The Cal Poly Strawberry Center brought together over 800 growers, researchers and innovators in the strawberry industry to their 10th annual Strawberry Center Field Day. Strawberry growers attended the event with the question in mind on what’s the next best thing, to make their product better for the world. With California producing over 90% of the nation’s strawberries, events like these are necessary to keep everyone on the same page. Learn more about the field day in California Fruit and Vegetable Magazine.
Tag: Cal Poly
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Fourth Annual Organic Field Day Returning to Cal Poly on July 23
The Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research at California Polytechnic State University will host its Fourth Annual Organic Field Day on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Cal Poly’s Organic Sandbox on Highland Ave. The free event is open to the public and designed for farmers, agricultural professionals, students, and anyone interested in organic agriculture.
The Organic Field Day offers attendees hands-on access to ongoing student-led research in organic nutrient and pest management, a workshop with the Coalition for Food Safety and Sustainability, and a discussion of trap crops for flea beetles and cucumber beetles. Participants can expect guided field tours, live demonstrations, and direct conversations with Cal Poly researchers and faculty working on practical solutions for organic producers.
“The Grimm Organic Center Field Day is an opportunity to see the next generation of
agricultural innovation in action. Attendees will hear directly from Cal Poly students researching soil health and pest management while engaging with experts on practical topics, including trap cropping, food safety, and sustainability. Whether you’re a grower, advisor, student, or industry professional, you’ll leave with ideas and connections that can be applied immediately.” — Matthew Grieshop, Director of the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research (mgriesho@calpoly.edu)
“The Grimm Organic Center Field Day is a great event with educational sessions on key topics that are critical for organic farming – organic nutrient management, organic pest and disease management, and understanding soil health. These sessions are all presented by Cal Poly students involved in conducting the research. I believe the information presented will be of interest to the whole organic farming community.” — Ramy Colfer, True Organic Products (rcolfer@true.ag)
The event follows the Strawberry Center Field Day, also held on July 23 at Cal Poly. Attendees should register for each event separately.
Registration is free and open to all. Registration and sponsorship links can be found at
organic.calpoly.edu/field-day-2026
Event Details
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, immediately following the Strawberry Center Field Day.
Location: Cal Poly Organic Sandbox, Highland Ave., Cal Poly campus.
Free Event Parking: H1 Lot, Mount Bishop Rd.
Cost: Free and open to the public.
For more information, please email Matthew Grieshop, director of the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, at mgriesho@calpoly.edu, or visit organic.calpoly.edu/field-day-2026. — Story contributed by the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research
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New Video Series to Sharpen Skills of California Vegetable Growers
To train new people to work with California specialty crops and update the skills of current workers, educators from University of California, Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fresno State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chico State and five California community colleges are producing educational videos. The training video series is available to the public for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@jeffreymitchell759/playlists.
“As California’s farmers age, shortages of suitably trained agricultural workers increase, and workers increasingly come from non-farming backgrounds, the role of agricultural colleges in teaching both the theory and practice of agriculture is key today,” said Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis.
“The average age of agricultural producers in California is currently about 59.2 years,” said Mitchell, who is based at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier in Fresno County. “Therefore, there is an urgent need to encourage and recruit young people into agriculture to sustain current and future production.”
It is also vitally important that those entering the workforce receive adequate training in current production practices of the state’s particularly dynamic specialty crop industries.
“In response to the growing demand for online education following COVID-19, I have strategically incorporated YouTube video clips – particularly those produced by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources – into my course material to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes,” said Sophia Marin, Bakersfield College adjunct professor. “One of the greatest challenges in teaching agriculture in a virtual setting is the inherently hands-on nature of the industry.”
Marin has been using videos produced a few years ago. The video curriculum series currently being developed includes integrated weed management, postharvest technology, crop breeding, microgreen production, soil management, labor and specialized farm machinery.
Many key concepts, especially those related to plant pathology and crop management, are difficult to fully convey through traditional textbooks or static images alone, Marin noted.
“To address this gap, I began supplementing my lectures with real-time video recordings captured during farm visits, with the consent of local growers,” she said. “These video clips provide students with invaluable exposure to real-world agricultural practices and allow them to observe phenomena such as plant diseases – including Southern Blight – in a way that is far more dynamic and informative than text-based descriptions.”
“Through visual media, students can see subtle distinctions in plant symptoms, understand how and why spores develop, and gain deeper insight into diagnostic and treatment processes,” Marin noted.
In addition to addressing current practices, the training video series also anticipates the challenges that producers will face.
Vegetable farmers – who tend to have greater labor needs than many in other agricultural sectors – face mounting worker shortages and need to modernize their farm workforce.
“Vegetable production systems need to be dynamic to keep pace with unpredictable economic, social, environmental and regulatory changes,” Mitchell said. “These systems must continually adapt to innovations and must have a workforce that understands and can implement ever-changing technologies.”
Visiting farms and viewing videos give Bakersfield College students a clearer idea of the kinds of jobs they would like to pursue, according to Marin.
“These professionally produced clips complement textbook topics such as urban agriculture, propagation, transplanting and field packing, offering students a visual context that supports their understanding of the material,” Marin said. “What I have noticed is these resources promote active learning: students tend to engage more deeply in discussion boards via Canvas, conduct independent research to supplement course content, and demonstrate increased confidence in both their academic progress and career aspirations.”
Development of the teaching modules to train workers for California’s vegetable crops industry is funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The videos will be used and rigorously evaluated by the four universities and five community colleges that serve as key conduits for agricultural workers to the state’s vegetable production regions.
The first training video of the new series, “Contemporary and future approaches to plant breeding,” is available. New videos will be added at https://www.youtube.com/@jeffreymitchell759/playlists weekly until the 25-part series is complete.
Other project partners include Madera College, Merced College, Santa Rosa Community College, Hartnell College and Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association in Salinas.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.
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Student Efforts are at the Heart of Cal Poly Olive Oil Production
The buttery texture and grassy, fruity profile of Cal Poly’s new olive oil is generating intrigue in the local community as the ideal product for marinades, spreads, drizzling and more.
Students of the Plant Sciences Department produced their second batch of Arbequina extra virgin olive oil from the 230 olive trees at the Crops Unit in the fall — which is available for purchase on campus and in a number of retail stores across San Luis Obispo. The first batch, made from fruit harvested in 2023, flew off the shelves.
The delectable golden liquid is the final step in a process that has come full circle since the orchard was planted in 2020 as a senior project envisioned by Joni Shaffery (Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences, ’20).
Students and a contracted crew harvested the olives and Kiler Ridge Mill in Paso Robles pressed them into oil. Pomace, remnants from the milling, was then used by the Cal Poly compost program.
Students are involved in every facet of olive production, said plant sciences Professor Lauren Garner, providing numerous Learn by Doing orchard management opportunities that are unique to the crop. This includes pruning the trees to “ease the task of harvesting the olives by hand and balance the crop load to reduce alternate bearing,” Garner said. In doing so, the orchard will produce a more consistent crop each year. Other tasks done by students include pest management, irrigation and monitoring the fruit’s ripeness.
Pest management is a critical aspect of maintaining the orchard. Fourth-year plant sciences major Chrisann Perivoliotis explained that she was “involved in the biological control release of a small wasp that parasitizes the olive psyllid. It’s definitely the most unique, and one of the most memorable experiences I’ll take with me.” Students enrolled in the course, Biological Control for Pest Management, determined that the release, which was done in coordination with the California Department of Food and Agriculture resulted in parasitism of all of the orchard’s olive psyllids. Additionally, students in several classes participated in the deployment, monitoring and maintenance of traps that were part of the Integrated Pest Management program that helped control a key pest of olives, the olive fruit fly.
Perivoliotis works with the orchard crew to maintain the various orchards at the Crops Unit, doing everything from pruning, harvesting, fertilizer injections and irrigation management for all of the campus orchards, she said.
Perivoliotis even acquired professional experience from Kiler Ridge Mill, the same company that pressed Cal Poly’s olives into oil, through her connections with Cal Poly’s olive orchard. “I was able to work at the mill for a few weeks last season and it was a great experience,” she said. “The environment was really high paced, but it was awesome to be able to gain the knowledge of pressing olives and making oil firsthand.” — By Lauren McEwen, Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences (from Cultivate – Spring 2025 Issue)
Cal Poly Olive Oil can be purchased at the downtown farmers market on Thursdays, the Cal Poly bookstore, Cal Poly Meats, Village Market on campus, at the Cal Poly U-Pick events on Saturdays, at the Poly Plant Shop, SLO Ranch Market and through Talley Farms’ Farm Box program.
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Grimmway Farms Donates $5 Million to Cal Poly to Establish Center for Organic Production & Research
Cal Poly is set to change the landscape of organic agriculture with a $5 million donation made to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences by Grimmway Farms, the global leader in organic produce and the world’s largest producer of carrots.
With this gift, Cal Poly will expand its emphasis on applied research in organic production and soil health by providing a unique, collaborative platform for academia, industry and government from across California and beyond to come together to advance the organic industry.
Announced this week, the partnership between Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and Grimmway will establish a unique learning model that will enable research and innovation across disciplines, focusing on real-world issues that directly impact the state’s $10 billion organic industry. The Grimmway Farms donation will be used to launch the Center for Organic Production and Research on campus, as well as build the Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic Soil Health and Sustainability Laboratories to provide research and teaching opportunities in topics related to healthy soils, water and air.
“Our partnership with Grimmway will facilitate bringing increased science and technology to the production of organic food,” said Andre Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. “Cal Poly is at the forefront of using the power of collaboration to solve real world problems. This new center will integrate the greatest talents in academia, private industry, government and a wide range of disciplines to benefit the organic industry as a whole.”
The need to increase focused efforts on organic research and create pathways for students to enter the industry is clear. The organic industry is one of the fastest growing agricultural segments in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This emphasis on organic production and research is of particular importance in California, which accounts for 40 percent of all organic production in the nation.
“This is an amazing gift and investment in the future of California agriculture and a perfect match with Cal Poly’s excellence in applied research and Learn by Doing model that prepares students for collaborative problem-solving in their careers,” said Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture secretary. “I want to thank Grimmway Farms and the Grimm family for their generosity, leadership and confidence in the future of California agriculture — one that is built on innovation.”
Nationally, consumer demand for organic products continues to grow — sales of organic fruits and vegetables in the U.S. reached $18 billion in 2019, up nearly 5 percent from the year prior.
Barbara Grimm Marshall, co-owner of Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic “We believe that lives are transformed through education, and that certainly applies to agricultural education,” said Barbara Grimm Marshall, co-owner of Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic. “Ever-evolving technologies and more sophisticated business practices mean that students who wish to pursue a career in agriculture must spend as much time in the classroom as in the field. We are thrilled to be providing an avenue for these students to work with the best minds in agribusiness and soil sciences today.”
“With this commitment, the families and Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic are affirming our belief that agriculture is the economic and cultural cornerstone of our future,” said Brandon Grimm, grower relations manager and co-owner of Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic. “Our company has been a leader in innovative and advanced farming practices since my father and uncle founded the company 51 years ago. Today we take the next step to build on that legacy by investing in vital organic and soil health research.”
Brandon Grimm, grower relations manager and co-owner of Grimmway Farms & Cal-Organic “The future of this industry depends solely on the ability to prepare, educate and excite the next generation of growers in organic production,” said Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic. “We look forward to partnering with this dynamic educational institution to cultivate those who will ensure we continue to meet the ever-growing demand for healthy and nutritious organic produce.”
Cal Poly is uniquely positioned to drive these initiatives forward with its polytechnic educational model and more than 10,000 acres of land for hands-on research and learning. Cal Poly’s location on California’s Central Coast surrounded by a diverse number of specialty crops that are the foundation of the state’s agricultural production, as well as the university’s strong ties with industry, gives students and faculty the opportunity to work directly with companies such as Grimmway Farms and other top producers in the organic industry through internships, research collaborations and more.
Jeff Huckaby, President of Grimmway Farms & Cal-Organic “Our partnership will increase opportunities for students, faculty and staff to gain first-hand experience in the organic food industry and beyond,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “This new center for organic production and research emphasizes our Learn by Doing philosophy and will give students the tools to lead impactful careers addressing the agricultural challenges that face California and the world.”
The new Center for Organic Production and Research will serve as a hub for students to work with experts from across the industry to develop solutions to the most pressing issues related to organic production and agriculture. Research of soil structure and biodiversity, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, water quality, composting and organic matter and technology innovation will be at the forefront of the new Center for Organic Production and Research. The new Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic Soil Health and Sustainability Laboratories will be located in Cal Poly’s planned Plant Sciences Complex.
“Grimmway Farms’ generous support of Cal Poly and its talented students embodies the increasingly vital partnership between the private sector and the California State University,” said CSU Chancellor-select Joseph I. Castro. “I deeply appreciate Grimmway’s partnership with several CSU campuses, including Cal Poly, and their strong commitment to supporting and preparing the next generation of our nation’s agricultural leaders.”
A national recruitment for a director to lead the center will begin in 2021. Cal Poly’s model for the new Center for Organic Production and Research will emulate its demonstrated success with the Cal Poly Strawberry Center (strawberry.calpoly.edu), a collaborative partnership focused on increasing the sustainability of the strawberry industry through research and education that addresses the needs of the $3.5 billion industry.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including organic and conventional crop land, orchards, vineyards, forests, and rangeland, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country with more than 4,100 undergraduate students. For more information visit CAFES.calpoly.edu.
About Grimmway Farms
Family-owned and headquartered in Bakersfield, California, Grimmway Farms (grimmway.com) traces its roots to a produce stand opened by the Grimm brothers in the early 1960s. Grimmway is a global produce leader and the world’s largest producer of carrots. Grimmway supplies more than 65 organic, USA-grown crops and brands include Cal-Organic Farms and Bunny-Luv. Grimmway is committed to caring for customers and employees, honoring sustainable practices and preserving natural resources for future generations. For more information visit Grimmway.com.