Giving News

Toasting a Supporter

Retired Professor Paul Fountain Donates $250,000 to Wine and Viticulture Department

Paul Fountain, a retired Cal Poly viticulture and fruit science professor, donated $250,000 to the university’s Wine and Viticulture Department so that it can replant its distressed teaching vineyard and make additional needed improvements.

Fountain oversaw the first planting of a three-acre section of the campus Trestle Vineyard 30 years ago. He has always been interested in the art of making good wine and the science behind cultivating good wine grapes, and teaching others how to do the same inspired his donation.

“I remember back in those days how we had to beg for money from companies for things like irrigation parts and trellises,” Fountain said. “The state budget pays for lectures in the classroom, but at Cal Poly, we provide more than that.”

The gift will be used to replant and rehabilitate six acres of the 12-acre vineyard and create an endowment that will pay for ongoing maintenance costs of the teaching vineyard for years to come.

“This gift allows us to enhance our curriculum, increase our Learn by Doing student opportunities, and better prepare our graduates to make valuable contributions to the California wine industry,” said Jean Dodson Peterson, assistant professor of viticulture.

Severe disease and pest issues have impacted large portions of the existing vineyard, Peterson said. Those vines have already been removed, and new plantings are expected to take place over the next five years.

The new vineyard blocks will expose students to more than 100 different wine, table grape and rootstock varieties — a significant increase from the 40 varieties at the former vineyard. In addition to the extensive demonstration plantings, the donation will also provide access to both research and rotational blocks in which students can design and execute research projects. 

“Paul’s gift will provide students with the most up-to-date teaching resources in the area and provide a lasting impact on our department and industry,” Peterson said.

Sweet Support

Bee Sweet Citrus Owner Makes Pledge to Three Departments

Jim Marderosian of Bee Sweet Citrus in Flowler, Calif., knows firsthand the value of a Learn by Doing education.  

He and his wife, Michelle, recently pledged to support future generations of Cal Poly students by donating more than $100,000 to three departments in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences:

• The BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department will acquire new robotics equipment for its electronics lab
• The Wine and Viticulture Department will continue its redevelopment project in the Trestle Vineyard  
• The Horticulture and Crop Science Department will be able to buy a flatbed/field truck for use in picking and producing citrus on campus.

Marderosian founded Bee Sweet Citrus in 1987 as an independent packer and shipper of California oranges. In the last 27 years, the company has expanded to become an industry leader, shipping citrus products, including Navel and Valencia oranges, lemons, grapefruit and mandarins, throughout the U.S. and overseas.

The couple, who both took courses at Cal Poly, has three sons and a daughter: Thomas, Marcus, Steven and Chelsey. The two youngest sons are studying agricultural systems management at Cal Poly. The oldest, an alumnus, runs the technical department for the family business. Their daughter graduated from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif.

“When I started this company, nearly all the equipment was mechanical. Today, if you can’t run a computer, you can’t run the equipment,” said Marderosian. “College graduates have the skill set we rely on, and over the years, I’ve favored Cal Poly graduates because of their technical training.” 

Bee Sweet Citrus continues to make technical advancements to grow and modernize the business and remains focused on sustainability. In fact, in June, Marderosian announced plans for the company to go solar at its packing facility to reduce its carbon footprint. 

The company prides itself on taking a hands-on approach to the growing, packing, marketing and shipping aspects of fruit — and attributes its success to it.

For details on how you can make a difference, contact Russ Kabaker at rkabaker@calpoly.edu.