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The area is virtually built up with homes . There is really <br /> no greenbelt area in any of these counties , except perhaps <br /> the area to the east of Watsonville, between the ocean and <br /> the range of hills and mountains on the east. <br /> It was in 1955 when 150 members of the Roberts Union Farm <br /> Center attended a meeting in the supervisor ' s chambers on a <br /> Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon at 2 : 00 P. M. regarding <br /> agricultural greenbelt zoning. <br /> I was the spokesman for the group and I explained to the <br /> supervisors how important it was that we have some special <br /> places where crops could be grown with no hindrance from <br /> neighbors who did not live on their land, or made their <br /> living through inheritance , or worked in the city of <br /> Stockton. <br /> As I remember, it was a very pleasant meeting. All the <br /> supervisors were very intent on learning more about the <br /> subject of agricultural zoning, because it was a new subject <br /> at that time. <br /> Then, surprisingly, the one man who we farmers, thought <br /> might be against agricultural zoning, became interested. <br /> He was a fine man around 50 years old, a strong-willed and <br /> opinionated man who lived in the southern part of Stockton. <br /> ( His name may have been Bill Ruggles ) . <br /> When I finished presenting the case for the Roberts Union <br /> farmers and explaining why we thought it would be a <br /> necessary and good thing for the proper development of San <br /> Joaquin County, this man spoke up loudly and said, "I have <br /> known Mr. Robinson and he is always stirring things up. I <br /> cannot find anything he has stirred up which has not been <br /> for the best interest of all the people. " <br /> "The very fact that the farmers have this large attendance <br /> here today, tells me the farmers must be right, or there <br /> would not be this many farm people get up and leave their <br /> homes and their farms to take the time to come to a meeting <br /> like this . " <br /> Then he made a prophetic statement. "These farmers lead me <br /> to believe they know what they want, and their spokesman has <br /> explained why. " <br /> "I move we endorse this issue for the organizing of the area <br /> into what is known as the Roberts Union Farm Center <br /> Greenbelt. " <br /> -15- <br />