Letter: Dairy science program at Cal Poly threatened
To the editor,
–There is a threat to a critical agricultural program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; luckily, action is being taken to try to save it.
This Cal Poly campus is developing a 20 year master plan. It includes positive developments that aim to improve and progress the campus forward. However, it also negatively impacts the university’s dairy science and agricultural program. This is a well-known, prestigious program that contributes to the well-established reputation of this industry in California, especially the Central Coast.
The current 20 year plan takes away two sections of land from the dairy science and agricultural students & staff, land that is necessary because:
- To keep operating, the dairy must have a means of dealing with wastewater and bionutrient management. Without the dairy, there is no dairy science program.
- Several faculty members conduct important research utilizing these fields.
- The program’s heifers, as well as other heifers on campus, use these fields to graze.
- These fields are used for two massively popular open house events: the Tractor Pull and Rodeo.
- It enables a hands on learning environment, demonstrating the “Learn by Doing” motto. For example, this land is used by students for forage classes and fertilizer labs.
- Forages to the dairy are provided via this land. This past year alone, the program was able to double its crop with silage and triticale.
In response, a petition was started. It asks the university to keep these lands designated for the agricultural and dairy science program’s use, research and education: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savecalpolyagland
It takes only 30 seconds to sign, helping to save a program that is such a vital part of the Central Coast agricultural industry.
Allison Gower
Concerned citizen and sister of Cal Poly grad
