On a dusty patch off Highland Avenue sits Cal Poly’s Organic Sandbox, where the next generation of agricultural professionals is getting their hands dirty.
While the name suggests a place for play, the work happening there is a high-stakes effort to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing the organic farming industry. As part of the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, the center conducts research on new approaches to soil health and pest management.
The public is invited to step into this outdoor laboratory for the fourth annual Organic Field Day on Thursday, July 23. The program is free and open to everyone and includes many presentations from Cal Poly student researchers, who analyze the soil data that local farmers rely on. Matthew Grieshop, director of the Grimm Family Center, said the center stresses the school’s “learn by doing” philosophy in its work.
“Everything we do, as I like to say it, has grubby student handprints all over it,” Grieshop said.
Students are the primary researchers, laborers, and presenters of the center. From producing communication materials to doing the heavy lifting on the farm, students are behind all the work. During the Field Day, they will lead guided tours and demonstrations, translating their findings into practical tips.
One of the most important research topics for consumers is the growing conflict between sustainability and food safety, according to Grieshop. Currently, many organic growers are in what he calls an “awkward space” created by incompatible demands from grocery retailers, such as the struggle to increase biodiversity and sustainability, despite food safety regulations that require a sterile environment with no biodiversity to keep people safe from pathogens like E. coli.
Grieshop also highlighted student research on hedgerows. While some buyers demand that they be removed from fields to keep birds from leaving droppings on crops, student-led research suggests this would backfire, causing more birds to land in the middle of the field.
“The retail partners don’t really know what they’re asking for,” Grieshop said. “But how do we get them to know what they’re asking for without knowing what to ask? That’s the whole point of this process.”
Students are working to prove that a more resilient system, with natural predators like hawks and healthy, biologically active soil, is actually better at resisting bad bacteria than a sterile one.
Field Day visitors will also see trap cropping in action. This is a natural pest-control method where students plant a decoy crop—in this case, daikon radishes—in the furrows where tractor tires go. These radishes are more attractive to hungry beetles than the main crops like kale or broccoli, giving the vegetables time to grow without being eaten.
The afternoon will cover nitrogen dynamics, which studies how plants find and use the “food” they need to grow from organic fertilizers. In the past, the event has even featured robotic weed sprayers that use computer “eyes” to spot and zap individual weeds.
For Grieshop, the ultimate goal of the afternoon is to connect Cal Poly agricultural students with people interested in growing organic food or who work in the industry.
“It’s really about providing students with those opportunities,” Grieshop said. “The Field Day is really our opportunity to showcase that stuff in one place.”
The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Organic Sandbox on Highland Avenue, immediately following the Cal Poly Strawberry Center’s annual Field Day. While both events are free, individual registration is required: organic.calpoly.edu/field-day-2026 and strawberry.calpoly.edu.
Fast fact
• Tiny Café is the first café in SLO County to become Green Business Certified by the SLO County Green Business Program, an extension of the California Green Business Network launched in 2018. Since then, the Green Business Program has certified 40 businesses in SLO County, with 159 currently undergoing registration. The program provides free technical assistance and resources to help small and medium-sized businesses cut costs and reduce their environmental impact through a step-by-step pathway. To become certified as a SLO County Green Business, owners can apply at greenbiztracker.org/business/registration. ∆
Reach Intern Sam Fickett at intern@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in July 16-23, 2026.
