New Research Associate Joins the Cal Poly Strawberry Center

Kyle Blauer (Fruit Science, ’15) joined the Cal Poly Strawberry Center in December 2017 as a research associate. He will manage the Center's field research program. Prior to joining the Strawberry Center, Blauer worked in agricultural research with SGS North America. 

Blauer, who studied fruit science at Cal Poly, started his career as an intern for the California Strawberry Commission. “I felt very fortunate to be working in the same industry that I was studying,” said Blauer. He then went into agricultural research, testing and developing new agricultural products. “I wanted to be a part of something that would make a difference in the agriculture industry,” he said. Much of the research was related to strawberry production, but also other crops such as lettuce, tomatoes and broccoli. Returning to Cal Poly was like coming home again, he said. At the Cal Poly Strawberry Center Blauer will focus on testing new agricultural products on strawberries. “My goal this year is to help bring one those products to market for the commercial grower,” he said. “I see our strawberry fields as the testing grounds for all the strawberry growers and I want to push the envelope on how we grow strawberries.”

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