Stop Harvard Land Grabs, Hwy 166 And 33, Cuyama, CA (2026)

03/25/2024

Check out the Harvard Crimson’s recent coverage of how SHLG and affiliate organizers showed out in solidarity with Cuyama Valley residents to fight oil drilling on Harvard-owned land.

As one of our organizer’s, Rachel Carle put it, “Harvard is doing whatever it can to enable the status quo— a status quo that is entirely incompatible with a liveable future. Is that leadership?”

Stop Harvard Land Grabs calls on the Harvard Management Corporation to oppose and provide full transparency on the destructive practices taking place on Harvard’s land in California.

02/21/2024

‼️Destructive exploratory oil drilling has been approved on Harvard-owned land in California! Read more and learn about how to get involved below.

On January 31st, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to allow an oil company to drill an 11,000-foot deep exploratory well on Harvard-owned land in Cuyama Valley, following an hour of testimony from residents and groups opposing the project. The Commission has already rejected two applications from the Harvard Corporation to construct water reservoirs on the land that would have further depleted the water supply in the already critically over-drafted region.

During the hearing, residents and other groups expressed concerns about the environmental impacts on ground-water supply, local endangered species, and fossil-fuel pollution at the site. As Grant Pace, an organizer with Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard testified, “Harvard’s land is being used to attempt to profit off of the accelerated destruction of the planet through these land grabs and fossil fuel developments.”

Stop Harvard Land Grabs calls on the Harvard Management Corporation to oppose and provide full transparency on the destructive practices taking place on Harvard’s land in California. Head to the link in bio or to tinyurl.com/shlg-petition to sign the petition and learn more.

11/03/2023

Stop land grabs seminar next WEDS 11am-1pm, on campus and on Zoom! Activists and researchers from across the country are coming together to discuss the key role that Harvard plays in financial speculation on farmland in Brazil, the US, and beyond, which is causing displacement of rural communities, human rights violations, and environmental destruction. Join us for this seminar to connect with international organizing in defense of food sovereignty and land rights for Indigenous, small farmers and peasant communities. Register here: tinyurl.com/LandGrabs

10/11/2023

BREAKING: Harvard's water grab denied in California!

On October 10, 2023, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to deny Harvard’s appeal for water-intensive reservoirs on their vineyard.

Harvard Management Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Brodiaea, attempted to grab water rights in a critically overdrafted basin, undermine the livelihoods of smallholder and family farmers of the region, and profit off the climate crisis. Thanks to the tireless organizing of Cuyama Valley farmers and the brave decision of the county government, they failed.

Today’s result demonstrates that it is indeed possible to hold Harvard accountable for its investment decisions. Thank you to every Harvard student, alum, faculty, and staff who gave testimony at the hearings, donated to support farmers’ legal representation, and learned about these issues. When frontline communities rise up, we at Harvard have a responsibility to support them.

We know that Harvard’s investments in California are part of a broader pattern. Around the world, Harvard makes risky investments that threaten communities and the planet. Harvard has shown again and again that it is not a responsible manager nor a good neighbor. Stop Harvard Land Grabs continues to demand that Harvard give full transparency about its land investments, return land back to communities, pay reparations, and adopt a policy against future farmland investments.

10/11/2023

BREAKING: Harvard's water grab denied in California!

On October 10, 2023, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to deny Harvard’s appeal for water-intensive reservoirs on their vineyard.

Harvard Management Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Brodiaea, attempted to grab water rights in a critically overdrafted basin, undermine the livelihoods of smallholder and family farmers of the region, and profit off the climate crisis. Thanks to the tireless organizing of Cuyama Valley farmers and the brave decision of the county government, they failed.

Today’s result demonstrates that it is indeed possible to hold Harvard accountable for its investment decisions. Thank you to every Harvard student, alum, faculty, and staff who gave testimony at the hearings, donated to support farmers’ legal representation, and learned about these issues. When frontline communities rise up, we at Harvard have a responsibility to support them.

We know that Harvard’s investments in California are part of a broader pattern. Around the world, Harvard makes risky investments that threaten communities and the planet. Harvard has shown again and again that it is not a responsible manager nor a good neighbor. Stop Harvard Land Grabs continues to demand that Harvard give full transparency about its land investments, return land back to communities, pay reparations, and adopt a policy against future farmland investments.

Read and share our statement here: https://stopharvardlandgrabs.wordpress.com/2023/10/11/harvards-water-grab-denied-in-california/

10/11/2023

Join us, and Rede Social for this important discussion! Today 12-2 pm eastern on campus and on Zoom

10/06/2023

A lot coming up this month with Stop Harvard Land Grabs! Check out our latest email for more information (if you didn’t receive it, be sure to sign up for emails on the website) and fill out the interest form linked in our bio to sign up for each of these opportunities.

09/16/2023

Earlier this year, Harvard students and alumni came together to support California farmers fighting Harvard's water grab in the Cuyama Valley. Dozens of you joined to listen to frontline communities and give testimony at the Santa Barbara hearing. We won - BUT, Harvard has appealed the decision, which means another expensive legal fight. California farmers need to raise $25,000 by October 10. Link in our bio to read the full letter and donate.

From our partners in California:

"Water is life in Cuyama. Our small, rural community in northeastern Santa Barbara County is completely
dependent on groundwater for our survival. We have no other source of water for our drinking water, for our
homes, for our schools, for our farms. The Cuyama Valley is one of 21 critically overdrafted basins in California.
For too long more water has been pumped out of the ground than nature puts back.
The State of California says we must bring our basin into sustainability by 2040. This means we cannot pump out
more than gets replenished by rainfall. We will need to reduce the pumping in our Valley by 60%. Yet a new
neighbor in Cuyama–Harvard University’s investment arm– has converted non-irrigated rangeland into 850 acres of water-intensive vineyard. This investment by Harvard University’s endowment fund is depleting our groundwater and is threatening our way of life. Now they want to pump even more and we need your help to stop them.
Cuyama has always been an agricultural community. But we believe in small-scale sustainable farming. Most of us are generational farmers and ranchers acting as stewards of the land. We have made changes to cope with drought, including switching to less water-intensive crops and making cutbacks to water pumping.
Now, we must defend our critically overdrafted groundwater basin from the latest corporate newcomer that
threatens it. We urge you to join us.
Help us stop Harvard Management Corporation’s water grab in Cuyama. We are raising $25,000 to fight
(again) their appeal to build massive water-wasting reservoirs at their vineyard. Please consider making a
donation of $50, $100, or $250 towards our goal. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar!"

04/14/2023

Onboarding call this MONDAY for Harvard students, alumni, faculty, and staff! Celebrate the recent win in California and learn more about how to get involved with the Stop Harvard Land Grabs campaign. 7-8 pm eastern on Zoom- registration link is in our bio.

Interested in getting involved but can’t make it? DM us or send us an email at [email protected]

04/14/2023

🎉MAJOR WIN! On Wednesday, March 29, the County of Santa Barbara Planning Commission voted to deny the Harvard Management Company subsidiary’s application to construct three water reservoirs on their North Fork Ranch property in Cuyama Valley, California.👏

Local farmers and community members of Cuyama Valley have worked tirelessly to expose the harmful impacts that these reservoirs would pose for the region’s water resources. In solidarity with local farmers, a group of Harvard students, alumni, and staff testified against the construction of the reservoirs.

Join our work! Sign our petition to receive email updates bit.ly/harvardlandgrabs and register for our next onboarding meeting Monday, April 17, 7 pm EST on Zoom: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcod-yorDIpH9O34Ld7q6GpoVKgLuuymZVo

03/22/2023

‼️📣Calling all Harvard students, alumni, faculty, & staff to protect Californian farmers and water resources from Harvard's harmful land investments. Sign up to testify here: https://bit.ly/nolandgrabs

Online public hearing 3/29. Public comment training 3/28.

11/22/2022

Protest featured in coverage of the game! Want to learn more? Read our coalition’s full report at bit.ly/HarvardEndowment2022

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