Cal Poly’s Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research Forges Industry Partnerships

First established in 2021 with a donation from the Grimm family, Cal Poly’s Center for Organic Production and Research has been busy with multiple projects since its inception.

Collaborating with the organic produce industry is a critical component of the center’s work, and it now has several industry partners. “The center's main goal is to expand California organic production through applied research services and training future organic leaders and workers,” said Dr. Matthew Grieshop, who was named center director in January 2022. “Therefore, partnering with industry is crucial for the center’s growth and success. Industry partners play a significant role in shaping the center's activities by providing research areas, funding support, and materials and offering guest lectures for Cal Poly students.”

Dr. Matthew Grieshop, Director, Cal Poly Center for Organic Production and Research

The center is currently working with Grimmway Farms, Braga Fresh, Betteravia Farms, and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).

“The center's main goal is to expand California organic production through applied research services and training future organic leaders and workers.” - Dr. Matthew Grieshop

“In the spring of 2022, we established valuable industry partnerships with Grimmway Farms,” said Grieshop. “They are a leading organization in the organic vegetable industry, particularly in the Central Valley and desert growing regions. We are currently engaged in two ongoing research projects with them. The first project aims to improve our understanding of nitrogen mineralization rates of organic fertilizers, considering soil conditions, fertilizer ingredients, and soil temperature. The second project involves reviewing existing peer-reviewed efficacy data for USDA organic-compliant insecticides and fungicides used in various crops.”

The center’s nitrogen mineralization research is funded by the Grimm family’s founding donation, while its research review of insecticides and fungicides is supported by a grant from the Cal State University (CSU) Agricultural Research Initiative and is led by Dr. Shunping Ding, a plant pathologist who works in both the Plant Sciences and the Wine and Viticulture Departments.  

“These projects were developed in collaboration with Grimmway Farms' agronomy team,” Grieshop said. “As we analyze the results, we work closely with Grimmway's team to identify future research questions and package the findings in a useful manner for organic growers, CCAs (certified crop advisors), and PCAs (pest control advisors).”

The center’s work with Braga Fresh began in July 2022 with discussions about Braga’s existing innovative organic practices and ways that the center could build on those. “One initiative involves creating regionally suitable beneficial habitats using flowering strips, for which Braga provided seeds and assisted our Cal Poly Organic Farm Supervisor Kelly O’Neil in implementation,” Grieshop said.

Cal Poly Organic Farm beneficial habitat flowering strip

The center is also working on a minimum tillage, integrated cover crop trial that is slated to begin within the next few weeks. Crops evaluated in this system will include transplanted cabbage, broccoli, fennel, and lettuce. Using data from a similar trial conducted by Braga Fresh, the center was able to secure grant funding from the CSU Agricultural Research Initiative and another source (which will be announced soon).

“As we analyze the results, we work closely with Grimmway's team to identify future research questions and package the findings in a useful manner for organic growers, CCAs (certified crop advisors), and PCAs (pest control advisors).” - Dr. Matthew Grieshop

“Braga Fresh, particularly their Salinas Valley team, has been great to work with because their expertise aligns well with our shared Central Coast growing conditions and concerns regarding water and nitrogen regulations,” Grieshop said. He noted that the center’s Soil Fertility Specialist Dr. Charlotte Decock is working with Braga to study irrigation and nitrate dynamics in Central Coast broccoli production. That work is supported by a CDFA Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) grant.

Grieshop said the center’s collaboration with Betteravia Farms in Santa Maria is a “critical industry partnership for developing large field trials. Their proximity to our campus and maintenance of both organic and conventional vegetable crops offers exceptional research flexibility. This is crucial because experimental products and practices often cannot be used on certified organic grounds until fully vetted by the National Organic Program.”

This summer, Betteravia and Cal Poly began a proof-of-concept trial looking at hand-applied mating-disruption products for the diamondback moth in partnership with Pacific Biocontrol, which developed the products. “Large-scale field trials on Betteravia's broccoli and cauliflower plantings are underway,” Grieshop said. “Additionally, Betteravia collaborates on the ongoing FREP project headed up by Dr. Decock. These projects require access to 10-20-acre fields, far beyond our campus land base, and having them only 30 minutes away means we can visit them multiple times per week.”

“Braga Fresh, particularly their Salinas Valley team, has been great to work with because their expertise aligns well with our shared Central Coast growing conditions and concerns regarding water and nitrogen regulations.” - Dr. Matthew Grieshop

Grieshop said the center has also formed an important partnership with CCOF, which began in January. “As the largest organic certifier in California, CCOF is in a unique position to provide information on current needs in organic production and provide a network for the center’s outreach efforts. Our collaborations with CCOF have focused on organic outreach and education. CCOF is coordinating the USDA AMS Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) project, which is providing monetary support for center ‘organic workforce development’ activities.”

Grieshop said CCOF’s TOPP funds have led to the creation of a new organic ag seminar for Cal Poly students as well as the development of consumer-focused organic outreach podcasts and videos with Dr. Moses Mike, a professor in the Cal Poly Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. “Stay tuned for the latter!” he said.

“Over the next three years we’ll be working with CCOF on the development of an organic add-on certification for CCAs,” Grieshop shared. “The add-on certification will ultimately be delivered through the American Agronomy Society’s CCA program. The center’s role will be to develop the exams and written and video study guides for folks wanting to get the certification.”

“As the largest organic certifier in California, CCOF is in a unique position to provide information on current needs in organic production and provide a network for the center’s outreach efforts." - Dr. Matthew Grieshop

In addition to its industry partnerships and related activities, the center has been working on a number of other initiatives. It recently held its first annual field day on August 3 and is very close to completing renovations on an existing soil lab, which will be called the Grimm Family Soil Health and Sustainability Laboratory. “This facility will provide modern infrastructure to support soil health research and provide valuable training for Cal Poly students,” Grieshop said.

“We have also been collaborating closely with the Cal Poly Organic Farm to provide hands-on training in organic production and research to undergraduates,” he said. “Through common recruitment, students can choose between production or research roles, and we host bi-weekly ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions with guest speakers. Going forward, we plan to work with Cal Poly student clubs to expand our organic community.”