Cal Poly gets $18.5M to support new sites

Funding from state aims to boost agricultural facilities

Cal Poly Pomona has been awarded $18.5 million in one-time funding to support new agricultural facilities and equipment for student research, the university announced Monday.

The fiscal 2023 California budget allocated $75million total for programs at four California State Universities with campus farms — Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU Chico and CSU Fresno. The funding will support programs studying methods to combat the effects of climate change on the state’s nearly $50 billion agriculture industry and the food industry. Funds will provide for new student labs, equipment and programming on campuses across the state.

Cal Poly Pomona proposed three projects during the budget process — an apiary lab, upgraded agricultural equipment, and a processing lab to research plantbased protein alternatives. The processing lab would need additional funding to move forward, according to the university.

These projects are currently under review for cost and feasibility based on the state’s funding commitment, the university noted in a news release.

“With this commitment of state funds,” said, Martin Sancho-Madriz, interim dean of the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture, students “will have access to additional state-of-the-art technology to increase their ability to contribute to climate-forward research and drive change in agriculture.”

The Huntley College of Agriculture is the university’s founding college and provides students with hands-on learning. This includes the campus farm, nutrition and livestock programs.