Cal Poly’s Farmland Debate Is About More Than Acres

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO), agricultural land is more than open space. It’s part of the university’s identity and its “Learn by Doing” approach to agricultural education. Now, some of that land—30 acres classified as Class I prime farmland—is at the center of a proposed West Campus development that could bring housing, hospitality and event space, retail, and other mixed-use facilities to generate revenue for the university.

Class I soils have few limitations for agricultural production and can be safely used for intensive production. They are nearly level, generally deep, well-drained and easily worked, with good water-holding capacity and natural fertility. In California, land designated as Prime Farmland must also meet specific soil and agricultural-use criteria established by the USDA and California Department of Conservation.

The university is expected to announce by Nov. 1 whether the project will move forward. The proposed West Campus development could place housing, hospitality, retail, and other mixed-use facilities on this land to generate revenue for the school. The proposal has become a flashpoint for students, alumni, faculty supporters, and agricultural industry advocates.

But the central question is more fundamental than whether Cal Poly can create new revenue: Should an agricultural university convert irreplaceable prime farmland to nonacademic development when other sites may be available?

For many students, faculty, alumni, agricultural-industry partners, and community members, the answer is no.

A Finite Resource

California continues to lose productive prime farmland to urban development. According to the California Dept. of Conservation, over 1.2 million acres of irrigated farmland was lost from 1984-2020, with nearly 850,500 of those acres being prime farmland. Urban development increased over 1.2 million acres in that same period.

That broader reality makes the proposed loss of university farmland particularly consequential.

“It’s a key natural resource for students to learn on, for all majors,” said Cal Poly alumna and agronomist Allie Cushnyr.

For Cushnyr and others, the proposal is déjà vu. In 2015, the same land was considered for development.

“I can’t believe I have to do this again,” Cushnyr said. “There’s a lack of integrity in what is being proposed because it goes against what President Armstrong said he would protect several years ago with the master plan.”

The Cal Poly 2035 Master Plan, published in 2019, recognizes the value of university’s agricultural land, describing its Class I soils as among its greatest assets for agriculture. The plan also says the university will minimize impacts in three ways: by locating development on less productive soils, protecting croplands in active production for student and faculty use, and concentrating any new land-intensive development that must be located on prime soil around existing development.

According to the university’s Office of the President, no significant development is expected before 2030.

The Orchard is a Classroom

For students in Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES), the orchard and surrounding agricultural ground are valuable teaching resources.

Rafael Rodriguez, a plant sciences student with a concentration in crop science, said the orchard provides students an opportunity to learn in a setting approaching commercial production scale—experience he believes directly affects their ability to work in agriculture after graduation.

If farmland is moved farther from campus, students could lose access to fieldwork and experiments. Travel times—some options in discussion are more than 40 minutes each way—would create significant constraints for students and instructors, along with additional logistical challenges for first-year students, who are discouraged from having vehicles on campus.

“It’s not worth it for professors to spend an over an hour of their three-hour block simply traveling back and forth,” Rodriguez said. “Students will have to stay in the classroom more rather than going out and actually looking at problems, running experiments in the field, and getting viable experience that will directly translate for their future.”

In June 2025, the Associated Students, Inc. Board of Directors passed a resolution opposing non-agricultural development for West Campus.

Farmland Advocates Still Looking for Answers

A common concern among opponents is the lack of information surrounding the proposal: Why this land, and why now, despite previous commitments to protect what is recognized as valuable prime farmland?

James Rickert, Cal Poly SLO alumnus, accredited farm manager, and real estate appraiser specializing in rural, agricultural, and commercial properties, is among those questioning the decision.

His connection to the university goes back generations; his great-grandfather Julian McPhee served as president from 1933-1966, and pioneered the “Learn by Doing” philosophy on which Cal Poly hangs its hat. As a horticultural crop science major in the early 2000s, Rickert collected insects for entomology courses, studied crop patterns, and gained hands-on experience that he still considers valuable.

This soil remains some of the best on the Central Coast and cannot be easily replaced, he said.

Rickert questions how the project has been presented to the public, par with the university’s use of the term “food and ag hub.”

“You’ve got a hotel, intergenerational care, student housing, and senior housing,” said Rickert. “I don’t understand what the correlation is. Let’s call it what it is: it’s a massive commercial development located on prime farmland.”

Despite frequently reaching out to the president’s and the dean’s offices, the broader concern about transparency has opponents still finding themselves left in the dark. A letter from Dean Horgan addressed to CAFES students, faculty, and staff was issued Sept. 22. A public comment period was held during the Sept. 22, 2026, meeting of the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees. Speakers opposing the proposal were a current student, an alum who also spoke against the 2015 development attempt, and a parent and donor.

Three days later, the university added a dedicated West Campus development page to its website.

When GrowingProduce.com requested comment from President Armstrong or CAFES Dean Horgan, the university provided the letter from Armstrong’s office that was issued to the community on Sept. 25, 2026.

In the letter, Armstrong states that a path to restore 18 acres to Class I agricultural status has been identified, and that existing Class I land will not be disrupted until suitable replacement acreage is available.

But opponents argue that replacing the land in quantity is not equivalent to preserving it in location or quality.

“It takes such a long time to get the soil to that level,” Cushnyr, the agronomist, said of Class I soils. “Why make the students struggle to grow on land that’s subpar? Teach a student to grow in the best conditions possible, on campus, where all students can access it.”

Armstrong also argues in the letter that the development would create new opportunities for students across disciplines. Some opponents counter that expanding opportunities for one group of students should not come at the expense of another, and that moving agricultural education off prime farmland could further undermine the university’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy.

For those seeking more information, Armstrong’s letter and new webpage have not resolved the central questions.

“I’d ask them why they’re pushing to urbanize this farmland that’s been so crucial to student development,” Rodriguez said. “And also why it seems they’re ignoring the College of CAFES, who wants to keep their farmland. It seems [the university has] their own interests in mind, rather than the interest of the students.”

As in 2015, opposition remains strong. As of this writing, a Change.org petition opposing the proposal has garnered over 4,800 signatures.

Those who want to get involved are encouraged to sign the petition or contact Dean Brian Horgan, President Jeff Armstrong, and the CSU Board of Trustees.

Meetings with President Armstrong are scheduled for:

• Faculty and staff: Oct. 9, 10-11 a.m. via Zoom
• Students: Oct. 16, 10-11 a.m., Building 08, Room 123

For additional information, check out articles in Cal Poly’s Mustang News here and advocate sites like CaliforniaInsectScience.com.