Agricultural Education Commons^™

Testing Predictions Used To Build An Agrivoltaics Installation On A Small-Scale Educational Model, Katie Kinney, Rebecca Minor, Greg Barron-Gafford

STAR Program Research Presentations

Models are valuable tools for explaining and testing systems. Small-scale models can be especially useful for educational purposes. For models to be useful, they have to accurately depict the larger system that they are describing. A novel man-made system, known as an agrivoltaic structure, is being constructed at Biosphere 2 near Oracle, Arizona. The word agrivoltaic is a combination of agriculture and photovoltaics, or solar farming. My research involved creating a small-scale version of this system for educational purposes. The model of this system tested two predictions: that plants will grow better in the shade of a panel and that …

Marketing Alaskan Seafood: Strategies With Brand Identification, Differentiation, And Promotions, Anna Jacobson

Journalism

Everyday the globe experiences changes with food. New methods in growing and harvesting are becoming approved, while others are frowned upon. People care more about where their food comes from than ever before. This research is to explore how Alaska seafood can successfully market their products in an ever-changing world. As challenges present themselves in the industry, opportunities are there as well.

This study sets out to explore marketing strategies for promoting a seafood brand. Through exploring current literature and interviewing experts to obtain data, conclusions will be drawn and analyzed. These findings will help to understand the best practices …

Orchard Management Practices And Handbook, Brian A. Snyder, Kellie M. Mancino

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop an SAE start-up handbook for the Hollister FFA program's orchard. The orchard was being underutilized by the chapter and the hopes are that the chapter will supply students with this handbook allowing for a more diverse group of SAE projects within the chapter. Implementing the steps outlined in this handbook would also create a more competitive chapter in the areas of proficiencies and degrees.

A Livestock Employee Manual For Junior Livestock Shows, Kylin Costa

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create a manual for junior livestock show staff to abide by for the duration of a county fair’s show. By implementing the manual, the show process should run smoother, and should alleviate turnover problems with each new barn steward that comes into the fair. The author hopes that this manual will be of use at fairs statewide.

Wireless Sensor Mesh Network For Irrigation Systems, Rosana Cheruvelil, Oswaldo Garcia, Nabil Haque, Justin Ignacio, Stanley Thomas

Electrical Engineering

Pepper Oak Farms, a company that grows their own olives for olive oil and has approximately 40,000 olive trees, is in need of an efficient way to monitor the soil and atmospheric conditions that are critical to the cultivation of their trees. The company at the moment only has two sensors and has to manually place the sensors at different locations to collect data on soil moisture and temperature. This is expensive, time consuming, and a lot of effort on the owner’s part to go out on the fields to collect this data. As a solution, the company would like …

Designing A Natural Resource Workshop For Students: Working With Wood: Adventures In Forestry, Maddison Easley

Agricultural Education and Communication

There is a need for additional education focused on natural resource related careers and issues. As communities become further removed from these subjects, hands-on workshops and educational trainings are necessary to rekindle interest in these topics, especially in regards to application in fields like agriculture. The goal of this project was to create a logical outline to follow when designing and implementing natural resource workshops. An additional outcome of the project involved the implementation of a forestry workshop through the 26 Hours of Science and Technology program at California Polytechnic State University on March 11, 2015. The outline provided in …

Graduate Internship Report - Ann Sobrato High School, Adeline Grace Amador

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Ann Sobrato High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the restructuring and designing of the curriculum for an Agriculture Leadership class. It also includes development of a set of directions and a scoring rubric for the FFA iRecordbook. Finally, it includes the redevelopment of curriculum for Agriculture Biology and Agriculture Geology classes related to the Next Generation Science Standards. This includes …

Ag In Motion, Kerri Bermudez, Annelise Jensch, Michaela Stone

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to gauge the interest levels of Ag in Motion for the Central Coast. Positive feedback would allow the project to continue on after this project is finished. Ag in Motion is an important asset to middle school aged children because they have the opportunity to learn about agriculture and it’s value. This is especially important considering California is number one producer of agricultural commodities in the United States.

The Central Coast is defined as these three counties: Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County. An online survey was developed and sent …

Developing A Website For The Cal Poly Rodeo Program, Audrey N. Pearce

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create an effective website for the Cal Poly Rodeo Program in order to improve communication with key audiences and ensure continued success for the organization. This website was intended to remain consistent with other Cal Poly websites, such as those listed on the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) Student Life page under Clubs and Organizations, and was included on this page once created. A secondary purpose of the project was to give the Cal Poly Rodeo coach an easier way to recruit and contact potential student athletes. The …

Aquaponics And Basil Plant Density, Danika L. Macmaster, Brook Murphy, Dudley Burton

STAR Program Research Presentations

Aquaponics is the use of water from a fish tank to provide nutrients to plants in a soil-less environment. The rocks cultivate the bacteria that turns the ammonia into nitrates that the plants need, and the plant bed functions as a filter for the fish tank. In this study, with the guidance of Doctor Dudley Burton, Doctor Brook Murphy, we researched the optimal plant density for basil in an Aquaponics system. We attempted to control or measure all the other variables to consider, as to isolate the variable of distance between plants. The water flow was spread through the plant …

Development Of A Public Education Website: Building Bridges Over Water, Angelina Mckee

Agricultural Education and Communication

Website created by Angelina McKee to educate the public about water resource issues. Water is the basic unit of life, water resources are the basis for what societies and ecosystems are founded upon. Water shortages and droughts are more prevalent in our ever-changing world. It is no shock that there are discrepancies between various stockholders on either sides of the dry riverbed. This senior project resulted in the development of a website that addresses global water resources, water use in California, water conservation, and water allocation. The website informs the public on water resources and related issues and will hopefully …

Project Proposal And Development Plan For A New Security Gate At Swanton Pacific Ranch, K. Morgan Perry

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype gate for Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz, CA. Swanton Pacific Ranch requested that the author design and build a 21’x5’ single-retractable gate for Swanton Pacific Ranch to help decrease the security issues that have recently arisen at the facility. The design and format of this project are focused towards the desires and goals set forth by Swanton Pacific Ranch and the Operations Manager, Steve Auten in order to obtain a certain outcome. This project provides an outline of what needs to be done in order to produce …

Teacher Internship Report - Anderson Union High School, Kathryn L. Teixeira

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship/project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Anderson Union High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the practical application of occupational skills related to the horticulture industry and modification to the Greenhouse facilities at Anderson Union High School by improving ergonomics of greenhouse tables, replacing the existing siding of storage facilities and installing concrete walkways within the greenhouse. Students in the Agricultural Department were integral in all parts …

Supervised Agricultural Experience Handbook: How To Graft Tomatoes, Lauren Elliott

Agricultural Education and Communication

The Purpose of this project was to create a handbook that could be used by high school agricultural programs to implement grafting of tomatoes. It could be used as a Supervised Agricultural Experience entrepreneurship project for a student or a fundraiser for the high school program as a whole. The handbook provides a resource with step-by-step procedures for the entire process grafting tomatoes entails. It is hoped that the handbook gives guidance but also leaves room for interpretation for educational purposes.

An Index Of California Regulations Affecting Rice Growers, Maddie Dunlap

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purposed of this project was to identify and compile California regulations that affect rice growers. The final product was an index designed for rice growers and their representatives to be used lobbying efforts with regulators and elected officials. The index serves to illustrate the intensive regulations that rice growers face in California. Areas of focus include water quality, air quality, labor and pesticides indirectly.

Sustainable Fire Clearance Using Goats Teaching Unit, Elida Noren Moore

Agricultural Education and Communication

This project was created in order to fulfill the need of creating a unit of teaching for sustainable fire brush clearance using goats. The beginning goes over all the literature that was used to help create the project as well as the thought process that was followed in order to write the unit. These decisions were crucial for figuring out what was going to be included in the unit as well as the activities and lecture prompts that are provided. The unit covers everything from fire history and fire regulations in the state of California, to the care and treatment …

Humboldt County Agriculture Education: Forestry, Nursery, And Dairy Production, Alayna Renner

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create middle school agriculture curriculum for the top three agriculture commodities in Humboldt County. It was designed and created specifically for Humboldt County to educate the upcoming generations about the unique and diverse agriculture industry Humboldt County provides. It is hoped that this easy and ready to use curriculum will get the students interested and involved in the agriculture industry in the future years. It includes a teacher’s aide outline, student handouts, a Power Point, and an activity handout.

Urban Agriculture Stormwater Management In California Cities, Rachel L. Cohen

Master's Theses

Cities within California are beginning to incorporate urban agriculture into their land use designations. Prompted by residents and local organizations, cities are hoping to capture the benefits that urban agriculture provides. Research has shown that urban agriculture renews and beautifies neighborhoods, provides healthy food choices, increases public health, has the potential to help with stormwater runoff, creates jobs, and fosters community. In the last few years, several California cities have made headlines as they have adopted new zoning codes that include urban agriculture.

In reviewing these new zoning codes and exploring the topic of urban agriculture, it became evident that …

An Educational Video And Research Experiment On The Longevity Of Chicken Eggs, Kyle Patrick Mcdonald

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create a video designed to educate the public about chicken egg storage and refrigeration. The information in the video was based on a research experiment performed by the author, which was designed to measure the chronological decline of internal egg quality over a ten-week period. By creating an educational video about the longevity of chicken eggs, it is hoped that consumers will learn to keep their eggs past their sell-by dates. This project includes an educational video as well as an outline for a research project.

Revision Of The Agricultural Education And Communication Department Senior Project Manual, Cassie Burrows

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop an up-to-date senior project manual for students of the Agricultural Education and Communication Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The previous manual was revised to include the most current information regarding the requirements of the senior project in the department, as most of the information had become outdated and no longer reflected the expectations of the department. The new design and format was created specifically to assist students in writing their senior project manuscript as well as in properly presenting their project within the manuscript. As a result of …