Locate an article, news report, or social media post to respond to. You can also respond to any of the articles or topics discussed in the class.
First, summarize what the post is saying and what you understand them to be arguing.
Second, respond to the article with what we have been learning in class.
- Rhetoric
- Evaluate the argument they are making.
- If you agree, help them better support their argument. If you disagree, explain why.
- Notice the use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
- Critical Reading
- Aeroponics
- Victory Gardens
- Farming
- Food Sustainability
- Trump
Make sure your journal response is at least 250 words long. Comment below with a link and your response.
Professor Ramos' Blog 
Ellie Mc Voy
English 102
The article I read is from foodtank.com and it’s titled “From the Field to the world: Sustainability Lessons from a Young Farmer” the author is Katherine Walla, she wrote an interesting article about a man named Thomas Parsons who is a young farmer advocating for a sustainable food system worldwide. His family has a ranch in southeastern Kansas that his parents bought in 1986 to build a sustainable outdoor hog operation, so they could raise cattle on pasture land. They raise their hogs in large outdoor lots with deep bedded sheds year around, the family uses sustainable farming practices like rotational cattle grazing, which uses manure to improve soil health and their pastures, and composting waste from hay feeding and hog bedding. The parsons have been selling their hogs for four years to Niman Ranch which is a network of over 740 farming families raising their hogs sustainably and humanely.
I thought this was interesting because of what we have been discussing in class with helping our planet with becoming greener, and by having over 740 farming families from Niman Ranch who believe in food sustainability and also use that on their own farms is a big step into how farming should be done. Whether it be with animals or with crops, knowing that only 740 famers use this technique means that it is possible for the other famers around the USA to join Niman Ranch and become a part of the food sustainability network.
The link: https://foodtank.com/news/2019/09/from-the-field-to-the-world-sustainability-lessons-from-a-young-farmer/
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In this journal response, I wanted to be diverse and talk about a subject I have never really written about – farming. While searching for an article to respond to about this subject, I found one from The Washington Post that seemed very interesting. This particular article talks about a new enemy to California’s farming system: the nutria. As described by the writers of the article, this animal “has webbed feet, white whiskers, shaggy fur and orange buck teeth that could be mistaken for carrots” (Chea and Maldonado). The report talks about how the nutria’s destructive existence is majorly impacting the surrounding habitat, notably that the rodent’s eating habits virtually destroy everything in its path. However, the situation is not all hopeless – the Department of Fish and Wildlife has been given $10 million via state funds in order to take care of the nutria infestation.
Before reading this story, I don’t believe I had ever heard about the nutria before. A summary of the nutria’s tale was briefly mentioned in the article: “nutria were believed to have been eradicated in the state in the 1970s until one turned up in a beaver trap in 2017” (Chea and Maldonado). It goes to show how this animal has proved itself to be one of the animal kingdom’s main pests alongside the fly, ant and mosquito among others. Fortunately, the state had become aware of the problem before it was too late since by the article’s publication, the state had already given $10 million in order to fix the problem. One could say that this was the state’s proposal on how to deal with the issue that is the nutria.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/california-ramps-up-efforts-to-combat-invasive-swamp-rodents/2019/09/25/1edace2a-df52-11e9-be7f-4cc85017c36f_story.html
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Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nutrient-laden mist. The concept builds off the concept of hydroponic systems in which the roots grow in a soilless medium. Aeroponics simply dispenses with the growing medium which leaves the roots dangling in the air and periodically puffed by misting devices. Seeds are planted in pieces of foam stuffed into tiny pots, one end is exposed to light and one end is exposed to nutrient mist. The foam holds the root mas and the stem in place as the plant grows. Who knew naked roots could not only survive but thrive? It’s actually very freeing for a plant’s roots to eliminate a growing medium; they are exposed to extra oxygen resulting in faster growth. Aeroponics systems are very water-efficient. These systems use 95% less irrigation than plants grown in soil. The nutrients also get recycled since they are held in the water.
In addition, Aeroponics introduces the ability to grow large quantities of food in small spaces. This approach is mainly executed in indoor vertical farms which are increasingly common in cities. And because this system is fully enclosed, there is no more fouling nearby waterways as there is no nutrient runoff. The growing equipment can be sterilized as needed rather than using harsh chemicals to treat pest and disease.
The drawback are few, these systems need a bit of finesse to effectively operate. The concentration of the nutrient water must be precisely maintained. Even the slight malfunction of equipment can cause the loos of crop. The dangling roots may quickly desiccate if the misters don’t spray every few minutes. Those misters also need regular cleaning to prevent them from clogs. Also, these systems rely on electrical power to pump water through the misters; however solar power can be an alternative to this.
I am very excited about this Aeroponics, this is so cool. I don’t have a green thumb but feel it would be easy for me to utilize this concept. I am so excited for the future of farming and for the boost to the farmers’ economy and the environment.
https://modernfarmer.com/2018/07/how-does-aeroponics-work/
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This article speaks about the troubles that farmers face and what they face on the daily. It explains how the farming “male farmers in 17 states took their lives at a rate two times higher than the general population in 2012 and 1.5 times higher in 2015”( Weingarten) It then went on to explain why this was the case and brought into light that it was depression that mostly led to this result. There was a direct link between the farmers emotional status and how the crops were doing. Even though the numbers are bad they did not consider the some of the major agricultural states like Iowa. Overall it is a depressing article that bring to light how little senators care for the farmers themselves when a program like National Suicide Prevention Lifeline but specifically for farmers which would have cost “18 million annually” was denied. Although this is mainly talking about US farmers, it also mentions farmers in general from other countries that face farmer suicides and ‘farming accidents’ that occur way too frequent to be accidents. The article argues for support of solutions to lower suicide rates such as the Hotline for farmers and possible control of banks increasing interest rates.
This article is well written with numerous mentions of the ongoing problem that is farmers killing themselves because of the lack of support they are given. It uses facts well by mentioning the death rates themselves of the country and other countries farmers. It especially uses emotions extremely well by using experiences of farmers from various points in the suicide spectrum, from the wife of one that did commit it to one that considered suicide when facing financial troubles that caused him to file bankrupt, losing most of his farm. It also brings into light ethics, such as when it was mentioned that banks raised the interest rate from “7% to 18” to a person that represents a group that feed the nation. Overall, I’m not sure what I would add to better support their argument as it brings various elements together very well in my opinion.
Weingarten, Debbie. “Why Are America’s Farmers Killing Themselves?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Dec. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/why-are-americas-farmers-killing-themselves-in-record-numbers.
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While reading the article I was under the impression it was going to be more about the use of paper straws and the reduction of plastic use. While it does bring up the issue of plastic use in the US, it is ultimately about the empty promises and quick “solutions” to a problem that only continues to grow. It points to our two major political parties and how one side continues to be ignorant to the climate change and while the other is telling that they are fighting for the change but still take the donations from the private oil companies. So because climate change is such a popular issue among the public, the two parties will bring up the topic to gain popularity and votes for their party or even sometimes to mock the other side.
Working in the service industry and having to deal with new laws on plastic straws I’ve seen first hand the empty promises and sometimes-even leads to more waste being used because the paper straws are so flimsy. A few drinks out the straw and its already bending on its own weight because it’s already wet from being drank out of plus its gives a weird paper taste to the drink you were trying to enjoy. Understandably it does take some setbacks to reach the right destination and solution to these problems but it also takes a truthful party to stand by its promises instead of using issues as empty rhetoric.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/opinion/article/Opinion-Paper-straws-plastic-bag-bans-and-14473967.php#photo-18336023
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Janessa Scott
This weeks journal is on the Tedx Talks we watched in class, ” Victory Gardens, The Sequel — New Urban AG, Scaling Locally Grown Food | Jeff Olson | TEDxMileHigh”. It basically talks about how 97% of our produce is now shipped to us. The solution he proposes is people should grow their own produce or make/get produce from the vertical growth planters. Before, 80% of people in America more working on problems. Now, only 1% of America works on farms.
This is very crazy to me because it wasn’t even that long ago that the people of America were working on farms. All of a sudden barely anyone wants to work on a farm. I personally wouldn’t work on a farm because thats a lot to manage. But, i would love to grow my own own produce so that i know exactly what i am eating rather than having something thats chemically altered. Jeff Olson, the speaker of the “victory gardens, the sequel” was a very huge motivating factor in my new found decision.
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I decided to choose farming for my article because I think it should be a bigger part of our local economy. Since we know farming is good for our economy and health and can be easy to actually start up, so I wanted to find an issue within it so I specifically chose farming in Brazil. Farmers in Brazil use fire as a way to burn parts of the rain forest to make more room for their farms. The tactic of burning plots of forest to use as farming goes all the way back to Native Americans who would do the same. But where Native Americans would do it to survive, Brazilians do it as a source of income. Farming makes up 23% of Brazil’s income but burning these forests is threatening endangered species and precious ecosystems. “The rain forest is burning” is a huge topic today, however, it should be the rain forest is being burned.
I hate the idea of burning down ecosystems because so many animals live there. However, this is a historic way of farming which has been practiced for centuries. Farming is crucial to human survival and Brazil’s economy. I would propose they start using the innovative way of vertical farms like in the video we watched.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/why-brazilian-farmers-are-burning-the-rainforest–and-why-its-difficult-for-bolsonaro-to-stop-them/2019/09/05/3be5fb92-ca72-11e9-9615-8f1a32962e04_story.html
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So Airlines in Singapore are getting together with AeroFarms company. Which supplies everything needed to have a vertical farm like the ones we learned about in class on ted talk. They will have what you call farm to plane which is good. the food won’t be so expensive since they don’t have to pay for food to be shipped to them, everything will be organic and healthy. I feel like this should be brought out here in California as well and not only to airlines but to farms, restaurants and stores as well. that could reduce the cost in lots of food and it can be a healthier choice for everyone.
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David L
In the article, “Don’t Throw Out Your Dog Poop,” by Adele Peters, is about converting dog poop into energy. It was a way to combat the waste dog owners leave behind around public areas. To use the device, you place a biodegradable bag of dog poop into an appliance where bacteria would convert it into methane, which is then converted into power. The power is stored into batteries that can be used to power small appliances around the house. They gave examples of different dog sizes and what they can power from their daily poop. A German shepherd can power a fridge or a beagle can power a fan for a few hours. One of the goals of this product is to save major cities money. The US for example, produce around 10 million tons of poop a year which goes to landfills and produces the methane on it’s own which goes into the atmosphere instead of being converted into energy.
I chose this article because of a foul odor that was coming from the trash can in class this week. The author argues that having a potential use for this waste will prevent owners from leaving it behind. I agree with the author since many pet owners do not pick after their pets and we need a way to encourage them to do so. It’s also not a comfortable situation when you see people doing it; no one wants to be the poo police. The author uses pathos by connecting the readers on a personal level by saying, “I’ve lost also lost count of the times I’ve walked in shit.” Many of us have at one point and everyone does not want it to happen to them. As much as we talked about recycling and cleaning the environment, I feel this is a unique way to do so.
https://www.fastcompany.com/3045245/dont-throw-out-your-dogs-poop-its-now-a-valuable-natural-resource
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