If you would like to help decorate the float starting on December 26th, please check out our new tab (immediately above, next to “contact.”) In that tab is an explanation of what to expect and a form to fill out that states when you would like to decorate.

We look forward to seeing all of you at Deco Week!

It looked like get’in nice and dirty was our main goal at Flower Field this past Saturday!! But no little mud puddle was about to stop the amazing work that took place! Within a few short hours our team of dedicated comity members and student volunteers managed to shape 4 beds roughly 4×30 feet in length, install our support system, hang our overhead lighting, and plant close to 2,000 mum plugs! All in a day’s work for Cal Poly Rose Float Flower Field!

Our next step is watering and tending to our field up until harvest in late December. Dates and times for these subsequent work days will be announced one week prior.

Our half of the float arriving in Pomona!

This past weekend we moved our half of the float South to Pomona.

We started this process on Friday by loading our half of the float on to Gary Weisenberger’s trailer to be pulled by his semi-truck. We also packed the elements that were removable and some of our favorite tools.  We keep tools in Pomona to accommodate all the people working at lab.

Saturday’s trek started at 6:30 A.M. from our lab.  We had about 20 people from SLO volunteer to help connect the float halves and work on various projects while in Pomona.   We accomplished a lot in one day at lab.  We connected the two-halves, the drive system, and the brakes. The lion and monkey’s continued to be shaped.

Now that the float is whole, there is a lot more work to be done, like shaping the Pod. (The base of the float that all the elements sit on.) There are animal heads that need to be carved, trees to be shaped, and some giraffe’s that need to be shaped.  For those of you who would prefer, there is still plenty of flower processing and screening to be completed before December.

Our new truck with the tool trailer

Fully Bloomed Celosia Plants

Located in the back greenhouse corridor of the Horticulture Unit on campus, our Flower Field is nestled beneath the recently constructed retractable roof greenhouse used by many but seldom seen by the general public. In contrast to its original location in the Cal Poly Crops Unit off Highland Dr, our new planting plot is protected from the elements and will accommodate the artificial lighting necessary to properly mature our soon-to-arrive chrysanthemums. With the assets of small-scale irrigation, recycled water, and temperature control, this year’s field is going to be something to look forward to! From its 5-year absence, to last year’s re-introduction back into our program, our field has definitely come a long way!

On October 17^th we had an amazing turnout of eager student volunteers to help get this years field rolling. In total, we prepped and planted 14 rows of celosia plus laid 5 rows of plastic for our second planting of mum seedlings due to arrive the week of October 27th.

Fully Bloomed Chrysanthemums

Welcome to Cal Poly Rose Float! This is the best time to get involved in Rose Float for three reasons. First, you can actually help build the float and see the final product. Second, our flower fields are in production. Last, you can be part of a program that is the ONLY student built float in the entire parade. Let’s just say, there is a ton of new things to learn every time we meet. Which brings me to my next point, our next meeting. We will be having our Informational Meeting on Thursday, October 1 in UU 220. The leadership team will explain the process of building a float and what still needs to be done before January 1st!

I hope to see you there

WOW, it’s been a busy week for Rose Float.  We just finished a project that we’ve been planning for over a year, AND all the alumni came to town on Saturday for a great BBQ at Cuesta Park.

On Thursday afternoon, we undertook the task of changing the hydraulic oil in the float.  Our reservoir contains over 75 gallons, not to mention the contents of the oil cooler and miles of hoses.  Several students worked through Sunday to finish this task along with checking, shortening, changing and re-routing hoses throughout the float and re-locating the hydraulic gauge panel and installing transducers to output to digital gauges.  On Sunday afternoon however, the float was fired back up right on schedule – what a project!

In the middle of all of this, close to 3 dozen Rose Float alumni came to SLO for the annual Alumni BBQ.  The alumni barbequed tri-trip and told float stories at Cuesta Park before taking a trip to campus to visit the lab and check on this year’s progress.

Our first mechanical inspection of the year by the Tournament of Roses looks like it is going to be re-scheduled for mid-September, but either way there is still tons of construction to be done.  The lab will be open this Thursday (7/30)  afternoon and all day Friday (7/31) for those who want to stop by and get in on the action.

We have marigolds galore!  The flower field harvest has been abundant so far this summer.  Check out what was harvested just last week:

These flowers will be dried on the new drying rack built just last week at lab (you can see it in the background) so that they can be used on this year’s float.  If you are on campus this summer, stop by our lab on Thursdays or Fridays – we’ve got metal-shop work, woodwork, flower-field work, engine work…something for all!

Rose Float is building this summer, come out and get involved in building “Jungle Cuts” the 2010 Cal Poly entry in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

We will be working at the lab on Thursdays and Fridays all summer long.  Check the maps section of our website and come out and see us.   We typically start around 10 am and work most of the day.  Wear long pants, closed toed shoes and we’ll get you started welding, cutting, machining…No experience necessary.

If you haven’t seen what we’re building this year, check it out…

Fall is an exciting time for Rose Float!  Construction is in full-swing, flowers have been planted here on campus, final decorating decisions are being made and the parade is just over 3 months away.

Here’s a quick update of recent events and activities:

- On Tuesday, we planted over 8000 plugs of asters and marigolds for this year.  Can anyone even remember the last time we planted the Cal Poly Rose Float Flower Field?

- Our golf cart based satellite vehicle is mechanically sound and has been spotted making random trips around campus.  Look for it, it’s the only 1 person golf cart on campus.

- Construction of the Parachute Drop over-height mechanism is 90% complete and work is in full swing on our fully functional roller coaster.

- In mid-august, we passed our first Mechanical Inspection from the Tournament of Roses without any open items – Way to Go Team!

As if all of that wasn’t enough, things pick up here fast.  On October 25th, the San Luis Obispo half of the float will move to Pomona and our next inspection is only 3 weeks after that on November 15th.  Come out and get involved, Saturdays are not only construction days at the lab but there is work to be done at the Flower Field as well.

We’ll be at the WOW Block Party this Friday, September 19th in the UU Plaza – Come take a swing on the High Striker and say “HI”

Sporting a little love for Tony Stark…the team was sooo excited when that movie came out. A chunk of us stood in that line stretching up the stairs, past Jamba Juice and the Barnes & Noble windows to see opening night. Iron Man has grossed $537,214,903 worldwide (and an average of $6.88 per ticket) thats ….gotta bust out the TI83….78,082,980 people!! Pretty comparable to the 40+million Americans that watch the Rose Parade on TV, but no where near the estimated 400 million worldwide viewers.

Sorry Tony, looks like you can’t beat the Rose Parade. Hee hee we’re better

Shawna pulled this pic together, the latest in her promotional creative brainstorming. I’d like to get the flower/welder up here too

So, what do you think?

P.S. yes…..come build….build…build! over summer at the RoFl lab on Mt Bishop Rd. Open lab days will be posted soon.