A group of local activists who set up camp on a tract of University of California, Berkeley–owned farmland in Albany three weeks ago told KTVU that they agreed to take down their tents Saturday, thereby meeting a deadline set by university officials and avoiding criminal charges.

The school offered protesters, who set up camp at the Gill Tract on Earth Day, a chance to discuss the future use of the land as well as avoid criminal charges if they moved out by a 10 a.m. deadline Saturday morning.

After discussing the matter, the Occupy farmers announced just after 9 a.m. that they planned to take down their camp and leave, but would not take part in the decision process.

"We are saying we don't need the encampment, but we are also saying that we don't need the UC" said "Christof," who spoke to KTVU on behalf of the Occupy the Farm protesters Saturday morning.

The group that occupied Gill Tract, a parcel of land near Marin and San Pablo avenues used for research, planted vegetables at the site and were demanding the land be preserved for sustainable agriculture.

The university said Friday that it already had plans to expand its urban agriculture program and was asking protesters to leave the land and join a discussion about Gill Tract's future.

"We are moving on and can only hope they will quickly decide to choose collaboration over confrontation," read a letter signed by UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost George Breslauer and Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance John Wilton.

On Wednesday, the university filed a trespass and nuisance lawsuit against 14 people it alleges illegally occupied the land on April 22, when protesters calling their movement "Occupy the Farm" took over the 10-acre plot.

Protesters were alleging around that time that the UC planned to replace the current agricultural land with commercial, recreational and open space, although the university says the land would continue to be used as an open-air laboratory by the College of Natural Resources, which conducts the agricultural research.

The university would be meeting Saturday to address "details of how the Gill Tract will be shared by our researchers and urban agriculture" and how the university would supervise the activities. Expected participants in the meeting included Cal's Dean of the College of Natural Resources, who was expected to host the meeting, as well as various city officials and community members from the city of Albany.

The protesters were told that if they cleared out their camp, they could participate in the meeting as well. Choosing to opt out, the protesters' spokesperson told KTVU that an "empty chair" would be in their place at the meeting.