Recent News

Professors Wolf and Lecat win 2020 Emerald Literati Award

Jan 15, 2021


Congratulations to Dr. Marianne McGarry Wolf and Dr. Benoit Lecat on winning the 2020 Emerald Literati Awards for the Highly Commended Paper, published in the International Journal of Wine Business Research.

Their article, 'The impact of setting on wine tasting experiments: Do blind tastings reflect the real-life enjoyment of wine?' is available to read here: http://bit.ly/3oOBmCK

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Faculty Spotlight - Dr. Ricky Volpe: The Facts about Food Prices

Oct 12, 2020


On October 15 and October 29, Associate Professor Ricky Volpe will be joining FMI’s Vice President for Tax, Trade, Sustainability & Policy Andy Harig in the following webinar series addressing the impact of COVID-19 on rising food prices.

For more information, visit FMI Webinars. 

 

 

Farm Credit Established Endowment Fund

Jun 15, 2020


FARM CREDIT ESTABLISHES ENDOWMENT FUND AT CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO

$255,000 donation will provide resources for student research projects related to agribusiness

Agribusiness students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will have additional funding for student projects in the years to come after Farm Credit donated nearly $255,000 this year to create an endowment fund for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Six Farm Credit institutions serving farmers and ranchers throughout California contributed funding for the endowment. The annual proceeds will be used to pay for data and other resources that will enable student projects dealing with agricultural finance and lending, data analytics and risk management, said Marianne McGarry Wolf, the university’s agribusiness department head.

“I’m thrilled with the generosity of Farm Credit in supporting Cal Poly and our students,” Wolf said. “This endowment will really benefit both the students and the industry.”

Mark Littlefield, President and CEO, Farm Credit West, said the endowment will provide top-notch academic research that will benefit the food and beverage industry in California.

“Agribusiness is an important part of the state’s farming and ranching operations and research is critically important to provide the information needed for these businesses to grow and flourish,” Littlefield said. “Being able to draw on the outstanding students and faculty at Cal Poly will be a tremendous benefit, and Farm Credit is happy to help make it possible.”

Littlefield also noted that Farm Credit is one of the state’s largest employers of Cal Poly agriculture graduates. “These students are some of the best and the brightest in the state, and Farm Credit has greatly benefitted from the education they received there,” hesaid. “We’re proud to have the opportunity to give back to the school.”

Besides Farm Credit West, the other contributors are American Ag Credit, CoBank, Fresno-Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit.

Wolf said the endowment will further promote the university’s core philosophy – to learn by doing.

“Industry partnerships and funding are critical to facilitating enhanced learn by doing opportunities for students. This donation from Farm Credit will enable students to be more engaged with industry, able to do more hands-on projects and to be able to travel and present their findings to clients.

“And our students do great work. I’ve had students get job offers while they’re in a meeting making a presentation,” she said.

The Agribusiness Department is one of nine departments in Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and next fall expects to have 521 students enrolled. Its graduates are primarily employed by employers in specialty crops, wine and finance.

Wolf added that the new endowment is especially helpful now as the state’s university systems face significant budget cuts due to the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She noted that students are currently preparing scenarios on how Agribusinesses will be able to adapt to changes in purchasing behavior due to the pandemic.

About Farm Credit:

American AgCredit, CoBank, Farm Credit West, Farm Credit Services Colusa-Glenn, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com.

About Cal Poly:

Cal Poly’s Agribusiness Department is well known for producing future agribusiness leaders. Our graduates have a global perspective and are exposed to the world’s dynamic environmental, political, economic and social environments. Upon graduation, students have the interpersonal, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and applied business skills that are required for successful careers with regional, national and international agribusiness industries and the firms and organizations that support those industries. For more information, visit https://agb.calpoly.edu

In the News: Associate Professor Ricky Volpe

May 8, 2020


Independent grocers could lose share to Kroger, Amazon amid coronavirus
crisis

The coronavirus crisis is presenting new challenges to independent grocers in the United States, which could cede market share to Amazon.com Inc. and other large national players better equipped to handle increased demand and supply-chain disruption.

These independent supermarkets are smaller, localized grocers that lack the national and regional footprints of companies like The Kroger Co., Walmart Inc. and Amazon, which owns Whole Foods and is building out a new grocery store concept.

The pandemic is testing smaller retailers of all stripes, from mom-and-pop operations to local chains and specialized, niche grocers. As customer demand for delivery has surged during the outbreak, grocers of all sizes are scrambling to keep shelves stocked with essentials such as eggs and meat. But those challenges tend to be even more daunting for smaller grocers, said Ricky Volpe, a professor in California Polytechnic State University's Agribusiness Department.

AGB Job & Internship Board is now live!

Feb 14, 2020


Post your vacancy on our new Job and Internship Board via the online Job and Internship Board Submittal Form. The department reserves the right to edit any submittals for length and clarity. 

To reach students campus-wide, employers are encouraged to connect with Career Services for access to MustangJOBS, career fair information, and on-campus interviewing resources.  

If you have questions, contact us at agb@calpoly.edu or 805.756.5000. 

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