Digital Commons Network^™

Feasibility Test Of San Vicente Cellar's Expansion, Taylor Lew

Agribusiness

San Vicente Cellars is a small tasting room and production facility in Ventura County. As of now, the winery’s revenue just barely covers the cost of production and other expenses. It is believed that due to their poor location the tasting room is not receiving maximum customers in reflection to the quality of the wines. San Vicente’s owner has a vision of opening an additional tasting room in a higher trafficking location. This project is based on this vision and tests whether or not this new location is financially feasible. After all costs are factored in, the breakeven point of …

Csp Desalination/Water Purification Unit, Sean Goodison

Industrial Technology and Packaging

An estimated 3.4 million people die each year from unsanitary water or inaccessible water supply. Most of these deaths take place in the developing, third world (99%). There is a dilemma arising on the world stage as well. The water demand/supply deficit is expected to increase significantly over the next 37 years if preemptive action isn’t taken. 97% of the world water supply is oceanic, making it an attractive solution to the water deficit. Providing autonomous, “deploy and watch” systems for utilizing sustainable energy to provide purified water for unitized low pricing has the potential to penetrate a large world …

Survey Of Suitable Plants For Cal Poly's Green Wall, Katrina Burritt

Horticulture and Crop Science

Green wall technology is a growing industry in the United States and has been very successful for a several years throughout Europe. The objective of this survey was to study the success of several different species of plants on a vertical wall facing south at Cal Poly’s Horticultural Department Unit. At first the focus was aimed at using California native species, because it was thought that natives would be better acclimated to the exposure in this specific location. It became apparent that plants should not be selected for the wall based just on the fact that they are California natives. …

Marine Protected Areas And Resilience To Sedimentation In The Solomon Islands, B. S. Halpern, K. A. Selkoe, Crow White, S. Albert, S. Aswani, M. Lauer

Biological Sciences

The ability of marine protected areas (MPAs) to provide protection from indirect stressors, via increased resilience afforded by decreased impact from direct stressors, remains an important and unresolved question about the role MPAs can play in broader conservation and resource management goals. Over a five-year period, we evaluated coral and fish community responses inside and outside three MPAs within the Roviana Lagoon system in Solomon Islands, where sedimentation pressure from upland logging is substantial. We found little evidence that MPAs decrease impact or improve conditions and instead found some potential declines in fish abundance. We also documented modest to high …

Evaluation And Design Of Potting Production Process Improvements For The Non-Profit Organization, Growing Grounds Farm, Maiya Avalon Bourland, Precilla Tang

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This report focuses on the potting production process for the non-profit organization (NPO) Growing Grounds Farm (GGF), and aims to promote a standardized workflow system to enhance the working experience for Transitions‐Mental Health Association employees and volunteers. This project takes careful consideration into the process improvements proposed so to support the double bottom line of economic and social objectives. To address the equally important objectives, the Human Centered Design toolkit created by IDEO, specifically for third sector organizations, was integrated with the traditional Industrial Engineering design process methodology. Feasible alternatives were developed and evaluated based on the objectives. The selected …

Assessing A Pumpkin Butter Enterprise For Bishop's Pumpkin Farm, Meghan Bishop

Agribusiness

Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm is a 40-year-old agriculture tourism destination looking to expand their brand name. One way to do this is through value-added products and in the case of this study, by producing pumpkin butter. To determine if this would be a revenue enhancing enterprise for the business, expenses were analyzed for the ingredients in the product and the processing at an offsite processor. A break-even analysis was performed to determine a minimum price required to cover variable production prices and a minimum required price to cover total costs which would include establishment costs. The numbers were based on a …

A Comparison Of The Efficiency And Profitability Of Holsteins And Jerseys, Kelli Ann Carstensen

Dairy Science

The efficiency and profitability of Holstein and Jersey cows has been scrutinized, compared, and debated for many years. In response, this study was conducted with the objective of incorporating reviews and results collected from numerous studies relating to Holstein and Jersey efficiency and profitability to determine if a breed advantage existed in any or all related areas. Articles reviewed were obtained from the Journal of Dairy Science, the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, and the Journal of Dairy Research. Jerseys were found to demonstrate breed advantages in pasture systems, longevity, stayability, productive life, calving ease, reproduction, heat stress under …

Reproductive Analysis Of 100% Delayed 1st Service Ovsynch Breeding During Summer Months At A Large Central Valley Dairy, Micah John Degroot

Dairy Science

As the Dairy industry evolves year by year it is becoming ever more important to be reproductively efficient. The implementation of various timed artificial insemination (TAI) programs has become very common in order to maintain reproductive stability throughout the herd. This can be harder than ever with the increase of herd sizes and hot summer temperature in the central valley. The objective of this study compares two ovsynch breeding programs during summer months on a large central valley dairy. The change in protocol was a delayed 100% timed artificial insemination at approximately 70 dim for the 5-month period from June …

Comparison Of Profitability Jerseys Vs. Holsteins, Including Benchmarks Comparisons For Production, Reproduction, Health And Costs Of Production., Caitlin Kasbergen

Dairy Science

The objective of this study was to determine whether the Jersey Breed is economically more feasible than the Holstein Breed on Rancho Teresita Dairy in Tulare. Beginning In March of 2011 the dairy purchased 380 milking Jersey cows. The dairy decided to purchase Jerseys because in 2008 the ethanol mandate started, causing the feed prices to climb. This study evaluated reproduction, calving ease, production, and feed efficiency. Jersey heifers are bred for the first time at 12 months and Holstein cows are bred for the first time at 14 months. The Jersey cows have a higher overall conception rate (CR) …

A Business Plan For A Custom Dry Cow Transition Facility And A Calf Ranch, Landon Joseph Fernandes

Dairy Science

In recent economic times the dairy industry has witnessed historic lows in milk price and historic highs in feed prices. As a result many dairies have been forced out of business or have found other ways to diversify in order to offset the accumulated debt from dairying. One possible way a dairy can minimize debt is by sending its transition cows to custom transition cow management facility from dry-off through freshening. This management facility would give optimal care and attention to these cows to ensure metabolic and post calving health issues are minimal and that cows are returned to the …

Composted Almond Waste Blended With Commercial Fertilizers Feasibility, Jordan Jay Marchy

Agribusiness

Composting is becoming more and more pressured into today’s agricultural industry. With this comes a business idea that has the potential to be economically viable. This business consists of taking the waste produced from almond hullers in the Central Valley, which consists of foliage, dirt, and twigs, composting it, mixing it with some sort of synthetic fertilizer to create a blend, and selling the product to farmers in the area. The problem is that agriculturalists don’t know for sure if it can be profitable. This study takes a closer look at the costs and revenues associated with such a business …

Determine If Raising Holstein Steers Can Be Profitable, While Creating A Quality Product, William Dyt

Dairy Science

Abstract

The objective of this experiment is to determine if holstein steers can be raised for a high quality, profitable beef product. The data collected came from Dyt Dairy and their steer program. Records came from the Souza Family, who does the calf raising for Dyt Dairy, and were compiled into a spread sheet. Daily costs incurred in raising a steer for the first five months were incorporated and analyzed relative to different rates of gain. The second stage analysis involved the next five months on a higher ration at Dyt Dairy #2. Again costs per day and rates of …

Praying Mantis: A Teacher's Guide, Brandon Better

Agricultural Education and Communication

This project provides an activity based learning exercise that will teach the ideals of sustainability and biodiversity. The highlight will be the rearing and integration of the praying mantis into the classroom. Through the praying mantis, students will be able to learn about predatory insects and their value to the environment.

The Effects Of Feeding Brown Midrib Corn Silage Compared To Conventional Corn Silage In High Producing Dairy Cows, Erick Mitchell Mendonca

Dairy Science

The objective of this study was to determine if supplementing Brown Midrib Corn Silage into a high cow feed ration could improve digestibility in the rumen, add savings into the feed ration, and improve milk production. Beginning in June of 2012 two hundred high producing Holstein cows were selected from Johnny Mendonca & Sons Dairy in Tulare, Ca to estimate the difference between feeding Conventional Corn Silage compared to Brown Midrib Corn Silage. This test trial was conducted over the span of 4 months and was hypothesized by the author. To achieve this, the author conducted three analyses to determine …

The Effect Of Inbreeding In Dairy Cattle: Effects Of Genomic Versus Non-Genomic Predictions, Michelle Gabrielle Khal

Dairy Science

The objective of this project was to examine the relationship between the genomic value inbreeding coefficient and the pedigree value inbreeding coefficient. Hair samples were collected from 50 registered Holstein heifers from Airosa Dairy Tipton, California. The 50 hair samples were sent to Pfizer Animal Genetics for the genomic inbreeding values. DNA was extracted from the hair sample and ran through a low-density DNA SNP marker. Two values were computed from the genomic test; the future inbreeding value and the individual inbreeding value. The registered identification numbers of each of the heifers was also sent to the United States Holstein …

Generating A Nutritional Dairy Cow Ration Based On Green Waste Out Of San Luis Obispo County, Nicole Mendoza

Dairy Science

The objective of this literature review was to assess the accessibility and utilization of waste like products for inclusion into the dairy ration in San Luis Obispo County. With feed prices continually rising, alternatives to the very expensive feedstuffs should be continually explored. In this review, papers based on grocery store waste, viticulture waste, Cal Poly waste, and crop waste were explored to determine the feasibility of including these products into the dairy ration economically. Aspects evaluated were availability, nutrient composition, storing and handling and a viability of undertaken this system to supplement dairy cattle feeding. As a result it …

A Literature Review On Corn Silage Management, Britton L. Baxley

Dairy Science

There are many different ensiling methods, each having positive and negative aspects to them. The aim of ensiling corn is for the corn to go under a proper fermentation process, free of oxygen and other environmental stressors. The objective of this literature review is to determine the most ideal method of corn silage management from the time the corn is chopped, until the cow consumes it in the total mixed ration (TMR). The literature review was conducted by analyzing more than thirty articles covering silage management and the effects it has on the corn silage quality and productivity of the …

A Business Model For The Small-Scale, Start-Up, Organic Jersey Dairy, Jim Moreda

Dairy Science

To determine the financial feasibility and stability of starting a small-scale organic jersey dairy in Northern California, given the changes and restrictions that must take place in all aspects of production while operating organically. Using a unique combination of ownership and borrowing, I have created a business model made to appropriately fit the organic dairy system, addressing every area of the operation whether it be business or animal related. Through experience, reviews, and research of organic techniques allowable to apply, I was able to reveal and identify specific areas of husbandry and financing in which I would need to excel …

Errors And Accuracy In Student Media: Identifying, Avoiding, And Correcting Common Reporting Errors, Sarah Gilmore

Journalism

Given the changing nature of journalism in today’s society, a “sink or swim” mentality has been adopted across publications throughout the media – it is imperative to keep up-to-date with changes that occur throughout the industry, or the fate of a publication may be in jeopardy. One key factor in keeping a given media outlet afloat in these uncertain times in journalism is accuracy, which in turn affects a publication’s perceived credibility. In order to maintain readership, it is vital that publications maintain a high standard of accuracy in reporting, which can be severely altered by the inclusion of errors. …

Quartz Hill High School Agricultural Education Program: A Guide To Restarting, Revising, And Rebuilding The Agricultural Education Program At Quartz Hill High School, Luke Gocke

Agricultural Education and Communication

At one point in time Quartz Hill High School had a successful Agricultural Education program. The program utilized the principle of Agricultural Education to develop each student to be a contributing member of society. The purpose of this project was to create a booklet on how to rebuild a high school agricultural education program. It was designed to help the author gain knowledge about agricultural education programs, to set a foundation for how one would rebuild a program, and to create new ideas on how to diversify a program of agricultural education. The booklet is designed to help the administration …

Restaurant Design: An Industrial Engineering Perspective, Joseph Travis Spanu

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The objective of this paper is to design a health food restaurant using current industrial engineering tools and practices. This includes creating a menu, determining the average gross profit per customer, determining the location, designing a 3-d layout, simulating service, and analyzing local food supply chains. Using a simplified menu and pricing quotes from a food distributor, the average gross profit per customer is estimated to be $3.50. Location is determined by comparing the predicted number of customers and the cost to rent at two different areas. A downtown location is determined to gross approximately $5,200 per month over a …

Sole4souls/Running Warehouse: An Application Of Communication Principles In Non Profit Event Planning, Tiffany Gummow

Communication Studies

This paper examines persuasion and it's effectiveness on donation events. It also discusses the different types of communication styles, the theory of reciprocation, some accommodation, and rapport. The paper focuses primarily on non-profit donation events and how to reach certain target audiences.

A Metaphor's Power Over Salience And Ideology, Aaron Mckinnon

Communication Studies

A look at the pathways of behavior influenced by the metaphor "Garbage Patch" that represents the accumulation of plastic marine debris in the world's oceans. The metaphor "plastic soup" is suggested as a solution to the rhetoric that surrounds the environmental ideology of the solution to the issue.

A Twist In Hip Hop Culture--A Feminist Perspective, Brandon Edward Michalkiewicz

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Souls4soles/Running Warehouse 2013. An Application Of Communication Principle In Non Profit Event Planning, Vianna Hochstrasser

Communication Studies

I wanted my senior project to revolve around something that would not only hold personal interest but also make a difference within others lives. We decided to put on an event utilizing Soles4Souls, a charity that helps donate old athletic shoes to adults and children in need around the world.

To begin this charitable effort we would work with San Luis Obispo’s Running Warehouse. Our set goal would be to persuade people to attend our event at Running Warehouse. The price of admission would be one dollar, and a pair of old running or athletic shoes. The money would help …

Se Habla Inglés Aquí: Las Dificultades En El Tratamiento De La Depresión En Latinos En Los Estados Unidos, Melissa Kim Dundas

World Languages and Cultures

This project attempts to identify and bring to light the issues relating to treatment of Latinos and native Spanish speakers in the United States. The stigma surrounding depression is already strong in the U.S., and when minorities, who tend to have their own views of mental health disorders and who are less likely to seek treatment for any mental health disorder they might have, are added to the picture, the rates of treatment go drastically down. There are many factors that play into whether or not Latinos will seek treatment for depression, many of which revolve around language and culture, …

Effects Of Ovariectomy And Anatomical Location On Osteonal Encroachment In Adult Cortical Ovine Bone, Paige Brell Ryan

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to further quantify adult ovine ovariectomized bone for new remodeling characteristics to obtain a better understanding of how remodeling is occurring and the effectiveness of this animal model for the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major health concern and animal models to test new treatment options are needed. The ovine model is a good option because the ewes undergo Haversian remodeling, are a large sized animal, and have a similar hormone profile to humans. Ewes, however, do not undergo a natural menopause, so an ovariectomy surgery was conducted in the sheep …

Home Range And Habitat Use Of Santa Rosa Island Foxes (Urocyon Littoralis Santarosae), Elizabeth Marie Drake

Master's Theses

Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are currently listed as federally endangered on four of the six Channel Islands to which they are endemic. The Santa Rosa Island (SRI) population declined by 99% during the 1990’s due to non-native golden eagle (Aguila chrysaetos) predation and is currently the lowest fox population (~280) and density (0.86 foxes/km²) of any of the Channel Islands. The goals of this study were to assess new miniaturized GPS technology and to quantify home range and habitat use of the SRI population. This is only the second use of Global Positioning System (GPS) …

Hydrologic Modeling Of The San Joaquin Valley Watershed For Purposes Of Nitrate Analysis, Stephen Carl Clayton

Master's Theses

The San Joaquin Valley is regarded as one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. This extensive agriculture has, however, caused extensive pollution of both ground water and surface water. This thesis develops a hydrologic model of the surface and ground waters of the San Joaquin Valley. Such modeling is useful in the development and implementation of water quality regulations such as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). A properly validated watershed simulation model can supplement data collection and can account for watershed characteristics including topography, soils, climate, land cover, anthropogenic activities, as well as simulate watershed responses including …

Rfid Technology Selection And Economic Justification For Healthcare Asset Tracking, Tyler Robert Peabody, Tali Freed

Master's Theses

Although Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Real-Time Location System (RTLS) technologies for inventory tracking have been growing in popularity, the healthcare industry has been reluctant to adopt these technologies. One of the primary reasons for this lack of enthusiasm has been the risk associated with electromagnetic interference between RFID/RTLS systems and medical equipment functionality. The other reason has been the substantial cost and complexity of implementing RFID/RTLS in healthcare organizations. In this study, we show that there are several ways to safely install RFID/RTLS systems to improve the inventory management processes of hospitals and clinics. We then analyze the inventory …