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Cal Poly Pomona Experts Guide

BROWSE EXPERTS

by name, by topic, or by college/division
Aaron Fox

Aaron Fox is an expert in sustainable agriculture, with a background in organic farming, pest management, beneficial insects, and cover crops. Much of his research investigates ecosystem services, the valuable natural processes that benefit humankind, and how to enhance them through sustainable farming practices. At Cal Poly Pomona, Fox focuses on urban agriculture in the Los Angeles area and around the world. Along with Dr. Eileen Cullen, he created the Minor in Urban and Community Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona, the first academic program of its kind that focuses on the production, business, policy, and community development aspects of urban food systems.

Since 2020, Fox has co-led the campus Farm to Pantry program an interdisciplinary collaboration across campus and with private donors to grow, harvest and donate fruits and vegetables to address student food insecurity on campus — they have donated thousands of pounds of food and recorded hundreds of volunteer hours. Fox has advised on urban farm development and farmers markets, has been interviewed for insights on the benefits and current trends of urban agriculture, and is a sought after speaker on sustainable farming.

Recent Grants and Fellowships:

  • With V.J. Mellano, H. Dong. Plant Disease Diagnosis and Management for Urban Farmers of Southern California. CSU Agricultural Research Institute ($150,000), 2022
  • Nutrition Management with Cover Crops using Fava Beans Lines as Mix Components. Sub-award from Chico State University’s 2020 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program [H. Zakeri, K. Brasier] ($54,668.00), 2021
  • With E.C. Cullen, X. Yang, S.E. Murinda, S.J. Archambault, D.R. Edens, and I.M. Bustamante. SoCal Farm to Table: Experiential Learning and Leadership Development In Direct Marketing, Food Safety, Urban And Community Agriculture. USDA Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Program ($246,912), 2020
  • California Department of Food and Agriculture, Healthy Soils Demonstration Grant, “Building Healthy Soils for Transitioning Organic Farmers,” $60,000, 2017
  • Agricultural Research Institute at Cal Poly Pomona, ARI Seed Grant, “Enhancing Pollinators and Biological Control Insects on Urban Farms.” $10,000,​ 2017
  • Agricultural Research Institute at Cal Poly Pomona, ARI Seed Grant, “Alternative pest control methods for the invasive pest, Bagrada hilaris,”​ $10,000, 2016
  • Cal Poly Pomona, Early Career Summer Support Program (ECSSP): “Developing unique opportunities in organic and urban agriculture,” $5,000, 2016
  • Cal Poly Pomona, “Special Projects for Improving the Classroom Experience Program (SPICE) Grant: “Tools for developing future leaders in urban agriculture,” $25,000, 2016​
  • Cal Poly Pomona, Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Grant, “Beneficial insects and the effects of ‘mulch-scape’ on urban farms,” $7,000, 2015

Selected Publications:

  • With Brasier, K., Zaragoza, I., Knecht, J., Munster, R., Coulter, H., Potter, A., Enke, E., Mosqueda, E., & Zakeri, H. (2023). Potential of Faba Bean (Vicia fabaL.) for Dual-purpose Vegetable Production and Cover Cropping, HortScience, 58(1), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16843-22
  • With T.N. Kim, B. Wills, T. Meehan, D.A. Landis and C. Gratton, “Harvesting biofuel grasslands has mixed effects on natural enemy diversity and no effects on biocontrol services,” Journal of Applied Ecology, 54: 2011–2021, 2017
  • With T.N. Kim, C. Bahlai, J.M. Woltz, C. Gratton and D.A. Landis, “Cover crops have neutral effects on predator communities and biological control services in annual cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems,” Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment, 232: 101–109, 2016
  • With D.B. Orr and Y.J. Cardoza, “The influence of habitat manipulations on beneficial ground-dwelling arthropods in a Southeast US organic cropping system” Environmental Entomology, 44(1): 114-121; 2015
  • Safarzoda, C.A. Bahlai, A.F. Fox, and D.A. Landis, “The role of natural enemy foraging guilds in controlling cereal aphids in Michigan wheat,” PLoS One, 9(12):e114230, 2014
  • With S.C. Reberg-Horton, D.B. Orr, C. Moorman and S.D. Frank, “Crop and field border effects on weed seed predation services in the southeastern U.S. coastal plain,” Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment, 177: 58-62, 2013

Interviews:

Education:

B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University

Ph.D., Crop Science and Entomology, North Carolina State University

Languages:

English and Spanish

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