Occupy the Farm

Rippling in Wednesday’s wind, a bright yellow banner beside California Hall hangs from a tree reading, in bright green capital letters, “Farms are for Farming.”

In an effort to bring more attention to sustainability issues and reinvigorate the campus’ approach to food systems education, students and faculty are spearheading what they hope to be a new minor on campus.

The Albany Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved plans to build a grocery store in a tract of land owned by the University of California Wednesday night.

After months of conflict regarding the usage of the Gill Tract, community members and UC Berkeley professor Miguel Altieri came together Saturday to begin a community participatory research project testing agroecological methods.

Last week the University of California erected a fence around an undeveloped university owned plot of land in Albany, in an attempt to prevent Occupy the Farm protesters from intruding on the property.

On Monday morning, UCPD removed crops planted by Occupy the Farm demonstrators on a portion of UC Berkeley owned land in Albany.

UCPD arrested four protesters on Monday following an early morning raid on the Occupy the Farm encampment on UC-owned land in Albany

Over 100 community activists occupied and farmed a portion of UC-owned research land in Albany this weekend in the latest iteration of the Occupy the Farm movement.