consequences, I think that our energy in teaching kids about food, nutrition

Mesa students Julian Reyes and Renee Regnier get a hand from food science junior Brianna Bender (right).

Page 12: Agriview Spring 2015

and cooking are well directed,” said Aydin Nazmi, director of STRIDE and a nutrition professor in the Food Science & Nutrition Department. “We have already shown improvements in culinary self-efficiency, nutrition knowledge, and nutrition behavior among program participants.”

Pink and Dude Chefs goes straight to the source to educate and empower.

The students are taught a gamut of skills needed to live a healthy, nutritional lifestyle: kitchen safety, how to read nutrition labels and recipes, and basic cooking techniques.

“Middle school students are at a pivotal age of making choices on their own,” said Jessie Bierlich, a Cal Poly student pursuing a graduate degree in nutrition and teaching the Pink and Dude Chefs program this year. “They’re not quite adults but no longer kids. The goal is to provide them tools they can carry throughout their adulthood.”

One recent Friday afternoon, the students gathered around a collection of cereal boxes such as Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, studying the nutritional labels of each. Within minutes the students identified the total calories and the amount of sugar per serving in each cereal. To some, it came as a shock.

Volunteers from the Cal Poly Health Ambassadors, a STRIDE program focused on campus-community outreach efforts to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, moved among the students to assist and encourage them. Many are majoring in nutrition, with plans to pursue careers in the medical field, corporate wellness and education.

“I love promoting health and wellness because they’re important in

everything you do in life,” said Cori Glazer, a second-year nutrition major.

The middle school students, only a few weeks into the course, are already armed with an arsenal of new nutritional knowledge. However, it’s in the kitchen that their new-found skills really shine.

The class meets each Friday to explore a new recipe. During this class, students will make two varying white bean macaroni and cheese recipes, one with yams and the other with red peppers.

“They’re teaching us for the future,” said Haley Razo, 12, who often cooks breakfast and lunch for her family.

At first, students gawk at the jarred red peppers, but before long, while chopping them for the food processor, they give them a try.

“My rule is simple: You have to try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat any more of it,” said Bierlich.

The students make the recipe from start to finish: measuring out ingredients such as noodles, white beans, cheese, peppers and yams; chopping the yams and red peppers; and using the food processor to puree the bean and yam mixture.

As the two batches of macaroni and cheese cook on the stove, the students take turns gathering around the large stainless steel sink to wash the dishes they used to prepare the food.

Pink and Dude Chefs is gaining nationwide traction. Cal Poly partnered with researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., to conduct a comprehensive

12 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

COVER STORY

Mesa student Zac Brewer and program volunteer Savannah Rodriguez perfect their purée (above).

Page 13: Agriview Spring 2015

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 13

evaluation of the nutrition education program at several sites in Nashville.

In addition, STRIDE now offers an online curriculum that provides an innovative train-the-trainer series that empowers anyone, regardless of their culinary experience, with the skills necessary to launch the program in their own community.

“Pink and Dude Chefs is a perfect outlet for Learn by Doing because it reinforces concepts taught in coursework, gives students a broader perspective of society by putting them into communities with a disproportionate risk of health problems, and gives students the opportunity to develop leadership skills,” Nazmi said.

Bierlich focused her graduate thesis on the food and vegetable intake of middle school students and how their preferences change with the program as they study nutrition and develop culinary skills.

She has been teaching and facilitating the program since last fall and said she is constantly surprised by the students’ willingness to try new ingredients.

“What I love to see is when the kids have an initial reaction to an ingredient or recipe and are resistant to it,” Bierlich said. “I’ve seen students do it with tofu or a specific vegetable and then they try it and they like it. They are more willing to try it in a fun environment when they have control over the taste or flavors.”

As the two-hour class neared its end, the students gathered around Bierlich to taste their latest creations. They discussed the flavors, the textures and the differences between the two recipes.

Not one student complained.“I thought they both tasted about

the same,” said Julian Reyes, 13. “They

were a little bland, but if you can make it better, it’s not that disappointing. If you ruin it — that’s disappointing.”

Other dishes that the students will make include baked chicken fingers, sweet potato fries, spaghetti squash salad, and an apple crisp.

At the end of the course, the students will celebrate their new culinary skills

Mesa student Fabian Rodriguez learns the importance of measuring ingredients carefully (below).

by holding a family fiesta — preparing an entire meal for their families.

“It is amazing, and incredibly rewarding, to watch them develop confidence in themselves,” Bierlich said.

Page 14: Agriview Spring 2015

14 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

PROGRAM NEWS

Cal Poly’s dairy science program is being integrated with the animal science program, known as the largest and

best-regarded in the state. The purpose of the merger is to strengthen the dairy science program to ensure that Cal Poly is delivering what the industry needs.

The merger will enable both programs to leverage the resources and talents of the other while preserving the integrity of the dairy-specific curriculum. The new administrative structure will be effective July 1, 2015, and will not impact students currently enrolled in either program.

The dairy industry is the largest sector of California’s agriculture industry, and in today’s hyper-competitive environment, the industry needs human talent that has a basic grounding in such diverse fields as nutrition, environmental and regulatory affairs, food safety, water use, animal health and welfare, nutrient management, reproductive physiology, business and marketing.

Cal Poly’s job is to deliver a program that exposes students to these areas and prepares them to contribute to the continuing success of the dairy production and processing industries.

The newly merged Animal Sciences Department will offer two degree programs, one in dairy science and one in animal science. The department will also offer minors in dairy science, equine science, meat science and processing, poultry management, and rangeland resources.

“Reducing administrative overhead and taking advantage of the synergies between the faculty of both programs

will create a stronger program — one that better prepares students to enter the dairy industry ready to make an immediate and positive impact,” said Andy Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences. “We know that we play a critical role in developing tomorrow’s talent to ensure the continued strength of the dairy industry in the state of California. This change will enable us to provide our graduates with the foundation they need.”

DAIRY AND ANIMAL SCIENCE PROGRAMS TO MERGE

A Good Mix

The integration of animal and dairy sciences is expected to strengthen both programs and enable a more efficient use of resources.

Page 15: Agriview Spring 2015

STUDENT SUCCESS

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 15

included a waterfall with recirculating

water, the griffin’s wings, a drawbridge,

jumping fish, flickering candle flame and a

quill. Smith and Do helped with the flowers

along the top of the book as well as the ink

quills and the candle.

This is the fourth consecutive year

that the float has earned the “Californian

Grown” designation by the California Cut

Flower Commission. To be so designated,

at least 85 percent of the flowers and plant

materials used must come from California.

Lynch said that the chance for her

students to participate in creating such

large-scale flower arrangements was

priceless, as was the team’s comradery.

“Cal Poly has so many alumni who help

make the float,” said Lynch. “It makes you

feel really good to know that Cal Poly is still

in the hearts and souls of our alumni.”

CAL POLY’S GRIFFIN FLOAT SNAGS ROSE PARADE TROPHY

Cal Poly students in San Luis Obispo and Pomana collaborated on “Soaring Stories.”

For the 53rd time since 1949, the only

student-built float earned special honors

at the 126th Tournament of Roses Parade

held New Year’s Day. “Soaring Stories” won

the Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy for the

most beautiful non-commercial float.

The float was constructed by students

from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and their

counterparts at Cal Poly Pomona.

“Soaring Stories” depicted a fairytale

castle and mythological griffin springing to

life from the pages of storybooks, reflecting

the parade theme, “Inspiring Stories.”

Two floral design students, Kirsten

Smith and Sara Do, traveled to Pasadena

with horticulture Professor Melinda Lynch to

assist with the fresh-flower arrangements.

In a first for the universities, the back

of the float included a wall of living flowers

instead of cut flowers. Animated elements

ROSES TO THE TEAM!

DAIRY CHALLENGE TEAM TAKES FIRST PLACE IN NATIONAL COMPETITIONA team of four Cal Poly students took

first place at the 14th annual North

American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge

held April 9-11 in Liverpool, N.Y.

The Dairy Challenge is a two-day

competition for students representing

dairy science programs at North

American universities. Students were

asked to evaluate an operational New

York dairy and develop a farm analysis

that included a list of recommendations

for nutrition, reproduction, milking

procedures, animal health, housing and

financial management.

The Cal Poly team ranked first among

eight competing teams that evaluated

the same dairy. Cal Poly’s team included:

Anthony Alamo of Turlock; Preston

Fernandes of Tulare; Amy McBirney of

Morgan Hill; and Russell Pate of Visalia.

Dairy science Professor Stan Henderson

coached the team.

“The challenge was a culmination of

all the hard work that we have put into

school for the last four years,” said senior

Pate. “We took what we have learned

and applied it to a real-world situation at

a competitive level.”

The Cal Poly team advanced to the

national competition after a successful

performance at the Western Regional Dairy

Challenge in Tulare, Calif., in February.

“Cal Poly’s success in the Dairy

Challenge can be attributed to the

knowledge and talent of our students,”

said Henderson. “Cal Poly students

have won this competition for the past

three years, more often than any other

university in North America.”

TOP HONORS

Page 16: Agriview Spring 2015

16 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

STUDENT SUCCESS

STUDENTS TALK AG ISSUES WITH STATE LEGISLATORSIn March, students in AG 452, Issues Facing California Agriculture, met with

legislators and top policymakers and made team presentations on issues

affecting California agriculture such as water, immigration, education and

consumer preference at the California Farm Bureau Federation in Sacramento.

The 20 students were hand-selected by the College of Agriculture, Food

& Environmental Sciences’ deans and 10 department heads with the intent of

exposing CAFES’ top students to key issues affecting the agriculture industry and

the political process tied to it.

The class, envisioned by George Soares (Agribusiness, 1966), founding

partner at Kahn, Soares & Conway in Sacramento, has been taught at Cal Poly

since 2003 and replicated at Chico State, Fresno State, and Cal Poly Pomona.

While in Sacramento, the students met with Soares and California

Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross.

“The field trip is a life-changing experience for many students, who learn

about new professional and career opportunities they were otherwise unaware

of,” said Mark Shelton, associate dean and co-instructor of the course.

A CAPITOL VISIT

SENIOR TAKES FIRST PLACE IN ORAL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONTESTCal Poly environmental soil science

senior Patrick Michelsen won the Oral

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Contest held during the 2014 International

Annual Meetings of the American Society

of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of

America, and Soil Science Society of

America in Long Beach.

Michelsen won for his presentation

of a paper titled “Environmental

Ramifications of a 120-Year-Old Railroad

Bridge Painted in Lead Paint.” The

study focused on the influence of wind

and water flow in the distribution of

lead — a known human toxin — in the

soils, plants and sediments of Stenner

Creek, which surrounds Trestle Bridge, a

structure constructed circa 1894 at Cal

Poly. His findings demonstrate wind’s role

in transporting lead to the soils directly

under and downwind from the bridge.

The paper, developed for a course

titled Soil and Water Chemistry (SS 423),

was co-authored by Cal Poly soil science

alumni Craig Stubler and Chip Appel.

YOUNG FARMERS AND RANCHERS MEET PRODUCES WINS FOR CAL POLYCal Poly students excelled at the California

Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers

Collegiate Discussion Meet in March,

with Kenna Lewis, a third-year agricultural

communications major, claiming the title of

2015 California Champion.

Agricultural communications majors

Harrison Reilly, Riley Nilsen, Ariana

Joven and Kenna Lewis also delivered

a stellar performance in the face of

fierce competition, ultimately earning

the Outstanding Team award. Lewis will

compete in the national event in Kansas

City, Mo., in February 2016.

Students taking AG 452 commemorate their visit to Sacramento in March.

Page 17: Agriview Spring 2015

CAfeS.CAlpolY.edu 17

STUDENTS RUN POPULAR WESTERN BONANZA SHOWCal Poly’s annual Western Bonanza Junior

Livestock Show — the largest student-run

exhibition of its kind on the West Coast

— was held Feb. 13-15 at the Paso Robles

Event Center.  

Western Bonanza began as a senior

project in 1985 and has grown to be one

of the largest and most successful student-

run jackpot shows with more than 500

exhibitors and 2,000 entries.

Exhibitors from Arizona, Oregon,

Nevada and Idaho showed their animals in

beef, swine, sheep and goat categories.

A management team of 30 Cal Poly

students and more than 100 committee

members hosted the show — a free event

open to livestock enthusiasts and the public.

“The fact that Cal Poly students are

running Western Bonanza is really an

integral part of it,” said Vanessa Alexandre,

Cal Poly agribusiness senior and swine

chair. “These kids are going to the show

and looking at youth their own age (who

are) running it, and it gives them something

to aspire to.”

UPSTANDING

The Western Bonanza Junior Livestock Show offers young exhibitors an opportunity to show their animals (right).

TOP U.S. COLLEGIATE LUMBERJACK ITALY-BOUNDSam Mulholland-Wong, a fourth-year

forestry and natural resources major,

will represent the U.S. in the first-ever

rookie/collegiate Lumberjack World

Championships in Florence, Italy, in May.

Mulholland-Wong was named top

collegiate lumberjack in the nation after

dominating five of the top athletes in the

sport at the National Stihl Timbersports

Collegiate Championship in June 2014.

Page 18: Agriview Spring 2015

HELP US BUILD IT!The university has committed space

and some infrastructure to develop

the Center for Wine & Viticulture. We

invite you to join our effort by making

a gift today.

A variety of giving opportunities

are available, including the naming of

the center and supporting vineyards,

labs, classrooms, lecture halls,

scholarships and endowed faculty.

Learn more by contacting Grant

Kirkpatrick at 805-756-2173 or

[email protected].

The vision keeps getting bigger and better. It wasn’t that long ago — summer 2013 — that Cal Poly formally established the

Wine & Viticulture Department. The program has already grown to become the largest wine and viticulture program of its kind in the nation.

Now comes the next big step in hands-on learning for Cal Poly students: the Center for Wine & Viticulture.

The vision includes a 22,000-square-foot learning facility with crush, fermentation, barrel, bottling, teaching and meeting facilities. There will be sensory, enology and viticulture teaching labs and a commercial-grade bonded winery that will allow students to gain a comprehensive understanding of vineyards and grape cultivation, the winemaking process, and the business of wine marketing and distribution. This unique three-pronged curriculum will give students insight into the realities of the entire wine industry.

The center will be a teaching facility as much as a working winery.

NEW FACILITIES

On the Horizon

“Industry leaders and even parents have pledged their support,” said Marianne McGarry Wolf, interim head of the Wine & Viticulture Department. “They are the visionaries — the ones who saw what the program would become and now envision what it will be in 10 years.”

Cal Poly’s Central Coast location gives students access to some of the best growing conditions and internship

PLANS EMERGE FOR A CENTER FOR WINE & VITICULTUREopportunities in the industry. The many wineries to the north and south of campus provide an ideal environment in which students can learn, experiment and conduct research with world-class viticulturists and wine makers.

“The new center will provide state-of-the-art Learn by Doing experiences,” said Andy Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences. “That academic edge, coupled with real-world internships, will give Cal Poly graduates the knowledge and tools necessary to enter — and lead — the multidimensional wine industry anywhere in the world.”

In a recent study published by the Wine Institute, California ranked as America’s top wine producer, making 90 percent of all U.S. wine and generating more than $61.5 billion in economic impact. There is an urgent need for new talent in the wine industry, and that need will increase with even greater demand in the coming years.

Cal Poly can help fill that void, and the new Center for Wine & Viticulture will help do so in a first-rate manner.

The Wine & Viticulture Department envisions a 22,000-square-foot center that serves as a teaching facility and a bonded winery.

18 AgrivieW • Spring 2015

Page 19: Agriview Spring 2015

WE’RE COMMITTED TO

ARE YOU?Help support our educational foundation by funding the Learn by Doing

Endowment. The endowment was founded by 10 agriculture leaders who

recognized — and benefitted from — the distinct advantage of a hands-on

education. With an initial $1 million pledge, they’ve also committed to

matching each $12,500 endowment gift to double your impact and support

Learn by Doing in the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences.

Learn by Doing ...

GIVE BACK TODAY!Contact Russ Kabaker

805-756-6601

[email protected]

cafes.calpoly.edu/support-learn-doing

Page 20: Agriview Spring 2015

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California 93407-0250

Strutting Their StuffStudents from Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon participated in Cal Poly’s annual Western Bonanza Junior Livestock Show at the Paso Robles Event Center in February. Read more about the successful student-run event on page 17.