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UID:Indybay-18769931
SEQUENCE:18890258
CREATED:20150314T035100Z
DESCRIPTION:On March 14th, farmers and supporters of the Gill Tract Farm are gathering 
 to demand that Sprouts "Farmers Market" stop their plans to pave over 
 public historic farmland in Albany, CA to put up a big-box store. The 
 farmers and supporters are demanding that all 20 acres of the historic Gill 
 Tract be protected as an education and research center in urban agriculture 
 and food justice, including a productive urban farm.  \n\nFarmers like Hank 
 Herrera want to highlight the hypocrisy of Sprouts calling itself a 
 “farmers market” while it is destroying the historic Gill Tract 
 farmland to build its newest store.\n\n“Sprouts is not a Farmer’s 
 Market. Using that name for a big-box supermarket is an insult to local 
 farmers who are actually working to fix our broken food system.” – Hank 
 Herrera, New Hope Farms & Gill Tract Farm Coalition\n\nSupporters from the 
 labor and food justice communities, like Brooke Anderson, are also 
 expressing their concerns with Sprouts.\n\n“We do not need another 
 corporate supermarket giant that exploits its workers, especially not on 
 public land. We need a real farmers market.” - Brooke Anderson, Movement 
 Generation Justice & Ecology Project\n\nIn late February, UC Berkeley cut 
 down 53 trees in preparation for the construction of the new Sprouts store, 
 despite an ongoing lawsuit regarding the projects’ Environmental Impact 
 Report. See https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/03/18769462.php  
 \n\nFarmers and supporters want to see the land used for a 
 community-university partnership exploring innovative solutions to problems 
 in our food system.\n\nBackground:\n\nDespite almost 20 years of local 
 organizing against commercial development, UC Berkeley continues to push 
 for a chain grocery store and commercial retail space on the Gill 
 Tract.\n\nIn April 2012, Occupy the Farm raised the profile of this 20-year 
 community struggle by camping on the land and planting a 
 publicly-accessible farm on the Gill Tract. Under pressure from community 
 activists, Whole Foods pulled out of the proposed development, and instead 
 opened two blocks south of the tract. Occupy the Farm helped win temporary 
 protection for a portion of the land, some of which is now the vibrant Gill 
 Tract Community Farm. Farmers hope to see this project expand to all 
 remaining 20 acres of the historic farmland stewarded by the University of 
 California, Berkeley for research and education for the public 
 good.\n\n\n\n# # #\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/13/18769931.php
SUMMARY:Urban Farmers Rally to Stop Destruction of Historic Farmland by Sprouts Supermarket
LOCATION:Sprouts Farmers Market\n1530 Geary Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/13/18769931.php
DTSTART:20150314T200000Z
DTEND:20150314T220000Z
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