Cal Poly Organic Farm

Kate Mesman

June 10, 2009

 

The Cal Poly Organic Farm (CPOF) is an 11-acre establishment dedicated to organic, sustainable practices. It’s operated by students and faculty and it provides the community with a place to experience organic farming. Organic farming is defined as an ecological system that promotes and enhances biodiversity and is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs. “Organic” is a labeling term that distinguishes products that have been produced under the guidelines of the Organic Foods Production Act.[i]

            In the mid-1980s, Cal Poly agriculture students saw a need for organic growing education within the College of Agriculture. In 1989 the Student Experimental Farm (SEF) was established, and in 1995 the California Certified Organic Farms certified the farm “organic.”[ii] However, the farm still did not live up to those standards expected of the nation’s third largest agricultural college. In the spring of 2000, two Cal Poly College of Agriculture students, Hunter Francis and Terry Hooker, developed the idea for the Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium (SARC). One of SARC’s main goals was to help the CPOF through increased funds, support and outreach.[iii]

           In 2000, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program was also implemented. This program helped strengthen the farm and generate profits by promoting a direct farmer-to-consumer relationship. The organic produce is sold to the community, to Campus Market and to other eateries on campus. Members can pick up their weekly produce boxes on campus or at pick-up locations throughout San Luis Obispo County. The CSA program serves around 300 subscribing members. The CSA has been successful because its membership base and upfront investments allow the farm to operate effectively. The CSA program also cuts down on food mileage and provides an emphasis on sustainable farming. CSA member Julie says of the large share “It lasts a week easily… It’s a total bargain! The only thing I have to go to the market for is onions.”

            Today the farm is primarily student managed and serves as both a classroom and a laboratory. It includes an enterprise project within the Horticulture and Crop Science Department. Students that take the Organic Enterprise class (CRSC 203) or the Organic Agriculture course (AG 315) study at the farm. Labs are taught on the premises along with seminars and workshops available to community members. Currently, the CPOF hires about 15 part-time students and has 20 volunteers from numerous majors.[iv]

            The farm incorporates sustainability through composting. Composting is the process in which organic waste is mixed with dirt in order to slowly decompose and nourish the soil. This recycling process produces a rich, organic fertilizer that can suppress plant diseases and eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Composted soil is also associated with higher crop yields.[v] In 2005, SARC executed a plan to recycle coffee grounds and vegetable waste from student dining facilities and compost it in the CPOF.[vi] However, Lucas, a volunteer at the CPOF, says that composting campus dining waste is “more of a fantasy” than a reality. He states that the majority of composted material comes from the dairy unit in the form of cow manure.

Crop rotation is another sustainable farming practice. It is the process of growing crops of the same family in different areas annually in order to reduce and build natural resistance to soil borne disease. This process eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides because it naturally creates disease resistance. Beneficial plant mixes are planted to attract or repel certain bugs. Some mixes that the farm uses are specially designed to attract bugs that prey on aphids. Other plant mixes include flowers that contribute to pollination.

Because of lack of pesticide use and because of the plant mixes, “(we) get a lot of bugs (in the produce)” said Corey Fujioka, a Cal Poly student CSA member. The lack of chemical use also requires constant weeding; because the weeds are not treated with chemicals, they have to be tended to manually. “You have to weed a lot when it’s organic. You have to weed by hand,” said Margaret Leonardi who works on the farm weekly for class credit.

The Organic Farm also practices sustainable distribution. CSA members can come to the farm to pick up their weekly share. The farm just switched from cardboard boxes to plastic crates because the boxes are not recyclable. Members can take the plastic crate home and bring it back the following week, but they are encouraged to transfer the produce from the crate into a bag or box that they will continue to use. The majority of members pick up their boxes at the farm.

Lucia, an architecture major who does work-trade for the farm, describes the ways in which the farm practices social equity and ecological stewardship. “Harvesting in the fields together creates a pleasant atmosphere to build relationships,” said Lucia. Harvesting is done by hand for the most part; no large machinery is used.

Profits go back to the farm and are invested in the community. The CPOF draws in profits of about $250,000 annually. The majority of the profits pay for the farm workers’ salaries and benefits. The second largest share of the profits, roughly $60,000, is used to purchase local farmers’ products. Because the CPOF is subsidized, it does not have to pay for water or equipment. The farm uses this advantage to help other small farmers in the county. “We don’t try to undercut local farmers,” said Lucia. “It’s more about letting people know about the farm. We emphasize cooperation over competition.”

Controversy surrounds the CPOF because people fear that the farm will use its advantage to weaken other small farms in the area. Cindy Douglas, CPOF manager, elaborates on some of these worries. “There is definitely a level of fear that since CPOF is subsidized, our program could just over-compete (their) program,” said Douglas. “How we sort of mitigate that is to buy from those farmers…We try to be good neighbors.”

Another controversy is the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in neighboring fields. The organic farm’s planting dates differ from those of the traditional on-campus farms due to the use of GMOs in the traditional farms’ crop-growing processes. The CPOF chooses to plant at a different time to prevent GMOs from being carried by the wind into the organic fields.

The organic farm also lacks financial support from the university and the state. Cal Poly has not recognized the organic farm as a priority, and therefore does not provide the farm with sufficient funding. “We’re an educational program. We’re not activists,” said Douglas. “(Ultimately) at some point, the chancellor will say that organic agriculture is necessary. Therefore the state would provide funding.”

            Douglas states that UC campuses are much more likely to receive state funding because they are tied in with grant money. Currently there are many people lobbying for more sustainable agriculture practices and funding for such practices. The majority of these lobbyists are from UC Davis, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, but some Cal Poly faculty have lobbied too (primarily from the Ag Business and Architecture departments).

            According to Central Coast Parent, the CPOF is a “hidden treasure on the Central Coast.” [vii] Venture to the farm and you will discover a winding path dotted with different shrubs and trees. A greenhouse there, a small stove here, the trail to the CSA pick-up looks more like a community garden than a university farm. The farm even has its own live-in cat. The setting is serene, with the exception of the occasional Amtrak train rumbling through the neighboring field. Its backyard garden vibe provides a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for people who want to explore new foods and perhaps a more economically and ecologically viable lifestyle. The CPOF is a sustainable entity focused on increasing awareness of local, organic agriculture and decreasing off-farm inputs. The farm provides a community-based network and promotes an overall sense of well-being.