University neighbor group opposes sale of research farmland

 


TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A neighborhood association near the University of Arizona hopes to stop any future sale of farmland used for agricultural research.

The Campus Farm Neighborhood Association in Tucson is concerned about a possible sale of the property occupied by the university's Campus Agricultural Center, The Arizona Daily Star reported.

The center is a research, teaching and cooperative extension facility housing 11 departments of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and 70 multidisciplinary research units. The property formerly known as the Campbell Avenue Farm was purchased by the university in 1909 and now includes fields, laboratories and greenhouses.

Bonnie Poulos, who formed the neighborhood association in the 1980s, said members grew concerned after university President Robert Robbins made comments during a May 7 town hall meeting about the campus farm's value in light of the coronavirus pandemic's effect on the school's finances.

The university faces an anticipated loss of $250 million through the end of the 2021 fiscal year.

"I'm told by all of the commercial real estate developers the most valuable land in all of Tucson is the Campbell farms area," Robbins said. "Would we sell that and would we have a long-term lease?"

Robbins said the university wanted to gather feedback from the campus community and the Arizona Board of Regents. The university said in a statement that no decision regarding the property has been made.

The university can make an important contribution to food security and sustainability by growing produce locally, Poulos said.

"We don't trust that a rational decision is going to be made at a time when the university is facing one of the biggest budget crunches it has ever had," Poulos said.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.

 

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