Compared to Cal Poly's founding, the Student Experimental Farm is relatively new. It was established in 1989 and was started as a graduate student project under the direction of Bio Resource and Agricultural Engineering Professor Doug Williams. Since that time, the Student Farm has become a haven for students and communtity members interested in alternative and ecological farming methods. The two-acre site was the first parcel of land at Cal Poly to become certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) in 1996.(referenced from Cal Poly Land: A Field Guide)

In the fall of 2000 the Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium (SARC) was established to promote sustainable agriculture systems and help coordinated programs on the Student Experimental Farm. Since then it has served as an umbrella program for sustainable agriculture practices. Management of the Organic Farm (SEF and Field 25 lands) done jointly between SARC and the Cal Poly Horticulture and Crop Science Department.

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