Stock reporT animal science Summer 2006 Groundbreaking! W ith the new beef center in the ?nal stages of construction, the ?rst leg of the four animal science relocation projects is nearly complete. The ?rst of the new animal science facilities, the $3-million beef center received its ?rst bulls July 28 and 29, to participate in the 50th Annual Bull Test and Sale to be held on Oct. 1. “It’s great to have a new facility that takes advantage of the recent advances in animal handling and care,” said Mike Hall, professor and senior beef cattle specialist. The new facility is equipped with two laboratories and 10 breeding stalls that will enhance the already successful bovine embryo transfer program. The beef center also includes eight lay-up pens, seven threeacre paddocks, a multipurpose building with a meeting room, a commodity barn and a student residence. Situated on 20 acres at Cal Poly’s Escuela Ranch, the beef center now provides a central location for all beef programs - including production, teaching, research, and outreach. The new facility will be showcased when it hosts the animal identi?cation ?eld day on Sept. 30, in conjunction with Cal Poly’s 50th Annual Bull Test and Quarter Horse Sale on Oct. 1. With the Beef Center complete and construction underway on the Animal Nutrition Center, the Animal Science Department is breaking ground in the relocating and modernizing of its facilities. C onstruction on the Animal Nutrition Center began in June and is expected to be completed by early March of 2007. The new mill will cost approximately $5.25 million and will allow for commercial feed manufacturing for all animals on campus, as well as for contract research conducted at the University. Since the new center will use the most up-to-date feed technologies, the transition for students entering the feed industry will be much easier, said Casey Callaghan, Animal Nutrition Center manager. “The most exciting prospect of the Animal Nutrition Center is the chance to see the dramatic change from old mill to new mill, and the opportunities that will be available for students,” Callaghan said. When complete, the advanced equipment present in the new Animal Nutrition Center will allow students to manufacture many di?erent types of animal food products, be involved in processing and animal nutrition research, and to better understand process management and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. The new Animal Nutrition Center will be equipped with 10 commodity bins, separate processing equipment for nonruminant and ruminant products, truck scales, quality control lab, microingredient room, o?ce and maintenance facilities. Above: Following the demolition of the old bull test, feed mill and abattoir facilities, land is prepared for construction of Poly Canyon Village, a 2,700 bed student apartment complex. Below: A group of bulls enjoy the Escuela Ranch bull test pens at the new Beef Center. Below Right: Completed construction of the new Beef Center. F E ATURES ALUMNI S T U D E N TS D E P T. N E WS VisionC o n t i n u e s The From Department Head Andrew J. Thulin “Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them.” - Henry Steele Commagert T he Animal Science Department spent considerable time during the past year preparing for our Academic Program Review, which is required by the University every six years. In general terms, this is accomplished by conducting a periodic review of the program’s mission and goals as they relate to the mission of the University; our curriculum through which the program’s mission and goals are pursued; the extent to which we are achieving our objectives for student learning; the quality and diversity of our faculty and sta?; and the quality of the infrastructure supporting the program. Following is a brief summary of some of the department’s successes in these areas over the past six years: The learning and curriculum objectives were addressed and the result was signi?cant reengineering of the animal science program curriculum. The outcome six years later: 27 new courses, 32 course modi?cations, 11 course deletions, and three new minors. Student reactions to the changes have been very positive. The human resources area was improved with the addition of ?ve tenure-tract faculty and three full-time lecturers. Currently, recruitments are open for an equine nutritionist and technicians for the Equine and Poultry Centers. Great organizations are built on great people, so it is critical to recruit the very best people to the program. Several facilities have been remodeled and new facilities have been constructed to enhance learning infrastructure and provide laboratories for teaching and research. Over $100,000 was spent to improve basic o?ce space for new faculty and sta? to support the student population growth over the past ?ve years. Over $350,000 was spent to remodel old, non-functional laboratories into modern biotechnology teaching and research laboratories. The Equine Center received over $600,000 for new hay storage, 53 new horse stalls, and remodeled and expanded laboratories to support the embryo transfer program and faculty/student research. In progress is a major e?ort to relocate nearly $14 million in facilities to support the new Beef Center, Animal Nutrition Center, Meat Processing Center, and Beef Cattle Evaluation Center. To date, the department has raised nearly $3.0 million, to compliment $8.0 million in state funding for relocation of facilities. A new paradigm was achieved for the Animal Science program as the department developed a sustainable public relations and advancement program. The department now produces three professional newsletters each year, which are sent to over 8,500 alumni and friends of the department. The Animal Science Web site was professionally established in 2001, followed by two major revisions, with the most recent during the summer of 2005. During the winter of 2002-03, a group of faculty, emeriti, and alumni wrote “A Century of Heritage,” a 176 page book covering the history of animal science since its beginnings in 1903, to the modern Animal Science Department in 2003. In association with the book, the department hosted nearly 850 alumni and friends of the department for a 100-year celebration in May of 2003. To summarize, the past six years have been a very busy time for the faculty, sta?, and students in the Animal Science Department. While the outcome of the animal science program review was quite favorable and positive, the reviewers also provided suggestions for opportunities to enhance the program, which we will focus on during the next few years. We look forward to continued improvements and successes in the program. Cal Poly hosts Cattleman’s Boot Camp C al Poly was the chosen site for the secondever Cattleman’s Boot Camp, put on by the American Angus Association and the Angus Foundation. Over 60 cattle producers turned up for the April 28-29 event, which provided in depth education on many aspects of the cattle industry. “We compressed a lot of information into a short period of time,” said Joel Judge, lecturer and beef specialist. “We presented information that would normally take four-to-?ve weeks during class.” The two-day camp covered everything from reproduction to freeze branding to nutrition, and attendees ranged from industry newcomers to industry veterans. A special Skills Lab was held prior to the Boot Camp to introduce new 2 www.animalscience.calpoly.edu American Angus Association members to the fundamentals of permanent identi?cation, performance information, and cattle handling and registration. Animal Science professors Mike Hall and John Beckett both administered interactive sessions during the event. Hall covered “Reproduction” while Beckett covered “Interpreting a Feedlot Closeout.” “The best part of the Cattleman’s Boot Camp was that most of the sessions were hands-on, in the tradition of Cal Poly education, and discussions were very interactive,” Beckett said. “Producers were encouraged to challenge the speakers, and topics were tailored to o?er the most applicable information for producers to actually use.” Joel Judge demonstrates genetic selection at the second-ever Cattleman’s Boot Camp. Funding still needed for Meat Processing Center T he third relocation project for the Animal Science Department, the new Meat Processing Center, is in the ?nal stages of the planning process. Plans for the new 13,000-square foot facility include a multi-purpose conference room, a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and food-safety lab, harvest and processing areas for both red meat and poultry, freezers, equipment and dry storage, ready-toeat processing and packaging and two o?ces. “Our focus will be on food safety and HACCP, our current strengths, and on our future strength for innovation of ready-to-eat (RTE) products. This development area is a major challenge to most suppliers and retailers that specialize in RTE meat products, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the food industry,” Department Head Andy Thulin said. “The industry has recommended we increase the area dedicated to the RTE processing and packaging areas.” The Animal Science Department is also networking in order to receive added funding for the building. The department has raised $2 million of the needed $5 million thanks to a $1 million donation from the Modesto-based Lau family, owners of Yosemite Meat Company, and $1 million of state funding. The project is set to be bid on June 1, 2007, and construction is expected to take 18 months. The Animal Science Department is perfecting plans for the updated and relocated Meat Processing Center. Morro Bay protection e?orts include Cal Poly C al Poly agriculture land at lower Walter’s Creek is showing vast improvement after a three-year makeover headed by the Morro Bay National Estuary, the Department of Fish and Game, the National Fish and Wildlife Service, and Cal Poly. The restoration process included bank stabilization using rock structures, as well as revegetation of land surrounding the creek. Walter’s Creek is a tributary to Chorro Creek, which then ?ows into Morro Bay. In the past century, increased sediment has greatly threatened Morro Bay, making the Walter’s Creek Restoration Project important in protecting the Morro Bay Estuary. In order to prevent further erosion into the creek, the California Conservation Corps planted over 2,000 native trees in the area surrounding the creek and established stability on the creek’s banks. To assist with the project, Animal Science professor Mike Hall created a riparian pasture with a rest rotational grazing program in the upland area, which will be implemented as soon as the new vegetation can withstand the presence of cattle. “The whole principle is to increase the uniformity of grazing to allow for additional rest, which will increase the number of plant species present and the overall health of the landscape,” Hall said. Resource management undergraduate and graduate students within the Natural Resource Management Department were enlisted to assist with the restoration e?orts. An Advanced Applications in Watershed Hydrology class developed a plan for hydrological improvement in the region. Lower Walter’s Creek, located on Walter’s Ranch, was originally owned by Camp San Luis Obispo National Guard, where the land was used for shooting practices, before it was acquired by Cal Poly in the 1980s. Prior to the restoration e?orts, Walter’s Creek was the subject of a 10-year watershed study funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which concluded in 2002. “Lower Walter’s Creek was a control site, so we had to wait until the study ended to secure funding to repair the area,” Hall said. “It probably took us about three years worth of planning and preparation.” In another attempt to protect the Morro Bay Estuary, Cal Poly may turn over 17 acres of ?oodplain located on the Chorro Creek Ecological Reserve to the Department of Fish and Game in return for 430 acres of grazing land. With access to the ?oodplain, which was previously used for farming, the Department of Fish and Game is hoping to transform it back into a natural ?oodplain in order to trap sediment headed toward the Morro Bay Estuary. Watch for updates in future Stock Report issues. Lower Walter’s Creek prior to restoration e?orts. The same area of the creek in the Spring of 2006. THE STO CK REPORT 3 Exotic Animal Education The Animal Science Department partners with local zoos to expand learning C al Poly is working hand-in-hand with the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero and the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens to prove that animal science can extend beyond just domesticated animals. Introducing students to the world of exotic animals are Animal Science professors Bill Plummer and Elizabeth Koutsos, who work with the local zoos to give students unique opportunities. Plummer has been taking his Reproductive Physiology classes (ASCI 351) to the Charles Paddock Zoo since Fall Quarter 2005 to give students an understanding of reproduction as it occurs in zoos around the world. Cal Poly students are observing ?amingo behaviors in order to understand their reproduction. “My hope is that students will gain an appreciation for the complexity of reproduction as practiced by zoos, while at the same time coming to understand that it is really not that di?erent from everything they have come to learn about farm animals,” Plummer said. The Charles Paddock Zoo and Santa Barbara Zoo are two of only 211 accredited zoos in North America, putting them in the same company as the San Diego Zoo and the Bronx Zoo. Upon arrival at the Charles Paddock Zoo, ASCI 351 students are met by zoo director Alan Baker, who then leads a tour of the zoo’s wide array of animals, A wallaby soaks up the mid-day sun at the Charles Paddock Zoo. ranging from a 14-foot Burmese Python to a pair of Indochinese Tigers. breeding di?culties. Koutsos is advising a After the tour is completed, Baker lectures number of students working with the zoo on animal reproduction in a zoo and how it through the summer in an attempt to determine di?ers from animal reproduction in the outside why ?amingos on exhibit have not successfully world. Since many zoo animals appear on the reproduced in the past few years. The students endangered species list, the mating process is will observe the birds weekly and then report very restricted, Baker said. An expert on each the animals’ behavior back to the zoo. species is assigned a Species Survival Plan In the same way that reproduction in zoos (SSP) studbook, which allots the responsibility is a closely-watched process, so is animal of deciding which animals will mate, in order nutrition. For another project with the Santa to prevent animal inbreeding and ensure Barbara Zoo, graduate student Lori Gutzmann diversity. is working with Koutsos to study the a?ect Even with experts in charge of the mating of altering meerkat diets. She will determine process, animal reproduction within zoos can whether a diet designed for an insectivorous be very complicated, Baker said. He highlighted mammal will make the meerkats healthier than the Fossa, a carnivorous mammal from the cat/dog food mixture previously used. Madagascar, as a species that is particularly “There is something very rewarding about di?cult to breed, due the female’s limited participating in a project that might help an duration in heat, and the species’ territorial endangered or protected species,” Koutsos loner personalities. In other species, female said. “For those animals, anything we can do pickiness can often complicate the breeding to enhance their management, health and wellprocess, Baker said. being is a major impact, and that is a really The Santa Barbara Zoo too deals with rewarding thing to be a part of.” FFA State Judging Finals come to Cal Poly In 2006, Cal Poly once again hosted the Future Farmers of America (FFA) State Judging Finals, keeping with a tradition over 60 years in the making. High school students from all over California traveled to San Luis Obispo to display their judging skills in one of 18 di?erent categories, including Farm Records, Forestry and Marketing. Each high school judging team is made up of four contestants, but only the top three scores are counted. Once the team scores are tallied, the winning team in each category advances to the National Judging Finals in Louisville, Ky. Beef specialist Joel Judge called it a privilege and an honor to host the state ?nals because “California is always a major player at the national competition.” The Animal Science Department is in charge of administering the Light Horse, Livestock, Specialty Animals and Poultry categories of the competition, preparation for which begins at the end of Winter Quarter. The responsibilities include feeding, clipping and hauling all of the animals that will be used in the judging competition, a process that involves both Animal Science students and faculty. “We want to put on a good contest with quality livestock,” Judge said. 4 www.animalscience.calpoly.edu Animal Science Student creates awardsenior re?ects winning curriculum Science graduate student Sarah Barnum teamed up with school on year in New Animal teacher Tina McEnroe to create an award winning curriculum that gives seventh and eighth Zealand graders an inside look in by Christie Balcomb mazing: the only way I can really describe the year I spent studying abroad in New Zealand. But it’s so hard to simplify the broad experiences that ranged from excitement to frustration to utter happiness - a lot can happen in a year. In February 2005, I ?ew across the Paci?c Ocean to study Animal Science at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The sheer beauty of the country was the main attraction, with the incredible variety of landscapes like rolling green hills dotted with woolly white bundles and snow-capped coastal mountain ranges. My time in New Zealand, at Massey especially, allowed me to gain perspective about life back in America and about my experiences at Cal Poly. Massey is a largely international school with students hailing from India, China, Germany and countries in between. It is the only veterinary school in the country, similarly studded with students from around the world. The di?erent academic system was honestly the toughest part for me to get used to. Modeled after the British system, 50-60 percent of the ?nal grade was based on a cumulative written ?nal exam. The assessments were written assignments, ambiguous and demanding, forcing students to think and ?nd information outside of course materials. The faculty themselves are very casual and friendly, mostly on a ?rst-name basis with their students, regardless of the numerous degrees under their belts. Massey is a research oriented university, with faculty churning out abundant scienti?c publications. Unlike Cal Poly, much of the emphasis is placed upon its post-graduate students with little opportunities for undergraduates to get involved. I realized how lucky we are in Cal Poly’s Animal Science Department to have opportunities like enterprises to actually get our hands dirty and put some of the theory into practice, while also earning a little pro?t on the side. Accustomed to being involved with various units around campus at Cal Poly, I needed to ?nd some way to work with animals at Massey. Through networking with my professors, I was able to assist on some research projects. There is no real Animal Science Department to speak of, however, as faculty are organized in order of research departments. We are lucky at Cal Poly to have a cohesive department and I think it is imperative that we keep our focus on the students to make them proud to graduate with an Animal Science degree. When I ?rst applied for this program, I couldn’t help thinking about how long a year away would be. Looking back, it all ?ashed by so quickly. I would not have been able to capture the same experiences had I been there for a shorter period. I think it is so important for people to take advantage of the amazing opportunity to study abroad, meet new people, gain perspective and think outside of the box. A to the cattle industry. “Bringing animal production into the classroom helps kids understand the process of how animals are raised in this country,” Barnum said. “With constant urban growth, children are not learning about industries that we depend on for survival, such as the production Barnum and McEnroe at the McEnroe’s Ranch La Purisima. of beef.” Barnum created the curriculum for her senior project as an agriculture science undergraduate student. McEnroe, the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau’s GAATE Foundation Outstanding Educator of 2006, then implemented the project, entitled Home on the Range, into her class at Vista de las Cruces, a K-8 school in Gaviota, Calif. As part of the curriculum, McEnroe’s students were faced with mock scenarios, which forced them to make industry decisions. Students also completed mini reports in order to learn cattle breeds and the history of cattle brands. The curriculum was originally written for, and ultimately received, a disseminator grant, which makes it widely available for implementation by other interested teachers. Barnum said the biggest challenge in creating Home on the Range was making the curriculum fun and interesting while continually meeting state standards. She said through the curriculum students will understand the ways in which beef cattle can positively a?ect the environment, the importance of beef cattle domestication, and the nutrition that beef cattle provide. Awards Banquet 2006 Above left: Teacher of the Year Jaymie Noland accepts her gift. Above: Students mingle at the Santa Margarita Ranch location. Left: The 2006 Outstanding Senior Award recipients pose with Department Head Andy Thulin. From left: Danielle Albini, Sarah Vonbrandt, Laura Shuey, Erin Lewis. Kimberly Villines, Wendy Bruce, Leoma Box, Kate DeSchryver and Andy Thulin. THE STO CK REPORT 5 Embryology class opens doors for students Professor takes C al Poly Animal Science is leading the way when it comes to embryo technology. For six years Debbie Beckett has been teaching Applied Animal Embryology, giving students an in depth look into micromanipulation and making Cal Poly’s undergraduate program the only in the nation to o?er such a course. In the class, students work with a $60,000 micromanipulator to biopsy, split, and clone embryos. Students are also given experience in the creation of embryonic stem cells, Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ISCI), and embryo freezing, called cryopreservation. “The students receive a set of real embryos for each lab, practice the procedures and monitor their embryos for development each week,” Beckett said. “ Beckett said her goal in teaching Applied Animal Embryology is to provide students with the skill-sets needed for work in a laboratory environment. ASCI 406 students have an advantage when entering the human fertility ?eld because of their in depth experience with mammalian embryos. “The students develop marketable handson laboratory skills that are extremely valuable to research institutions and human fertility clinics,” Beckett said. A number of students are focusing senior projects and special problems on embryonic stem (ES) cells. ES cells are an exciting prospect for those with a variety of physical maladies. With the transfer of ES cells, researchers are hoping to treat such diseases as diabetes, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, vision loss and hearing loss. Those enrolled in ASCI 406 get hands-on experience in embryo technology. The class, o?ered only in Winter Quarter, has an intense lab section, which consists of at least six hours each week. But Beckett said the subject matter trumps the workload, and the students have responded to Applied Animal Embryology with excitement. “The enthusiasm of the students is overwhelming,” she said. “They are so thrilled to be performing such cutting edge techniques. When they master these techniques they are empowered and develop a self-con?dence that wasn’t there before.” ” e enthusiasm of the stu“Th dents is overwhelming. ” - Debbie Beckett Since introducing Applied Animal Embryology, ASCI 406, to Cal Poly, Beckett has watched as 10 of her students have gone on to work in human fertility clinics across the country, and another two found employment in the animal reproduction ?eld. Although the class works solely with mice, cow and horse embryos, the research is directly applicable to human embryos. Danielle Albini, who earned her animal science degree in June 2006, decided on a career in human fertility after she was referred to ASCI 406 by a friend. After completing the course, Albini couldn’t get enough, so she decided to hone her embryology skills by working as a teaching assistant for two quarters. Before graduating, Albini landed a job at the Beverly Hills based ART Reproduction Center. Animal Science major Tessa Berwald hopes to follow in Albini’s footsteps and ?nd work in a human fertility clinic postgraduation. “This is the ?rst class that showed me something I’d like to do after graduation,” Berwald said. “It’s the ?rst class that got me excited about a career that related to the classes I was taking.” Recently graduated animal science major Dana Alexander, who plans to continue her education in veterinary school, said ASCI 406 gave her a better understanding of the reproductive side of being a veterinarian. “This class helped me to see the potential and possibility of this type of work in the Dana Alexander works on the micromanipulator while animal industry,” Alexander said. Tessa Berwald looks on. 6 www.animalscience.calpoly.edu meat science lectures global • • W • ith recent speeches in Seoul, Korea, Columbus, Ohio, and California’s Napa Valley, associate professor Bob Delmore has been promoting U.S. Meat Science and Cal Poly’s Animal Science Department worldwide. In December 2005, Delmore made the trip to Korea to talk about chilled pork production in the U.S. as part of a seminar put on by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Delmore addressed an audience of around 200 Korean pork wholesalers, traders, and retailers on systems and tools used in relation to the chilling of pork. South Korea’s government-issued ban on U.S. beef increases the opportunity for pork sales in the country, said Delmore, the lone American speaker at the seminar. Following the speech in Korea, Delmore traveled to Ohio in early 2006 for the Ohio Pork Congress, to discuss “Issues and Challenges in the Pork Packing Industry.” Approximately 125 pork producers were in the audience to hear Delmore’s take on issues such as animal handling, animal stress, and industry audits. In addition to the seminar, Delmore was interviewed for the ?rst time on radio, participating in three such interviews while in Ohio. “It’s nice when I get to do something I’ve never done before because it continually adds to my background, so I enjoyed the heck out of it,” he said. In the most recent of Delmore’s major speeches, he addressed over 50 high-pro?le dietitians and nutritionists at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Live Well 2006. Delmore’s speech was entitled “Straight Talk about Today’s Lean Beef,” and was presented in June 2006 at Napa’s Culinary Institute of America. Delmore discussed the di?erent kinds of beef and educated audience members on the complete safety of each type. Bob Delmore can be contacted at rdelmore@calpoly.edu. Koutsos lands ‘dream job’ Fall 2006/Winter 2007 T Calendar of Events he Animal Science Department bid farewell to assistant professor Elizabeth Koutsos during summer, as she left Cal Poly to pursue other career goals. After over three years in the department, Koutsos accepted a division management position with Mazuri Zoo Foods, which allowed her to move back to her home state of Maryland. “The Mazuri job was the point of my Ph.D,” she said. “The reason I went to graduate school is that I wanted to do zoo nutrition.” At Mazuri Zoo Foods, Koutsos will be responsible for developing and testing animal diets for major zoos and private collections nationwide. While she is exited about the new position and the move home, Koutsos will greatly miss her students here at Cal Poly. “I’ve gotten so much out of teaching and advising, so much more than I ever thought,” she said. During her time in the Animal Science Department, Koutsos saw a number of her students enter Ph.D programs and enroll in Veterinary schools. She also assisted three graduate students and one undergraduate student with papers that Elizabeth Koutsos appeared in publications. In 2004, Koutsos was honored with the Milton L. Sunde Award for excellence in avian research published in the Journal of Nutrition. Koutsos came to Cal Poly in 2002, soon after earning her Ph.D in nutrition from UC Davis, where she also earned her master’s degree in immunology. She attended University of Maryland to gain her bachelor’s degree in animal science. At Cal Poly, Koutsos taught applied monogastric nutrition, physiological chemistry of animals, immunology and avian diseases. Her position also included management responsibilities at the poultry unit as well as a 25 percent research appointment. “Professor Koutsos did an amazing job at engaging undergraduate students in applied and basic research during her time at Cal Poly,” said Department Head Andy Thulin. “We are looking for a replacement that can carry on her dedication to students and can further build the immunology program that she began.” The Animal Science Department is currently in review of candidates to ?ll the position, with the replacement scheduled to begin early-to-mid fall. SEPTEMBER 17 - Oct. 1 25 OCTOBER 1 5 -6 13 20 20-22 NOVEMBER 4 DECEMBER 8 16 Sna?e Bit Futurity - Reno, Nev. Fall Quarter Begins Bull Test and Quarter Horse Sale ASCI Department Advisory Council Meeting College of Ag Fall Preview Honored Alumnus Banquet Cal Poly Homecoming Cal Poly Su?olk Disbursal Sale Last Day of Classes Mid-year Commencement “A Century of Heritage” is available for purchase at the El Corral Bookstore for $35. Log on to www.elcorralbook-store.com or call 1-800-367-0771 Wash Rack constructed at Equine Unit T hanks to the Advanced Agriculture Mechanics class, the Animal Science Department has a new equine wash rack. The rack was primarily constructed by a group of 12 Agriculture Education majors enrolled in the BioResource and Agricultural Engineering 481 class. “The students received practical experience in construction by actually constructing a large project,” said Dr. Bill Kellogg, the project’s advisor. Each year the BRAE 481 class undertakes a hands-on project, and when Animal Science Department Head Andy Thulin suggested a wash rack for the horse unit, Kellogg agreed. Project costs totaled under $3,500, less than three-times what the cost could have been if professionals were hired. The Animal Science Department funded the steel and gravel needed for the base and the lumber needed for forming. However, Union Asphalt Inc. donated the most expensive material, the concrete. Over the last 21 years, Union Asphalt has donated over 250 yards of concrete to the College of Agriculture. The new wash rack, ideally located for views of Bishop’s Peak and the San Luis Obispo landscape, is open to all students. “If they are washing or grooming horses they are welcome to use the wash rack,” Kellogg said. Left: Students from the BRAE 481 class smooth out the concrete donated by Union Asphalt Inc. Top: The ?nished wash rack is located next to the equine unit and o?ers beautiful views of the San Luis Obispo landscape. THE STO CK REPORT 7 Cal Poly records high sell at prestigious sale A nimal Science professor Mike Hall made a mark for Cal Poly at The Signature Collection XIV sale by recording the high selling lot at the prestigious invitational event. Cal Poly’s top lot, Poly 1407 Princess ET, 9/8/02 by Bon View New Design 1407, with a 4/5/06 heifer calf by BR Midland, sold for $15,500 to Tres Hojas ranch in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The heifer and her calf will remain at Cal Poly in order to enter the embryo transfer program, increasing the number of Tres Hojas heifers in the program to six. “With participation in the embryo transfer program, Tres Hojas is able to incorporate new genetics into their beef program,” Hall said. Cal Poly sold four Spring Pairs and one