History Revealed

25-Year-Old Time Capsule Unearthed
 

Andy Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences (CAFES), Vanessa Alexandre, agribusiness senior and president of the CAFES Student Council, and Dean Callender (B.S., Agribusiness, 1991), president of the university’s Monterey Bay alumni chapter, recently unearthed a time capsule that was buried on Oct. 20, 1988. The unveiling revealed some prescient predictions about agriculture.

The predictions, written by faculty members and students, were sealed inside the capsule. Here are just a few:

  • The term “Ornamental Horticulture” has evolved into the name “Environmental Horticulture.”
  • We’re sure the computer will be a major influence in the production, research, and marketing of agricultural products.
  • Anticipated techniques of agriculture production may include hydroponics, automated harvesting equipment, and increased efficiency in irrigation.
  • We can manage for a reversal of the greenhouse effect; stop depleting the ozone layer; curb the production of solid and toxic wastes; stop the polluting of our oceans and water supplies; and implement recycling strategies for a world worth living in. By continuously working together with agriculture and industry to reverse the current destructive trend, we can achieve an equitable, sustainable existence for the Earth’s biosphere.

The CAFES time capsule was originally buried as part of a dedication ceremony for the then-new Agricultural Sciences Building. The unearthing was held in conjunction with the Agribusiness Department’s Gala Reunion in early November.

The capsule and its contents are on display in front of the CAFES dean’s office in the Agricultural Sciences Building (No. 11) through April 2015. As part of Open House 2015 festivities, it will be reburied, along with predictions for what agriculture, food and the environmental sciences will be like in the year 2039.

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