Synthesis Essay
Some people might argue that the negative attributes of vertical farming such as energy consumption, cost, and nutritional value heavily outweigh the positive attributes. However, vertical farms ultimately provide more benefits long-term, such as allowing seasonal crops to grow year-round, detecting disease and pathogen outbreaks early, and allowing consumers who live in more urban areas to have easier access to fresher produce.
According to Source E, “Their vertical farming model was proposed with the aim of increasing the amount of agricultural land by building upwards”. This description of a vertical farming model shows another benefit in which the amount of land being used is significantly smaller, and therefore would increase productivity and resource output per greenhouse. “For some crops, 10 to 20 times the yield can be obtained per acre” (Source B).
One argument from Source D states that “These systems are really expensive to build. The shipping container systems developed by Freight Farms, for example, cost between $82,000 and $85,000 per container”. However, according to Source B, “Although vertical farming’s high costs can often be discouraging, shipping containers and abandoned warehouses are readily available and relatively inexpensive”.
Another reason why vertical farming is more sustainable is because of the controlled environment, allowing crops to grow without fear of weather-related crop failures. Regular farms have much more environmental variables to worry about, which is why having a controlled environment eliminates those factors entirely. One of these environmental factors are the pathogens and biological contamination that can be found in outdoor crops. Through the use of sensing technologies, “one can closely monitor the crop for signs of pest or disease both manually and automatically” (Source E).
Another long-term benefit to vertical farming is the use of this model in space. In a future where we no longer have access to natural sunlight or the necessary environment to cultivate crops, vertical farming is the best solution. “NASA continues to improve the technologies for growing vegetables and fruits in space for future Moon and Mars explorations. USDA has a long history of collaboration with NASA on controlled environment agriculture research” (Source B).
An obstacle to vertical farming is marketing the idea itself to consumers. Some people tend to believe that because vertical farming uses artificial methods to grow crops, that the food isn’t authentic, aka “Frankenfoods”. However, “To minimize this issue, it can be stressed that growing conditions are not different from existing hydroponic facilities with respect to germplasm, nutrition, and other cultural and production practices” (Source E).
Overall, although vertical farming is relatively new and not yet perfected, it is a potential long-term solution to combatting weather-related crop failures, preventing the use of pesticides and herbicides, and allowing consumers to access a variety of crops despite the season or region.
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In your writing, you have effectively presented the benefits and challenges of vertical farming. Let’s work on incorporating subordinate clauses to enhance the complexity and flow of your sentences.
In the first paragraph, you could add a subordinate clause to provide additional information about the negative attributes of vertical farming. For example, “Some people might argue that the negative attributes of vertical farming, such as energy consumption, cost, and nutritional value, which heavily outweigh the positive attributes, are essential to consider.” This addition provides a deeper insight into why some individuals hold this perspective.
Furthermore, in the second paragraph, you can enhance the sentence structure by incorporating a subordinate clause. For instance, “According to Source E, ‘Their vertical farming model, which was proposed with the aim of increasing the amount of agricultural land by building upwards,’ illustrates another benefit where the amount of land being used is significantly smaller.” By including this subordinate clause, you provide a clearer connection between the proposed model and its benefits.
In the third paragraph, consider adding a subordinate clause to elaborate on the challenges of high costs associated with vertical farming. For example, “One argument from Source D states that ‘These systems are really expensive to build,’ highlighting a common concern among critics.” This addition provides a more nuanced understanding of the viewpoint presented in Source D.
As you continue to refine your writing, remember that incorporating subordinate clauses can add depth and sophistication to your sentences. They help establish relationships between ideas and provide a more comprehensive explanation of the topic at hand.
As your awareness of the use of complex sentences and subordinate clauses grows, you will start to recognize why some writing sounds better than others. When we look at an accomplished author’s writing, we begin to understand why using the subordinate clause is so effective. As you begin to notice these things when you read, you can replicate what great authors do when you write.
I encourage you to edit lines, sentences, and paragraphs in your text. If you are the owner of the document, you can double-click on any sentence or paragraph, edit and update. Keep practicing the incorporation of subordinate clauses to enhance the sophistication of your writing further.
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