major california agribusiness succesfully pressures Cal Poly to drop sustainable food lecture

[Liberal_in_LA]

who wants a damn meat processing plant on a college campus?

California agribusiness pressures school to nix Michael Pollan lecture
October 14, 2009 | 12:07 pm
Agribusinesses across the U.S. have a beef with sustainable food guru Michael Pollan, but at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo it has taken on a definite sizzle.

Threatening to pull donations from the school, a major California agribusiness has succeeded in turning what was to be a campus lecture by Pollan tomorrow into a panel discussion involving Pollan, a meat-science expert and one of the largest organic growers in the U.S.

"While I understand the need to expose students to alternative views, I find it unacceptable that the university would provide Michael Pollan an unchallenged forum to promote his stand against conventional agricultural practices,'' David E. Wood, chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Co., wrote in a scathing Sept. 23 letter to the Cal Poly president.

Wood has pledged $150,000 toward a new meat processing plant on campus. In his letter, he said Pollan's scheduled solo appearance had prompted him to "rethink my continued financial support of the university.'' He also criticized an animal sciences professor who said that conventional feedlots like the one run by Harris Ranch were not a form of sustainable agriculture.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/california-agribusiness-pressures-school-to-nix-michael-pollan-speech.html

[abq e streeter]

1. what? Doesn't every university secretly dream of its own meat -processing plant?

Good lesson for the kids who are sharp enough to get it....Like everything else , from your government to your education, there are consequences ( some more severe than others) for doing or saying anything that may interrupt the ability of those with lots of money to control how the rest of us live.

[tularetom]

2. I know our universities are whores like every other American institution but

seldom are they so blatant about it.

And as far as the Harris Ranch feedlot not being a form of sustainable agriculture, that thing stinks so bad you can smell it for 10 miles in either direction. Just driving by there makes my eyes water. (It's on I-5 about halfway between San Fran and LA). I can only imagine what it's doing to ground water quality in the area.

[villager]

3. Big ag wins again. Welcome to "progressive" California...

Or perhaps, more specifically, it explains the politics of the Central Valley...

[glitch]

4. I am sure Pollan welcomes the debate. Such a fuss. nt

[earth mom]

5. Doesn't this school get money from the state? If so, this should be illegal!!!

:grr:

[Quantess]

6. Agreed.

But maybe they are hoping for an even bigger contribution from agribusiness.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. Cal Poly is part of the CA state univ system...major state funding