Organics Fellowship Comes to Campus
students with organic vegetables
Cal Poly is ready to launch a nationwide search for a new professor
specializing in organic and sustainable agriculture practices. And
thanks to an $80,000 pledge from Lundberg Family Farms
<http://www.calpolylink.com/redirect.aspx?linkID=13692&eid=151493>, this
means students will have year-round training and research opportunities
in organic farming methods, food safety, and sustainable agricultural
systems.
Adding the new faculty position has been a goal for the College of
Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences' Center for Sustainability.
"We are delighted to have the opportunity to support education in this
rapidly growing sector,” said Hunter Francis, the center’s director.
“This will help satisfy the increasing student demand for education in
organic and sustainable agriculture, and we’re grateful for the
generosity and vision of Lundberg Family Farms that will help our
college respond to that demand."
The new faculty member will provide expertise in California production
techniques in organic and sustainable agriculture systems, and will
oversee Cal Poly’s 11-acre organic farm where faculty, staff and
students jointly manage production, care, harvesting and marketing of
organic produce. The goal is to have the position filled by fall, 2012.
“In tight economic times, having the industry support to hire a
year-round professor is crucial to enhancing our programs,” said John
Peterson, head of the Horticulture and Crop Science Department. “We
normally hire faculty for the traditional nine-month academic year, but
the needs of our organic farm span 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now
Lundberg Family Farms is helping us educate students who will lead this
industry in the future.”
The new position will be part of the Horticulture and Crops Department
in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. The
Lundberg Family Farms pledge and additional support from the Clarence C.
Heller Charitable Foundation have enabled this to be a year-round
position, which is critical to the successful oversight of the organic
farm and its programs.
