Cultivate Fall 2021

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ISSUE 16

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FALL 2021

A NOTE FROM THE DEAN

FALL 2021

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The steady buzz on campus and the swirling energy as students return to in-person classrooms, labs and production operations is a welcome sound — one that I will never take for granted. It is an honor and privilege to come together once again and doing so safely continues to be our chief priority.

Our work here is directly shaping the future of California and beyond as our students tackle problems head on that impact our future. Food insecurity and dwindling natural resources, coupled with wildfire and a changing climate, are issues that not only impact us all, but require the best of minds to address. Our students are up to the challenge.

In this issue, you’ll read stories about students and faculty who are working diligently to address these global issues and positively affect change.

You’ll also read stories of how our alumni are shaping the future – with the common goal of a greater good. Because we are all in this together.

I want to personally thank you for all that you do -- from sharing your own personal stories of impact to supporting and helping shape the future generations of leaders.

To continued good health,

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FUNDING THE FUTURE OF FOREST HEALTH ————

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Cover Story ALUMNI IMPACT ————

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BRANCHING OUT ————

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ROOTED IN HISTORY ————

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PHOTO ESSAY

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

Dean’s Office 805-756-2161 Communications Team Haley Marconett hmarcone@calpoly.edu 805-756-2933 AnnMarie Cornejo ancornej@calpoly.edu 805-756-2427

Publication Designer Julia Jackson-Clark

(Graphic Communication, '19)

juliajackson-clark.com Printer Lithographix Los Angeles, California Staff Photographers Felipe Vallejo

(Agricultural Communication, '21)

Andrew J. Thulin , Ph.D. | Dean

Emily Sarantopulos

(BioResource and Agricultural Engineering, '24)

cafes.calpoly.edu Stay connected on:

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STUDENT FEATURE

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Growing Sustainable Foods in the Face of a Changing Global Climate As Alena Andrews (Anthropology and Geography, ’21) embarked on her senior project, she knew that she wanted to focus on the environment and sustainable food systems, which led her to Nick Williams, a lecturer in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department.

Under his mentorship, Andrews crafted a thesis focused on creating more resilient food systems in the face of a changing climate. The more than eight-month research collaboration sparked a journey that came full circle, from meeting with local farmers and growing and hand-harvesting wheat at Cal Poly’s Experimental Farm, to baking bread with a small, organic bakery that uses whole grains and seasonal ingredients.

Andrews conducted an experimental organic wheat variety trial at the Experimental Farm, a two-acre campus farm and garden that serves as a hands-on living laboratory for Cal Poly students, faculty and staff, to further understand the process of local crop selection in San Luis Obispo County. She chose the wheat crop because of its adaptability. After talking with local farmers and exploring ideas of local crop selection in San Luis Obispo County, Andrews partnered with plant breeders at UC Davis to get several of the seeds. In the end, five grain varieties were planted, including three experimental varieties, as a test for local adaptation.

“I had the broad goal of making the food system in San Luis Obispo County more resilient to climate change by finding crops that would adapt as the climate becomes hotter and dryer,” Andrews said. “It will become increasingly important to select crops that can adapt to changing climate conditions but will also serve the community.”

Williams, whose research is focused on examining the ways in which sociopolitical, economic and ecological changes influence

human-environmental relationships with a particular interest in food systems, emphasized the community component of the project. “We can do all the research in the world to find grains that are drought tolerant, but if they aren’t what people will consume, we aren’t fully achieving our goals,” he said. “The links between production and consumption and between producers and consumers are often overlooked.”

The wheat varieties, planted in November 2020 and tended to until June, were then hand-harvested by Andrews and Williams.

And while it was clear at that point which varieties thrived, which were plagued by diseases, and which were easier to process — the final stage of using the grains to bake bread would tell the full story. Andrews connected with Bread Bike, a San Luis Obispobased bakery that bakes organic, naturally leavened sourdough bread using Californiagrown grains and wheat and delivers it by bicycle in San Luis Obispo. Together, Andrews, Williams and the Bread Bike team spent an afternoon transforming the various wheat varieties into loaves of bread.

“Does it taste good? If not, it may not be worth it to grow from the standpoint of a cultural and social connection,” Andrews said. “Once we did the milling and baking process and tasted the results, we quickly learned that the yield didn’t matter as much as the taste.” To fully create more resilient food systems in the face of a changing climate, the community can’t be overlooked, she said. By incorporating the experiences of local farmers growing crops in changing environmental conditions and educating the community on the value of local, sustainable food systems, the science of growing food gains the support a strong social and cultural connection. It is then, when science and community break bread, that the future becomes more sustainable.

Top: Experimental wheat varieties growing at the Cal Poly Experimental Farm.

Middle: Alena Andrews with harvested wheat.

Bottom: Bread loaves baked with the experimental wheat.

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NEWS & NOTES

PREPARING FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department (NRES), which was created when the Natural Resources Management and Earth and Soil Sciences Departments merged. The unification of the two departments expanded Cal Poly’s capacity to train future environmental science and natural resource management professionals at a time when the complexity and seriousness of environmental and policy challenges facing society is unmatched.

Cal Poly and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is prepared to meet this need early on by investing in and growing the department to meet student needs, expanding support for student research and professional training, and growing the Learn by Doing opportunities across the entire institution. While the environmental challenges society faces now and in the future are serious and mounting, the NRES Department is proud to be among a talented and committed community of educators and students able to address these challenges head on.

To help train the next generation of environmental stewards, donate at http://bit.ly/CalPolyNRES.

STRAWBERRY CENTER FIELD DAY More than 330 people attended the Cal Poly Strawberry Center’s annual Field Day event on July 29 to learn more about the latest research and automation activities taking place at the Strawberry Center. Cal Poly students and staff discussed 13 experiments focused on disease and pest management techniques and offered demonstrations on current automation projects for strawberry production. More than 43 sponsors supported the Field Day activities. The center offers student work experience and internships, with as many as 20 students working on various projects at any given time. Watch a video recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOpu6Ktno2s.

CAREER COUNSELOR Hannah Steen recently joined the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences as a career counselor. Steen was born and raised in south-central Kentucky and attended college at the University of Louisville, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She moved to the Central Coast in January 2019. Prior to her role with the college, she served as a career counselor on the Freshman Focus Team at Cal Poly.

Steen believes the best part of her job is getting to hear students' stories and learn about their goals and aspirations.

FOOD SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is a partner institution for the Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI), which provides leadership development to upper-level leaders in higher education, government and industry. Each year the college hosts participants for a weeklong immersion session where they hear from leaders in the food and agriculture industry and visit production and processing sites. This year's speakers included California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross.

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Meet Our New Faculty SANDY SHEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR Federico Casassa, associate professor of enology and sensory analysis, was awarded the university’s 2021 Distinguished Scholar Award. Casassa brought his passion for wine to Cal Poly’s Wine and Viticulture Department in 2015. He has since helped establish the department — the nation’s largest undergraduate program with 300 students — as a key research hub in California.

Over the past six years, his research has contributed to 19 manuscripts, two book chapters and more than 30 conference proceedings. His work with students has been singled out, with seven of his published papers listing his graduate students as co-authors.

Casassa has overseen 46 senior projects, of which 27 included student-conducted research projects he supervised. Nine more also published work from research under his guidance and now work at world-renowned wineries. Casassa has secured nearly $550,000 in grants supporting undergraduate and graduate student research, and he has helped burnish Cal Poly’s reputation through 40 wine industry presentations and workshops in the U.S. and internationally. His outreach to the wine industry has helped Cal Poly become a major player in investigating best practices and new frontiers in the industry.

In June, Casassa was named an Italian Wine Ambassador by Vinitaly International Academy — making him one of only 240 such ambassadors in the world today.

He sought the certification to broaden his knowledge of the diversity of Italian wines. His scholarly research, which is assisted by his undergraduate and graduate students, focuses on wine chemistry and biochemistry and on the chemical and sensory aspects of winemaking, particularly in red wines. “We live in a global environment, and our students need to be exposed to the broadest possible aspects of the wine industry,” Casassa said. “Europe, especially Italy, was the cradle of modern winemaking. Tasting and understanding wines produced using Italian native varieties and following techniques that are not necessarily applied here in California will enable me to incorporate (and perhaps experiment with) some of these techniques and approaches to my winemaking classes to enhance student learning.”

Pictured from left to right: Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong, Associate Professor Federico Casassa and Provost Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore.

DEPARTMENT: Experience Industry Management AREA OF SPECIALTY: Tourism experience design, destination marketing, and technology applications in hospitality and tourism.

EDUCATION: Doctorate in management from University of Guelph, Canada HOMETOWN: Beijing, China CURRENTLY READING: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear FUN FACT: I love gardening and like to collect seeds and plant them in my backyard. I have different kinds of flowers, vegetables and fruit trees. Looking at the plants grow from seeds to leaves really brings hope and a sense of achievement.

HOLIDAY CHEESE BOXES Support Cal Poly students and the Learn by Doing tradition. Cal Poly Holiday Cheese Gift Boxes, featuring student-made products, will be available to purchase in early November. New this year are the Triple Peak Bloomy Rind cheese, a fresh triple cream brie that has quickly become a fan favorite, and the Fromage Blanc, a soft farmstead cheese that is great for cooking and as a spread. Also back by popular demand is the limited-edition Madonna Alpine Style, which sold out quickly in last year’s sale.

Follow @calpolycreameryslo on Instagram for the holiday launch. To order from a selection of traditional favorites and new offerings available in a variety of gift box arrangements, visit www.calpolycreamery.com.

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FEATURE

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As California wildfires continue to ravage the state with increased frequency and devastation, Cal Poly is taking a holistic approach to the issue that includes preparing future stewards of the state's natural resources in the classroom and creating a more sustainable future through faculty and student research focused on the state's most pressing needs.

An increased effort to raise the funding needed to pursue solutions has led to more than $10 million in funding last year for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences' forestry and fire science programs — money that will be used to find ways to create more fire-resilient communities, protect natural resources and restore what has already been lost.

LOOKING FORWARD Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch was recently awarded a multimillion-dollar grant from Cal Fire’s Forest Health Program to assist with post-fire recovery efforts. The grant is the second of two Cal Fire grants totaling nearly $9 million awarded to further the ranch’s efforts to bring about sustainable, long-term solutions to the management and stewardship of working landscapes.

The grant funding comes one year after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire swept through Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, California, destroying much of the structures and surrounding forest.

Cal Poly partnered with nearby Cal Fire Soquel Demonstration State Forest to seek the Cal Fire Forest Health Program’s $4.7 million grant, which provides critical funding for fire-resilience planning and creates key opportunities for students to assist in implementing treatments to restore and maintain healthy forests while enhancing carbon storage. The funding will facilitate increased efforts in forest health and resilience and increased wildfire safety by implementing treatments such as reforestation, forest thinning, tree pruning and removal of dead trees and other potential fire fuels on more than 930 acres of redwood forest between the two sites, both of which are designated as outreach forests in coastal redwood systems.

“Through this work, we are improving our forests and establishing leadership and expertise at the Central Coast's premier outreach forests to create more resilient forests for demonstration, research and teaching,” said Grey Hayes, Swanton Pacific Ranch’s research and education coordinator.

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IMPROVING RESILIENCY The extent and ferocity of recent catastrophic wildfires, including at Swanton Pacific Ranch, have elevated the need for improving the health and resiliency of forests prior to and after wildfire, especially in California’s coastal redwood ecosystems, as wildfires become more frequent. In 2020, more than 4 million acres burned throughout California, with 2021 on course to be equally as devastating.

“Swanton Pacific Ranch and the Soquel Demonstration State Forest have similar missions,” Grey said. “The only difference is that Swanton is focused mainly on workforce development and faculty research of sustainable management of coastal redwood forests, while the demonstration forest’s purpose is to teach the same to broader audiences.”

Cal Poly is doing additional hands-on research at the Soquel Demonstration State Forest as Assistant Professor Richard Cobb leads a student team in studying the efficiency of various methods used to reduce the impact of wide-scale fires. (Read more on Page 6.)

At Swanton Pacific Ranch, the funding will be used to assist in restoring ecosystem services damaged by wildfire. At the nearby Soquel Demonstration State Forest, efforts will be focused on forest management and implementing fire-resilience strategies — preparing for future fires.

“This Forest Health Grant and partnership with Cal Poly will make possible an increased amount of fuel reduction and forest health treatments across Soquel Demonstration State Forest,” said Angela Bernheisel, who manages the state forest.

“Additionally, research and monitoring of the treatments and effects will take place in partnership with Cal Poly. The local community and recreational visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the fire-resilience strategies through education and demonstration.”

This Cal Fire Forest Health Program grant is the latest of two large grants awarded to Swanton Pacific Ranch by Cal Fire.

In June, Swanton Pacific Ranch received a $4.2 million grant

Through this work we are improving our forests and establishing leadership and expertise at the Central Coast's premier outreach forests to create more resilient forests for demonstration, research and teaching."

-Grey Hayes

FEATURE

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES OF 50,000 ACRES OR MORE from 2018-2020 ACRES

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overseen by Hayes, will be held throughout California.

Students will be involved in that process as well.

“As we work to re-envision and rebuild Swanton Pacific Ranch for the future, the critical support we are receiving from our partners along the way ensures that our students will continue to receive unparalleled hands-on learning and research opportunities for understanding sustainable land management practices,” said Andrew Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

F I R E P R OTE CTI O N ENGINEERING

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INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

CZU Lightening Complex Fire burned 86,509 acres throughout Santa Cruz County, including Swanton Pacific Ranch.

to provide increased training for the current and future workforce in fire mitigation. Hayes and Jeremy James, head of Cal Poly’s Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department, will lead the effort.

“This grant funding from Cal Fire will significantly enhance our ability to complete critical forest health treatments at Swanton Pacific Ranch following the CZU Lightning Complex Fire,” said Mark Swisher, director of Swanton Pacific Ranch. “Cal Poly faculty, student and staff involvement with the planning, execution and monitoring of those treatments will have far-reaching impacts on the pace and scale of fuel treatments in California.”

In the classroom, students will be taught practical lessons, such as designing vegetation management plans to make forests more resilient to fire. Curriculum in the forest and fire sciences program in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department provides hands-on lessons outside the classroom in topics from forest ecosystem management and dendrology to forest practices, environmental protection, fire ecology and watershed management.

Students will also partake in fire recovery research and aid in reforestation efforts that include planting 55,000 trees across 270 acres. Outside the classroom, a series of workshops, headed by a program coordinator and

Cal Poly’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) FIRE Institute, currently under development and the firstof-its kind at a California university, is getting critical support from three of California’s six investor-owned electric utility companies. Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison have pledged a total of $1 million over a threeyear period to assist in launching the center, which will be focused on developing holistic solutions to prevent destructive wildfires and help build more resilient communities.

The Cal Poly WUI FIRE Institute will be comprised of an interdisciplinary group of Cal Poly faculty, staff and students, partnered with industry and community members, that will develop and evaluate methods of managing forests and designing communities in ways that reduce wildfire severity and threats to human welfare and property while maintaining environmental and community health.

The support of the three investor-owned utilities is part of a larger strategic effort by Cal Poly to collaborate with a broad cross-section of stakeholders that includes agencies, industry, policy makers, community planning and design, forest management and response organizations.

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“These stakeholders are integral to better connecting problems with solutions and preparing the future workforce for these challenges,” said Dan Turner, a retired Cal Fire chief and business manager of the San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council who is helping to lead the WUI FIRE Institute effort. “The investment of these utility companies in the Institute is a new path forward toward reducing community damages from wildland-urban interface fires, including advances in planning, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. Their financial support will enable research, recruitment of graduate students, educational outreach and administrative support of the institute.”

A E R O S PACE ENGINEERING

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GRANT-FUNDED RESEARCH TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF WIDE-SCALE FIRES In northern California, it is no longer a question of if fire will reach the coastal forests, it is a question of when. Cal Poly faculty and students are working on research critical to preparing for a fiery future.

Assistant Professor Richard Cobb is studying the efficiency of various methods used to reduce the impact of wide-scale fires. He was recently awarded a $184,400 California State University Agricultural Research Institute grant to further that research. Cobb and several students will employ various forest-treatment methods, such as forest thinning and reducing excess vegetation through mulching at the Soquel Demonstration Forest in Santa Cruz County, over the next several years to help identify the cost-benefit tradeoffs of the various approaches.

“Mitigation of fire and greenhouse gas emissions in coast range forests are key to securing the long-term economic resiliency in California, where most of the population relies directly or indirectly on fire-safe conditions to maintain public safety and healthy air,” Cobb said. “However, treatments have yet to be applied at the scale of fuels accumulation in coastal range forests.”

The goal is to provide clear data on the effectiveness of these methods in controlling fuels and mitigating disease impacts in the forests, which is the most pressing issue facing the sustainability of coastal forests. The research builds upon years of work done prior in Humboldt and Marin counties by Cobb and

his students.

Recent graduate Gissella Quiroga (Forestry and Natural Resources and Environmental Management and Protection, ’21) focused her research on treatments applied to the coastal forests in Humboldt County and found that forest fuel and disease mitigation techniques were effective without negatively impacting stored carbon. Quiroga now works as a forestry aide for Cal Fire and will present her research at the Society of American Foresters annual convention.

“This research is all-encompassing and builds on years of work done in other parts of the state,” Cobb said. “What we have found is that doing something is better than doing nothing — we are now determining what to do where.”

The challenges include costs; effectively reducing excess fuels on an acre of forest land can cost more than $10,000. Machinery, hand-crews and prescribed burns are costly, so understanding the economic feasibility of each of the methods is essential in making it a viable option for preparing California forests in a time when natural resources management is stretched thin, Cobb said.

This research is allencompassing and builds on years of work done in other parts of the state. What we have found is that doing something is better than doing nothing — we are now determining what to do where.”

-Richard Cobb

“Everything we do is focused on mitigating risk,” he said. “A person doesn’t even have to live in California to understand that we have a wildfire problem. Everybody has a stake in this — both from a public safety standpoint as well as the impacts on our agricultural commodities.”

Photo by Kerri Frangioso

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(NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, ’89)

Alumna Kate Dargan (Natural Resources Management, ’89), who made history as the first female state fire marshal in California, speaks humbly of her career in fire service, but her passion for firefighting is unmistakable.

Dargan’s career began in wildland firefighting in the late 1970s, at a time when few women stood at the front lines. “Those were rough years,” Dargan said. “The world was not ready for women firefighters for the most part in 1977. Most of the women hired then did not make it their career, but a few of us did. A high tolerance for pain and grit got me through my first years.” Dargan’s interest in natural resources and the environment led her to Cal Poly, where she worked her way through college as a seasonal firefighter with Cal Fire and explored internships in land use planning and environmental services. Dargan’s love for fighting fires continued to grow, as did her career trajectory.

Dargan was a part of the San Luis Obispo unit of Cal Fire for many years before working in Monterey, Nevada and Napa counties. She became assistant state fire marshal in 2005 and was appointed state fire marshal in 2007. She didn’t stop there. After retiring, Dargan founded Intterra, a geospatial situational awareness and analytics company that specializes in software for firefighters to assist them on the ground in states across the country. And just recently, she accepted an advisory position to the White House focused on resiliency and wildfires at the federal level. “My interest in the environment and land use planning was a unique combination at the time, and while I was pulled to the problem of fire, I’ve always looked to the bigger picture of what is driving wildfires as they become more and more emergent to communities and ecosystems in

California,” Dargan said.

PAVING THE WAY While humble in nature, Dargan is ever cognizant of the role she has played as one of the first female leaders in the industry. “Being the first female was my everyday experience of work from the day I started until the day I became the state fire marshal,” said Dargan. “I felt the privilege of it, the honor of it, and the weight of it.” From working as the first female air attack in Paso Robles to being pointed at while driving the fire engine, Dargan continued to break ground. “It was exciting and exhilarating, and I have

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always worked really hard to live up to the expectations that come with being the first in many ways.” She acknowledges that she’s worked hard over the years to change attitudes, as many women have while working in male-oriented fields. “You have to do three things simultaneously: You have to be excellent at what you do, you have to fit in because it is about teamwork, and you have to acknowledge that you are different. But you can’t be too different. It is important to balance being authentic and being true to yourself as a woman.”

Dargan said the complexity of the wildfires in California and nationwide can be daunting at times but remaining engaged and facing the reality of the

situation is the only way to move forward. “It is important to tell people that there is a lot more suffering coming to our communities,” she said. “There will be community losses, ecosystem losses, and I worry about the watershed basins of Northern California running dry. I feel like I need to sound the alarm and warn of what is coming while also working very hard to connect to what we can do.”

Dargan remains entrenched in policy work as it relates to fire and natural resources management, both in her decade-long role volunteering on the California Fire Safe Council and in her future advisory position with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as the assistant director of disaster preparedness and response on the climate team addressing ways to mitigate the effects of wildfire and other hazards. For Dargan, the challenge is urging policy innovation to keep up with the pace and scale of the problem.

“This is an opportunity to have a voice and lend my experience to the bigger picture of what the country is going to do while knowing that changing climate conditions mean that wildfires are going to get worse before they get better,” Dargan said. “We need to craft big-scale solutions through funding and creating policy."

Dargan, who services on the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Dean's Advisory Council, encourages future Cal Poly graduates to join the effort by being prepared to make change. “We have to make change now,” Dargan said. “Future graduates need to arrive with an ethos ready to effect radical policy changes and a well-formed network of peers. We need them to come with force and mass and their voices ready.”

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COVER STORY

Alumnus Mark Keller, (Animal Science, ’98), embraces the interconnectedness of the environment and the food we eat, and bears responsibility for the stewardship of both. Born of that passion, two decades ago he founded Keller Crafted, a farm-direct food chain that supports progressive farmers, regenerates the land, and honors the animals.

Keller left Cal Poly with every intention to farm and direct market his meat products. At the time, there was little-to-no infrastructure to support a farm-to-consumer supply chain, so he started building. Keller Crafted has grown from being the first company selling farm-direct meats and representing farmers at farmers markets in the Bay Area to a meat processing and distribution business that supports sustainable and regenerative farmers. “I pioneered and built a regional supply chain up and down the West Coast designed to serve consumers looking for source transparency, purity, dignified husbandry of animals and positive impacts on our ecosystem,” Keller said.

The meat and poultry sold by Keller Crafted is only purchased from farmers who are progressive in their ability to create pure, delicious food in a system that is either sustainable or regenerative in nature. Many of those farmers have then been able to vertically integrate, aiding in creating a more-resilient regional food system with food security, said Keller.

The company sells wholesale to natural grocery and food service accounts, as well as direct to consumers via the Keller Crafted Meat Club. Keller was an early adopter in natural preservation techniques, using only organically accepted

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(ANIMAL SCIENCE, ’98)

preservation techniques and ingredients.

Currently the product line includes beef, pork, lamb, bison, chicken and turkey.

FULL-SYSTEM HEALTH The reverence that Keller holds for holistic food systems is present in every aspect of the business — from advocating for regenerative agriculture to paying homage to the larger societal role that food plays. He sees food not only as a necessity, but as a connector ­— epitomizing a cultural need as humans to be together. “We humans are so funny; we focus so

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much on how different we are from one another rather than focusing on what we all hold as sacred,” Keller said. “Food and the act of eating has been bringing people and every living organism together since the dawn of life itself — food is sacred. All you need to do is spend a little time learning about soil biology and the greater ecological systems to realize the massive connections we share with our food. We are connected through this incredibly complex web of a food system that binds us all together.”

While public awareness of the pivotal connection between responsible stewardship of the land and how agricultural products are produced has grown over the last two decades, Keller said there

is still much to be done. “Impact is what we are all about,” he said. “Keller Crafted is about helping to create a better food system. I believe in a food system that embodies whole-system wellness. A focus on full-system health offers many opportunities to address our human health crisis and climate change and any other imbalance we choose to address.”

That impact is measured by a regional partnership with Savory Global and the Land to Market program, which uses an empirical and scalable soil and landscape assessment methodology to track outcomes in soil health, biodiversity and ecosystem function. “Now that the baseline data is being established and testing is starting to occur, our land finally has a voice expressed in outcomes regardless of the context of the farming operation,” Keller said.

But science is not all that is needed for Keller to know that his mission is being met. “We must know that we are nourishing our community. It’s been heartening to have customers as young as 6 contact us to describe how they are fighting for their lives and how Western medicine is not working for them," Keller said. “I know quality food can be potent medicine. I have hugged people and received emails and thank you cards from the people who embraced nutrient-dense, pure-food therapies and their bodies are healed or healing.”

Accepting the interconnectedness of it all keeps Keller moving forward. “My time at Cal Poly taught me to learn from others but be in massive action and build firsthand knowledge,” said Keller.

“Inspiration has always come to me from accepting the challenge to culture a better food system."

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(RECREATION, PARKS AND TOURISM ADMINISTRATION, '10)

Jolie Devoto’s love for apples runs deep; her youth was spent running through the Sebastopol orchards her parents planted. After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in recreation, parks and tourism administration in 2010, Devoto ventured to Napa, California, to work in the events industry but soon found that her roots were calling her home.

At the time, apple prices were declining.

Farmers were forced to sell their harvests for pennies on the dollar to local processors — an outfall of the Great Recession.

So, Devoto returned home, determined to help preserve the heirloom apple trees her family had dedicated the last four decades to cultivating.

Devoto’s goal was to keep the apple trees in the ground. With that came the idea to produce a high-quality craft cider highlighting the rich area in central Sonoma County where they are grown.

“Our apples are dry farmed, relying on the maritime coastal climate and the winter water table,” Devoto said. “They are thick-skinned and have more tannin than apples in other parts of the state and country — making them some of the best fruit we could possibly get our hands on.”

In 2012, Devoto combined her lifelong love of agriculture with her knowledge of the experience industry, and along with her business partner, Hunter Wade, launched their first cider project. In their first year of production, they fermented 2,000 gallons of Gravenstein apple cider — selling it at Bay Area farmers markets. The business quickly grew and transformed into Golden State Cider. Last year, they fermented more than a million gallons, collaborating with apple farmers throughout the state, with cider distribution

spanning the West Coast. The Devoto family orchard now grows more than 100 varieties of apples, doubling what was grown when she first started the cider project.

“Sonoma is known as pinot noir country, but where you can grow wine grapes, you can also grow amazing heirloom apples,” Devoto said. “It’s been both a challenge and huge honor to work with this beautiful fruit and introduce specialty varieties to whole new generations of people through cider.”

SUSTAINABLE FOCUS The Devoto family has worked hard to restore biodiversity, supporting the very ecosystem that feeds them. “It is important to preserve apple varieties and introduce them in a way that demonstrates how important they are and that they should be saved,” Devoto said.

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Sustainability is king, it is something that leads the process of what we do every day and what brings me to work. This is about more than cider — this is about finding a closer connection to my food source and bringing that to the people within the state of California and beyond.”

At heart of the business is a pledge to not only support generations-old apple farmers, but also to focus on sustainability.

“Sustainability is king,” Devoto said. “It is something that leads the process of what we do every day and what brings me to work. This is about more than cider — this is about finding a closer connection to my food source and bringing that to the people within the state of California and beyond.”

Devoto credits her time at Cal Poly for the passion to pursue her dreams. “Creativity and inspiration are our soul spark in life, and it is important to follow that in whatever way makes sense to you,” Devoto said. “My time learning about the experience industry is what helped me realize that people crave experiences and connections, which is the foundation of everything we do.”

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Q&A

AMY LAMMERT Food Science Associate Professor Amy Lammert began her career at Cal Poly as a dairy applications specialist, creating product prototypes showcasing the functionality of dairy ingredients in foods and beverages. She transitioned into teaching dairy foods and food science courses and launched a research program in the sensory evaluation of foods. With a background steeped in product development, including roles with Hunt Wesson/ConAgra Grocery and PepsiCo's Quaker/Tropicana/Gatorade Functional Nutrition Team, Lammert provides students with a firsthand experience in food product development. She was recently awarded a three-year $750,000 Department of Agriculture Higher Education Challenge Grant to create a standardized food product development curriculum and pedagogy to better bridge the gaps between the industry, educators and students to create robust and job-ready product developers.

What is food product development and how is it used?

When you go to the grocery store and see something on the shelf, a significant majority of the time a product developer has created that product. Product development ranges from concept development and ideation, to creating the formulation, procuring ingredients, developing quality standards, ensuring the safety of the product, making sure that it tastes good, to full-scale production, and that regardless of production line or location that the product is consistent and that the product delivers on consumer expectation. Product development is messy; it is never the same twice. Something new and unpredictable always comes up. Today’s consumer is not like the consumer of the 1970s. More and more, consumers are looking for a culinary experience, similar to homemade or a luxury product from a fine dining establishment, in the products they buy.

What are some of the largest hurdles in teaching food product development?

Similar to product development in the industry, there is no linear way to teach it. It is impossible to teach the same lesson the same way twice because the product you are developing is never the same. While there are textbooks for standard methods in food science, nothing like that exists for product development. It is an applied science that takes everything into consideration. The basic goal of this grant is to provide resource materials to help faculty teach in more effective ways.

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Who will you collaborate with?

There are three team members from Cal Poly’s Food Science and Nutrition Department involved, including me, Department Head Stephanie Jung and Professor Samir Amin. We will collaborate closely with professors from five other universities: Cal Poly Pomona, Montana State, Mississippi State, North Carolina State and Penn State. The professors involved all have unique specialties that will add significant value to the project. Additionally, we will work closely with an advisory council comprised of industry leaders from leading companies in product development as well as the director from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and Higher Education Review Board, who can help guide us and prioritize our content development efforts on what an entry-level food product developer should know and ensure that the content being developed will meet the IFT-approved Food Science program academic standards.

How will this grant benefit students?

We will create content in a digital format that will be dynamic — allowing for improvements and additions over time. By creating learning modules using different product development strategies throughout the entire development process to help fill significant gaps in teaching product development, we are also creating content that will assist students as they enter the industry. The foundational food science principals don’t change, but how the tools and technology used in product development do change based on the product being developed, such as a bar, a cereal or a beverage. The learning modules will provide a true application of everything students learn throughout their undergraduate coursework, including how it may be used in different circumstances in the development of food products.

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BRANCHING OUT

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A Learn by Doing approach to the California Olive Oil industry An acre of olive trees is the latest addition to the Cal Poly crops production operation, planted adjacent to 70 acres of productive citrus, avocados, grapes, deciduous fruit trees and berries used as a learning laboratory for students. The 250 trees, donated by alumnus Jeff Colombini (Agricultural Business, ’85), were planted in June 2020, inspired by a senior project that analyzed the available swath of land for potential new crops to study.

The arbequina olive trees will grow up to be 20 feet tall at full maturity, providing small, fleshy olives that turn black once ripened. While the trees won’t likely bear fruit for another three years, the learning opportunities have already started. Professor Lauren Garner, who teaches fruit science in the Horticulture and Crop Science Department, used the orchard in a spring quarter pomology course to teach students about the planting. Students are also monitoring the new grove of trees for growth markers, including a recent sampling of leaves to check soil nutrient levels. Additional student opportunities include employing pest protection, weed management, monitoring water use and conservation and soil management.

“We teach students to understand the reasons behind the complex decisions made behind the scenes so that when they enter the California agriculture industry, they not only understand what is happening, but they are able to adapt as those industries change over time,” Garner said. “The skills these students are learning are applicable whether they go into olive oil production or something else.”

The olive oil industry is a burgeoning one in California, with more than 400 growers overlooking 37,000 acres of olive trees producing extra virgin olive oil. “The olive industry has been extremely dynamic over the last decade and has changed from being primarily focused on table and canning olives to olive oil production,” Garner said. “That switch has led to adapting older orchards to newer systems that can be harvested mechanically. The growing, dynamic and wide-ranging industry is one that our students will benefit from learning about.”

Joni Shaffery (Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences, ’20) helped execute the planning and planting of the orchard. Shaffery returned to college after purchasing a 26-acre farm in Paso Robles, where she grows figs, peaches, cherries, plums, pears, pluots, apricots, nectarines and three varieties of apples, as well as walnuts, pistachios, almonds and pomegranates. She recently added a 900-tree olive orchard. Shaffery plans to work with Cal Poly’s BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department to create a custom harvester using the Cal Poly olive orchard as a learning field. The skills Shaffery gained at Cal Poly as a student are employed daily on her farm.

“The most gratifying part of it is being outdoors on my land and watching it become an engine of production,” she said.

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Researching sustainable alternatives to plastic waste in agriculture

A glance down any row of raised bed vegetable crops at most commercial farms reveals long plastic strips carefully fitted over the soil beneath the budding plants. The plastic film has long been a tool used by farmers to assist in the production of crops such as strawberries, squash, tomatoes and lettuce, as it helps warm the soil, conserves moisture, and reduces invasive weeds and pests, ultimately improving productivity.

More than a third of the country’s vegetables are grown in California, with crops such as strawberries equating to a $2.2 billion industry.

However, those crops also generate a large amount of plastic waste: California farmers alone are estimated to dispose of over 55 thousand tons of plastic per year. In addition to agricultural plastic waste that is removed from fields and destined for landfills, fragments of the plastic materials that are inadvertently left behind in fields may have a long-term detrimental effect by contaminating the soils and water.

This research has direct implications for reducing the agricultural plastic waste stream and has garnered the interest from a number of producers currently using plastic in agricultural production.”

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Seeta Sistla, an assistant professor in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department who specializes in soil ecology and global change science, is researching ways to reduce the impact of the use of agriculture plastics, known as “plasticulture.” Sistla was awarded a $344,250 California State University Agricultural Research Institute grant to initiate a study of biodegradable plastic mulch as an alternative to conventional plastic in cropping systems. She is working in collaboration with researchers at San Francisco State University, Washington State University, the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the University of Tennessee.

“The maintenance of healthy soils is paramount to sustaining agricultural production, water quality, soil carbon storage, reducing terrestrial greenhouse gas emissions, and facilitating human health,” Sistla said. “The use of agricultural plastics has grown rapidly, and plastic now covers millions of acres of farmland globally.”

A group of Cal Poly undergraduate and graduate students are assisting with a wide range of field and laboratory studies, assessing the utility of biodegradable mulch in local strawberry cultivation and the effects of different plastics fragments on soil microbial decomposers. Students are investigating how commercially available biodegradable mulches, which are designed to breakdown in soil over time, compare with conventional plastic mulch in strawberry cultivation and how soil health is impacted.

The research is being conducted directly in the field in partnership with the Cal Poly Strawberry Center and through laboratory analysis of soils. “Plastic waste is a huge issue for the California strawberry industry, and any gains in the use of biodegradable mulch will be of great interest,” said Gerald Holmes, director of the Cal Poly Strawberry Center.

“Ultimately, I hope this research can help to inform growers who use plastic mulch if biodegradable alternatives are viable for their crops and reduce agriculturally derived plastic pollution,” Sistla said. “This research has direct implications for reducing the agricultural plastic waste stream and has garnered the interest of a number of producers currently using plastic in agricultural production.”

THEN & NOW

ROOTED in HISTORY

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LAURA SORVETTI | UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

The California Boulevard entrance to campus that greets students today is similar in many ways to the entrance that greeted students over the past century. The spaces, buildings and landscapes that line the street trace the history of campus and echo the dedication of those who helped build it.

animal husbandry alumnus and Southern California land developer and philanthropist.

For much of Cal Poly’s history, California Boulevard was the primary entrance to campus. When campus opened in 1903, the unpaved dirt road entrance to campus was known simply as “Poly Road” by locals and students. The iconic palm trees that line California Boulevard today are the legacy of the 120 Canary Island date palms planted in 1907.

The O’Neill Green today provides students, staff, faculty and the community a peaceful place to study and relax. On the green, there remains a serpentine rock outcropping that was a natural geologic feature that predated the campus. Cal Poly students constructed a pond at the base of the site in 1939, landscaping the site with rock and plant material. In 1955, students in the Crops Department redesigned the site as a memorial to Wilbur B. Howes, head of the then-Ornamental Horticulture Department.

Arriving on campus on California Boulevard today, look to the right to see the original center of campus. Spanos Stadium marks the same site of athletic events, band performances and commencement ceremonies dating back to 1903. To the east of the stadium is Crandall Gym and the oldest-standing dormitories, constructed between 1928-31, used today as staff offices.

Nearby historical buildings include the 1909 Powerhouse and the university president’s house, built in 1927-28.

As visitors continue north on California Boulevard, they will pass a parking lot, formerly the site of Poly Grove, where thousands of students hosted picnics, barbecues and welcome events. The Coast Live Oak that stands at the entrance to the parking lot was planted by the first graduating class of 1906, a gift from the first eight graduates of Cal Poly. The tree still stands, thanks to 2004 campaigns to protect the tree, causing the slight curve in the road.

To the north of the stadium, the Richard J. O’Neill Green is one of the oldest campus green spaces. For Cal Poly’s first 60 years, this was the site of the campus Administration Building. In 2005, the area was named in recognition of Richard J. O’Neill,

One can only imagine what campus will look like in the next century.

Want to explore more campus history? Check out the historical campus tours at https://bit.ly/CPHistoricalTours.

SPANOS STADIUM

Aerial photograph of Cal Poly, circa 1931.

Photographed by Harold “Rudy” Truesdale (graduate of the Cal Poly Aeronautics Department in 1924). Courtesy University Archives.

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NEWS & NOTES

First-year wine and viticulture majors Ariana Godina of Madera, California, and Mercy Torres of Carpinteria, California, were selected by the Delicato Family Wines' Winemaker Scholarship Program for a winemaker scholarship and mentoring program focused on encouraging Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students to join the wine industry.

The students will receive a fully paid scholarship, including living expenses, mentorship by a senior executive, professional development, and industry experience through paid summer internships and a guaranteed job upon graduation. Launched earlier this year, the 2021 Winemaker Scholarship was initially slated for a single recipient. However, when presented with the final candidates, the review committee extended the scholarship to both students. “Cal Poly’s Wine and Viticulture Department is thrilled to have two incoming students awarded the first-ever Delicato Winemaker Scholarship,” said Andrew Thulin, dean of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. “As the largest undergraduate wine and viticulture program in the country, Cal Poly has an opportunity to create real change in the wine industry. Delicato’s leadership to support Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students with their educational goals and help facilitate their pathway into the wine industry is inspiring and supports efforts to bring more diversity to the Cal Poly program.”

First-year wine and viticulture major Stella Tuffli of Concord, California, received the Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarship, the first in a new series of college scholarships they are awarding via the California Community Foundation to students at Cal Poly and Sonoma State aimed at encouraging more high-achieving Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students to enter the wine industry. The scholarship will cover Tuffli’s tuition and room and board throughout her entire college career. “I cannot think of a better way to support the next generation of young BIPOC wine professionals than with scholarships at the top universities in the heart of America’s wine country. I look forward to getting to know future recipients of the Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarships,” said Charles Woodson, former National Football League player and partner of Charles Woodson’s Intercept Wines with O’Neill. To learn more about the scholarship and to donate through the California Community Foundation, visit www.calfund.org/ calpoly_bipoc_wvit-_scholarship/.

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The new JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture is nearing completion and will be fully operational beginning winter quarter. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences plans to host public tours during the university’s annual Open House event in April 2022. The center includes a 5,000-case bonded teaching, research and production winery with a fermentation hall, bottling room, barrel rooms, and a research lab.

The facility also includes the E. & J. Gallo Winery & Family Building with labs for viticulture, enology and sensory analysis, as well as faculty offices and the Swanson Center of Effort Conference Hall, where industry and academia can come together.

The first cohort of students will begin winemaking courses in the new winery during fall quarter 2022, using the new 250-gallon tanks to make their own varietals and blends during an intensive fourthyear series of courses that incorporate the entire winemaking process, from crush and barreling to bottling wines.

PHOTO ESSAY

NEW STUDENT WELCOME The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences welcomed more than 950 incoming students this year. The fall quarter kicked-off with a message from Dean Andy Thulin and a few words of encouragement from their peers in the college.

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STUDENT SUCCESS

DEFINITION OF SUCCESS A team of six food science students won second place in the annual Institute of Food Technologists Student Association Mars Product Development Competition held virtually in June. The Cal Poly team was one of six teams to compete from colleges throughout the country, including Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Students were challenged to develop a new food idea and carry the concept through marketing and production, much like a commercial product development team. The Cal Poly team created an Earl Grey special tea sauce that thickens when heated and thins when cooled to be used on everything from ice cream to crackers. “We were pleased to hear a lot of judges had great things to stay about flavor and innovation,” said Julia Zoe, a food science senior. “One judge said that they purchased ice cream and ate our sauce all week. It felt good to know that the product we had been working on for months was one that people enjoyed.”

It is the first time a Cal Poly team, which was advised by Professor Samir Amin, has placed in the competition.

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Evelyn Alvarez (Animal Science, ’20), who is pursuing a master’s degree in agriculture specializing in crop science, won the Best Student Presentation Award at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) Conference for her research with Assistant Professor Shunping Ding: "Fungicide Resistance of Botrytis cinerea Populations on Wine Grapes in the Central Coast of California." Alvarez also received an ASEV scholarship for her work.

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STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS COLLEGE BOWL COMPETITION A team of eight food science students were among the finalists in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Student Associations College Bowl Competition in July. Students competed in the virtual challenge, which tested their knowledge in food science and technology, the history of foods and food processing, food law, and general IFT/food-related trivia. The College Bowl is designed to facilitate interaction among students from different universities and provides a forum for students to engage in friendly competition. The team, which began preparing for the competition in the fall, won the regional competition and advanced to a national competition to compete against four universities. Assistant Professor Luis Castro, who advised the team, said it is the team’s third time advancing to the finals in the last six years.

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LEAVE A LEGACY

SUPPORT LEARN BY DOING WITH A LEGACY GIFT TODAY A gift to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences in your will or estate plan is your opportunity to ensure that future generations have the same Learn by Doing opportunities that make Cal Poly special. Plus, a legacy gift is:

Simple. A beneficiary designation or a few sentences in your will or living trust complete the gift.

Versatile. You can structure your gift in ways that benefit you now and make a huge impact on the future.

Convenient. You have access to your assets throughout your lifetime.

Flexible. You can change your mind at any time.

INCLUDE CAL POLY IN YOUR FUTURE PLANS We are happy to discuss how you may direct your gift to a specific department, program or club. For more information, contact Russ Kabaker at 805-756-6601 or rkabaker@calpoly.edu for help finding the right gift for you.

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