Occupy the Farm is an ongoing social movement that started with the 2012 occupation of the Gill Tract in Albany, California, in protest of planned commercial development of public land and in support of preserving the land for the creation of an open center for urban agroecology and food sovereignty. The occupation began on 22 April 2012 and ended on 14 May 2012. A second occupation was launched on 11 May 2013 on the south end of the Gill Tract, which was slated for privatization and construction of a parking lot, a chain grocery store, and an exclusive senior's home twice dissolved by UCPD. Eventually a community partnership with agroecology researchers at the College of Natural Resources for access to a portion of the Gill Tract was established. Additional demonstrations were held in 2015 and 2016, and the development, including Sprouts Farmers Market, opened in 2017.
History The Gill Tract is a piece of agricultural land north of Monroe St. bounded by Marin Ave., Jackson St., and San Pablo Avenue, in Albany, California, administered by the University of California, Berkeley. The agricultural field has been the last open parcel of class I soil, soil that has "slight limitations that restrict [its] use", in the urban East Bay. The Gill Tract has been used by the University of California as an open-air laboratory for research and teaching since 1945, mostly for conducting plant genetics research using corn. The original agricultural area was around 100 acres (40 ha); all but one-tenth of that has already been developed. Beginning in 1944, much of the nearby land was converted into federally owned housing for dock workers at the nearby shipyards. The federal housing complex, known as Codornices Creek Village, was later sold to the University of California for student housing in 1956 and renamed to UC Village.
Background The Gill Tract has been the focus of efforts to create an educational urban farm for an extended period of time, From 1997 to 2000 a group named Bay Area Coalition for Urban Agriculture (BACUA) backed by 30 community groups coordinated by Food First aimed to establish "the world’s first university center on sustainable urban agriculture and food systems". Since at least 1997, coalitions of local residents, NGOs, and University of California (UC) students and faculty have brought forth proposals to the UC administration for the creation of a center for sustainable urban agriculture. The UC administrators turned down these proposals, something at least three UC faculty involved with the projects say was due to UC administrators stonewalling the process and not giving the proposals a good faith consideration. From 2002 to at least 2005, a group named "Urban Roots" operated in a similar vein, endorsed by Alice Waters and Tom Bates. As of 2012, the southern half of the Gill Tract was unused and slated to be leased by the UC for commercial development of a for-profit senior housing complex and a Whole Foods grocery store.
First occupation, 2012 On 22 April 2012, (Earth Day) around 200 activists broke the lock on the gate, entered the tract, and began farming. Starting the action on 22 April was intended to be a show of solidarity with Via Campesina, an international movement of peasant organizations. The stated intent of the participants was to establish a sustainable farm to provide food to the local community. Participants argued that such a farm could play an important role in educating the local community about sustainable agricultural practices while helping to establish food sovereignty in the local community. The organizers emphasized that their intention was to create a working farm, rather than simply occupy the land. As of 30 April 2012, farmers tilled and planted at least two acres of land with crops, including carrots, broccoli, corn, tomatoes, and squash. They brought in beehives, chickens, and over 15,000 seedlings. The farmers set up a composting toilet and several portable toilets on site and have arranged for a certified professional to handle their waste disposal, in an effort to alleviate sanitation concerns. As of 9 May 2012, activists were occupying the part of the tract slated for development, citing concerns that its ownership has been transferred from the College of Natural Resources to Capital Projects, an indication that the university plans to sell the entire Gill Tract to developers. The university denied that the remainder of the tract was slated for redevelopment, stating that they intend to use the land for research indefinitely. However, funding for research at the Gill Tract had receded to historically low levels of allocation, and one sole full professor continued to do research in biological control, on less than 1 of the 10 acres. In response to the accusation of trespassing, the occupiers challenged the legitimacy of UC claims on the land, pointing out that the university's charter as a Land-grant university can be served by revitalizing the space for future research, not by sale on the commercial market and development, nor by its current derelict state. The occupation ended on 14 May 2012.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
