- Published on Monday, 23 April 2012 14:40 (Albany, Calif.),
April 22, 2012 – Occupy the Farm, a coalition of local
residents, farmers, students, researchers, and activists are
planting over 15,000 seedlings at the Gill Tract, the last
remaining 10 acres of Class I agricultural soil in the urbanized
East Bay area. The Gill Tract is public land administered by the
University of California, which plans to sell it to private
developers. For decades the UC has thwarted attempts by
community members to transform the site for urban sustainable
agriculture and hands-on education. With deliberate disregard
for public interest, the University administrators plan to pave
over this prime agricultural soil for commercial retail space, a
Whole Foods, and a parking lot. "For ten years people in Albany
have tried to turn the Gill Tract into an Urban Farm and a more
open space for the community. The people in the Bay Area deserve
to use this treasure of land for an urban farm to help secure
the future of our children," expla