On Thursday, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center highlighted nine different research projects they have been working on throughout the season at its Strawberry Field Day.
Members of the California Strawberry Commission and about 250 industry members showed up to the event to see everything Cal Poly’s agriculture department has been doing.
Gerald Holmes, Director of the Strawberry Center said the field day was a chance to showcase each project to different industries who could “take back information to make better decisions about their farming operations.”
According to Holmes, the strawberry industries came to Cal Poly about five years ago to form a research and education center to address the needs of the industry.
Education goes hand-in-hand with research and students are given an opportunity to figure out what career path they want to follow.
“Everything we’re doing out here has a place for the students to learn something.”
Strawberries must be harvested twice a week and according to Holmes, are a very labor-intensive fruit, that require constant oversight.
