Cal Poly to Host Howard Shapiro at Hearst Ranch Fundraiser

photo of shapiro SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ Center for Sustainability will host its sixth annual “A Taste of the Future” fundraiser dinner Saturday, Oct. 23 beginning at 3 p.m. at Hearst Ranch, in San Simeon, Calif.

Guests will enjoy an “Afternoon at the Ranch,” with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception followed by a live auction, gourmet dinner and socializing under the stars.

Central Coast chefs and vintners will prepare a multi-course meal under the direction of Maegen Loring of the Neon Carrot Restaurant. All ingredients will be locally grown and sustainably raised. Tickets are $150 per person. Seating is limited.

Howard Shapiro will be the featured guest speaker. Shapiro serves as corporate staff officer for Plant Science and External Affairs for Mars, Inc. and is an adjunct professor at UC Davis. He is a founder of heirloom seed company, Seeds of Change, which was purchased by Mars in 1997. For decades, Shapiro has promoted sustainable agricultural practices globally.

Prior to the annual dinner, the Center for Sustainability will co-host the “Hands on Health” symposium in the Performing Arts Center Pavilion on Friday, Oct. 22 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. The free public symposium features Congresswoman Lois Capps and other guest speakers who will address the challenge of obesity from personal, environmental and policy perspectives, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The free, public symposium is a collaboration between the Center for Sustainability and Cal Poly’s STRIDE (Science through Translational Research in Diet and Exercise) program.

An hors d’oeuvres reception for the speakers will be held on campus after the public presentation. Reception tickets are $15.

The Center for Sustainability, established earlier this year, provides support for college-wide initiatives in sustainable agriculture and resource management.

STRIDE was initiated in 2007 by Cal Poly’s Kinesiology Department and is a multi-disciplinary program aimed to support Central Coast agencies in promoting healthy weight for a lifetime.

For more information or tickets to these events, call the Center for Sustainability at 805-756-5086 or visit, www.cfs.calpoly.edu.

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