What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm

Cal Poly Strawberry Center

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San Luis Obispo, CA
Cal Poly Strawberry Center

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The Strawberry Center is a research and education center at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Our mission is to ensure the sustainability of the CA strawberry industry through research and education that addresses grower needs.🍓

10/15/2026

Meet Nicki Fowler, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center's new Administrative Coordinator!

Nicki brings years of administrative experience to the Center, where she'll support daily operations, financial processes, HR activities and event coordination.

But her connection to strawberries goes back much further! Growing up in California, strawberries were part of her life from an early age. Today, that lifelong enthusiasm is reflected in her collection of strawberry-themed keepsakes and decor.

Now, she's excited to bring her professional experience and passion for strawberries together at the Center. 🍓

Please join us in welcoming Nicki to the team!

10/09/2026

Bedding Day at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center! 🚜🍓

Bed preparation is complete on our second field as we get ready for Planting Day on Oct. 28!

Our team made several equipment adjustments to work with the heavy soil, beginning with the listing bar, followed by two passes with the bed shaper and a final pass to install drip tape.

Next up: laying plastic once the furrows dry out and preparing our third and final field!

09/29/2026

Earlier this fall, students Maria Alvarez Arredondo, Gabriela Torres Gonzalez, Elias Barriga-Hernandez, , and Kaela Higgins presented graduate research at the APS Plant Health conference in Rhode Island, Aug. 1–4, 2026.

Together, their projects explore practical questions in strawberry disease management, including soilborne pathogens, plant resistance, and plant health during cold storage. Presenting their work alongside scientists and peers is an important part of turning hands-on research experience into professional practice.

Congratulations to Maria, Gabriela, Elias, and Kaela on representing the Strawberry Center and sharing their work with the plant-health community!

09/25/2026

Thank you, Sophia!

As Sophia Jerkovich wraps up her time at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, we’re celebrating the curiosity, care and teamwork she brought to the Field Program and Pathology Lab.

After graduating in June, Sophia continued supporting the Center through the summer. She is now heading to the Bay Area to begin a new job opportunity at Farmscapes.

We’re grateful for all you contributed, Sophia, and wish you every success in what comes next!

Pictured (left-to-right): Angel Castaneyra, Kyle Blauer, Sophia Jerkovich, Karla Rodriguez and Caedence Rice

09/24/2026

Meet Jessica Frantzides, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center’s new Marketing and Communications Specialist! 🍓

In this role, Jessica will support the Center’s marketing and communications efforts and serve as a new point of contact for our communications.

As she gets started, we look forward to continuing to share the research, people, opportunities and events that connect our community to the work of the Strawberry Center.

Please join us in welcoming Jessica to the Center!

08/07/2026

Field Day 2026 was one for the books! More than 600 strawberry growers, researchers, and industry representatives joined us for the Center’s 10th Annual Field Day. 🍓 This year’s event featured 20 dynamic, hands-on demonstrations that are tackling current challenges within the strawberry industry. You can access the Field Day 2026 program booklet at the link in our bio.

A huge thank you to all who attended and to our amazing sponsors and in-kind donors who contributed to the success of this event. A special appreciation goes out to Plant Sciences Genetics for being our Lead Sponsor!

07/22/2026

🚩 Field Day is TOMORROW! Check in starts at 7:30 a.m. 🚩

Join over 600 strawberry growers, researchers and industry representatives from all over California and beyond. Get a firsthand look at ongoing trials and demonstrations on everything from automation to pest and disease management. The event ends with a complimentary lunch at 12 p.m. We can't wait to see you!

07/20/2026

We’re proud to partner with SLO Food Bank’s Glean program, which rescues fresh produce from local farms, orchards, backyards, and farmers’ markets that might otherwise go to waste. That food is then distributed through SLO Food Bank’s network of nonprofit agency partners and direct distributions across the county.

The GleanSLO team has been visiting the Strawberry Center for years, and we sincerely appreciate their incredible work and dedication!

Learn more about the program: https://slofoodbank.org/en/food-rescue/

07/16/2026

🍓 Field Day is one WEEK away!
Join over 600 strawberry growers, researchers and industry representatives from all over California and beyond on July 23rd. Get a firsthand look at ongoing trials and demonstrations on everything from automation to pest and disease management. Click the link in our bio to register. Some specific topics include:

🔬 Fungicide and insecticide trial data
☀️ UV-C and solar-powered tech
🪴 Cultivar updates and sanitation practices
🤝 Exhibitor stop and product update session
🚜 Automated transplanters, drone demos and more!

07/14/2026

About 75% of California's strawberry crop is planted in the fall. The other 25% is planted late-May, June and July, but only in the southern districts. This summer planting is a good time to do research on Lygus bug , spider mites and spotted wing Drosophila. To that end, our amazing students and staff recently finished up the summer planting at Cal Poly.

Address

1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA
93405

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Website

https://linktr.ee/calpolystrawberrycenter

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