Gwyndolyn Holtmeyer

December 3^rd, 2004

English 134-16

Dr. Marx

A Piece of Eden

Spread out on two acres of rolling green Cal Poly land in between the rodeo arena

and the dairy unit sits the Cal Poly Student Experimental Farm. From the outside looking

in, the farm looks peaceful and quaint. But when inside the fence, it becomes clear that

there is more than what meets the eye. The Cal Poly Student Experimental Farm is more

complex than it seems. With vermicular bins, composting areas, raised agricultural beds

growing on newspaper pages, and straw and mud dwellings, the farm is a bustling

organic and agriculturally sustainable piece of land. The location of the land is unique as

well. When searching for a home for the farm, the founders craved a challenge. In the

location they chose, the founders acquired what they wanted. The farm sits in a part

of the Cal Poly valley that acts as a wind tunnel. The founders knew it would be a

challenge to grow crops in such a windy area, but after working all over the world

establishing farms for the Peace Corps, they knew they could succeed.

The Cal Poly Experimental farm was established in 1989 as a way to educate

students and the public about sustainable agriculture and to provide organic fruits

and vegetables to the community. This method of farming is called community supported

agriculture. Produce grown at the farm is sold directly to the community, eliminating the

“middle man” as Hunter Francis put it. Mr. Francis is the program coordinator of the

farm. Sustainable agriculture is a way of growing crops using no fertilizers, herbicides, or

insecticides so the land is kept as close to its natural state as possible. Organic farming is

the main way to sustain the land while simultaneously being productive. Since 1990, the

farm has been certified “organic.” In order to be certified, the land must meet specific

requirements: fertilizers, insecticides, or herbicides may not be used for three years in a

row; when farming, a minimum of twenty five feet must exist between the organic farm

and conventionally grown crops; only organically certified seed may be used- no

genetically altered seed varieties of any kind are allowed; an ecologically sustainable

crop rotation must be stated and put into use; and manure must be composted before it

can be used on the land. There are requirements for animals that live on an organic farm

too. Animals must eat only organic food, they cannot have any antibiotics or take

synthetic hormones, and they must have access to the outdoors at all times of the year.

The animals living on the farm are raised within the specific guidelines of organic

farming and raising organic animals. I saw that the farm staff had built an outdoor coop for the Rhode Island Red chickens that live on the farm. Since the chickens are raised with

no hormones in the food they eat and are given no antibiotics, their eggs are organic. The

eggs are an additional source of income for the farm and provide a balanced diet for those

who live off the farm.

In the community supported agriculture system, citizens of the community can

sign up to receive a “Harvest Box” filled with seasonally grown produce each week. The

membership lasts for twenty two weeks beginning in spring quarter and coming to an end

in mid October. Members pick up their boxes each week from the sales office at the farm.

They are invited to help out with the harvesting of produce too. Some of the main staples

in the harvest box are cabbages, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic,

peppers, eggplants, strawberries, green beans, and spinach just to name a few. Fruit trees

such as fig, apple, peach, apricot, plum, nectarine, and loquat have been planted over the

past few years and are expected to be mature and ready to produce fruit within a few

more seasons. Mr. Francis said that they are hoping for avocado and orange trees to be

planted in the next few years to add to the mixture. In touring the farm, I saw the

biointensive garden where wheat and vegetables grow. I tasted a few grains of wheat and

tiny onion bulbs as Mr. Francis talked about his experiences in the Peace Corps and gave

us some delicious ideas for cooking with the onion bulbs and herbs growing in rows.

When looking around the farm, one cannot help but notice the architectural

creations. The most noticeable and most unique is “Festival Circle.” It is an

environmentally friendly wall made from straw bales and mud that acts as a wind barrier.

It was designed to mimic the surrounding hills and create a place for social gatherings.

Each year, the area is used for potlucks, poetry readings, and concerts. Next to the wall

stands a building made of straw bales and mud that, when completed, will be the farm’s

packaging center. Behind the packaging center is the vermicular bin. The vermicular bin

is a box that houses worms that eat through compost and in turn create fertile soil that can

be used on the organic crops. Across from the bin is a project that is still in progress. It is

an environmental bathroom because it uses sawdust instead of water, and it is used to

create fertile soil. I learned from Mr. Francis that it is not yet ready for use. Mr. Francis

said using human waste as fertilizer is different from using animal manure because there

are different immunities we have which would normally protect us. But when using

human waste as fertilizer, we would not be protected from disease. A comprehensive

cleaning system is required to use human excrements as fertilizer for crops that will be

consumed by humans. It is a more delicate matter in this situation because the crops are

organically grown without chemicals that would normally kill diseases. They need to

make some adjustments to the system and have it certified before it can be used as

fertilizer.

The Cal Poly Student Experimental Farm is achieving its goal of improving the

sustainability of the land while growing organic produce everyday. This farm has created

a hands on experience for Cal Poly students which fits exactly with our

motto of “learn by doing.” Involving the San Luis Obispo community has spread the

word of sustainable agriculture and has shown the value of organic farming in its

produce. There is, however, opposition to this particular use of Cal Poly land. The Cal

Poly Department of Agriculture uses conventional methods for growing crops.

Conventional farming methods are believed to be most efficient and the best economical

use for the land. The Ag department focuses on scientific training for large scale

commercial farming. In their eyes, the experimental farm is a small scale project that

would not be realistic to turn into a large scale farm. Commercial farming has been the

most productive in agriculture history. The Horticulture and Crop Science major and

Earth Science major utilize environmental methods to improve and sustain land and water

resources. They focus their teaching on minimizing human impact as much as possible on

the land while still being productive. Organic farming may use fewer resources and

utilize every aspect of the land and the crops it produces, but it would not work on a

large scale commercial farm.

The question of whether organic farming is better than conventional farming

depends on who you talk to. Each method has its pros and cons. Here at Cal Poly, the

main farming technique is conventional because it has been the most productive and

economical in the past. But if organic farming is given the same chance as

conventional farming has been given to be productive on a large scale, Cal Poly may shift

to more sustainable methods of farming in the future.

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