Ranching lives in the central Tucson Campus Farm neighborhood

During a recent discussion about potentially selling off the land at the University of Arizona’s Agricultural Center on Campbell Avenue a long-time resident described it as the “lungs of the city–a place to breathe”.

Just south of the Rillito River and across the street from Trader Joe’s in Midtown Tucson the Agricultural Center is a ranch/campus to train veterinarians, food scientists, bio-engineers and others in an assemblage of old Spanish Colonial Revival buildings plus one ultra-modern one. It is surrounded by acres of green pastures and crop lands. It is, in fact, a working ranch in the heart of the city.

No surprise that this midtown neighborhood is called Campus Farm and from the map I suspect it was originally at least one mile square, a full 640 acres. It’s smaller now.

With skyrocketing home prices, this desirable piece of real estate would command a huge price, but I think the University should look elsewhere to raise funds.

A Tucson treasure

The Agricultural Center is as much a Tucson treasure as the old barrios near downtown. It is also a visible reminder that Arizona has a huge agribusiness. It’s the third largest industry in the state.

So on a hot but quiet Sunday I rambled around the area to take a closer look and here is what I found:

In a pasture in the western end of this agricultural campus a herd of sheep–at least I think they are sheep, maybe goats?– were grazing. There is also a herd of horses close by in a separate pasture.

Cows graze across from Trader Joe’s

Nearby, cows and calves dined on green grass. The only reason the grass is green is because it is irrigated. Native grasses are already fading and dry as the weather heats up. 100F temps have just arrived in Tucson this week. Southern Arizona is in an exceptional drought–the most severe drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

These historic buildings include the Lucie Nash Circle Z Ranch equine education center. I suspect when this structure was built, even though it was long after the wild west period in Arizona, horses were a more essential part of Arizona life.

I wonder what “Biosystems Engineering” is? During the pandemic there were–all of a sudden–news reports on local TV stations about medical research breakthroughs at smallish companies in Tucson. I was unaware of this facet of the Tucson business world. Some seemed to be start-ups distantly connected to the University.

The street on the left of this photo of an old farm tractor is Campbell Avenue, a main north-south arterial in Tucson. The tractor is almost like a big “sign” that marks the spot.

An aerial view of the Campus Farm. Concerned by the reports that the University was considering selling the property the City has now taken steps to protect it and the historic buildings. (This photo is not mine and the copyright belongs to another photographer.)

And here is a photo of one of the many residential developments that encircle the UA Agricultural Center. As much as I like the Santa Fe type architectural style which is common in Tucson I don’t think we need more of that in place of the green grass, shady trees, and historic buildings. Trader Joe’s, a coffee house, an animal hospital and Mexican cafe are next door.

U of Arizona Rodeo Team

Now this next photo isn’t mine, but I came across an arena with stadium seating around it and it suddenly occurred to me that the University of Arizona probably has an intercollegiate Rodeo Team. And they do! Here is a photo of the 2020 Rodeo Team. Many on the team are majoring in courses taught at this site.

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It almost reached 100F ( 37C) in Tucson yesterday. A year ago it was 106F.