Cultivating Better Uses for ‘the Farm’

M. Stephen Sheldon would deny us the opportunity to learn about agriculture, our nation and state’s No. 1 industry, just because we happen to live in a city. That is precisely what makes the agriculture program at Pierce College so valuable to us.

Agriculture offers careers in production, processing, marketing and distribution. It involves research. It is international in scope. At Pierce College, urban students from throughout Los Angeles have the opportunity to gain both academic and hands-on experience in agriculture. They can then enter the work force or transfer to a four-year college or university for further study.

We all share Sheldon’s concern about budget constraints. How can Pierce College afford to build a comprehensive, modern agriculture program?

Fortunately, it is an educational program that has the potential to become self-supporting. The college could increase the number of products grown or produced by students and reopen the student farm store. Funds can be obtained through grants, the creation of a “farm fund” or endowment and the agriculture industry. The Los Angeles County Farm Bureau has already offered financial and technical assistance.

As financial, technical and volunteer support grows, the number and kinds of classes offered can grow and the 250-acre land laboratory can be fully utilized. This is an educational resource we can’t afford to lose.

MARGO MURMAN, Woodland Hills. Murman is chairman of the Coalition to Preserve and Revitalize Pierce College Farm.