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Assignment 2

Wikipedia Article

The Wikipedia article on vertical farming covers a variety of related subjects. It begins with an introduction on the idea of vertical farming. The outline continues with a history of the most common classifications of a vertical farm. In 1915 Gilbert Ellis Bailey summarized it as the practice of farming deeper, using explosives. In the 1980s Ken Yeang described a vertical farm as a residential or business skyscraper in which food was grown for community use in the open air. The third classification was developed by Dr. Dickson Despommier in 1999. Dr. Despommier describes a vertical farm as skyscraper which mass produces plants or animals within. Following the classifications, brief descriptions of popular arguments made by supporters and critics of vertical farming are given.

A variety of articles, architectural drawings and proposed ideas on possible vertical farming techniques are described and the specific concepts of Dr. Despommier are given along with his professional background. Estimated statistics of future population growth is presented as an argument for the need for vertical farms, followed by a list of reasons why vertical farms can increase crop production when compared to conventional farming. A variety of benefits of vertical farming are listed with varying amounts of detail; however, many of the arguments seem to be based on opinion rather than evidence. Technologies required to successfully implement a vertical farm are briefly listed followed by a list of cities expressing interest in building a vertical farm. A detailed list of criticisms on economic issues, energy use and probable causes of pollution in vertical farms conclude the article.

The Encyclopedia of Earth Article

The article retrieved from The Encyclopedia of Earth provides the opinion and strategies of Dr. Dickson Despommier. This article begins with an introduction to the history of agriculture and recent statistics on agricultural land use. The majority of the article discusses the downfalls of current farming practices; listing examples such as soil erosion, natural habitat loss, the dangers of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to the environment and humans, the disproportionate distribution of food worldwide and various dangers farmers currently face. Statistics are provided on population growth and the agricultural requirements of feeding the worlds increasing population. The article then begins explaining what is meant by the term vertical farm and what expectations a vertical farm would need to meet in order to be financially justifiable. Similarities and differences between vertical farms and conventional greenhouses are discussed and the advantages of vertical farming are given with varying amounts of detail. Some of the key advantages listed are; year-round production of crops, safety from storms or drought, less transportation required, predictable crop yields and a return estimated at one acre of vertical farmland could equal ten to twenty acres of outdoor farmland.

A very large portion of the article discusses the restoration of ecosystems currently used for conventional agriculture. Examples of former populated or cultivated areas which have been abandoned and reclaimed by nature are listed. Details on the Mayans, the Dust Bowl located within the Great Plains of the United States, the de-militarized zone between North and South Korea and Chernobyl are given. Also listed among these examples is information on the Yanomami tribe located in Brazil. This example differs from the others in this section, as the Yanomami tribe’s farming techniques are sustainable. Waste management techniques are explained; issues with the disposal of waste and how vertical farms could help solve some of these issues are described. Brief descriptions of the possible social benefits of vertical farming complete this article.

Contrast and Comparisons

While the Encyclopedia of Earth article is longer, I feel Wikipedia’s article contains more relevant information. The Wikipedia article contains a wider range of opinions as multiple types of vertical farms are described. In comparison the Encyclopedia of Earth article is written by a single vertical farming expert and therefore contains only his opinions. The majority of the Encyclopedia of Earth article discusses the downfalls of current agricultural practices and little information is given as to any criticisms of vertical farming. Criticism of vertical farming is given a large amount of real estate in the Wikipedia article and arguments against current farming practices are used to support reasons for vertical agriculture, rather than receiving their own detailed sections.

Much of the information within the two articles is repeated due to Dr. Despommier being a primary contributor to both. Both articles provide information on the history of agriculture and expected benefits of vertical farming. Neither article provides technical information on how a vertical farm would function; also many of the proposed benefits are based on estimates and opinions.

References, Contributors and Further Reading

The references cited within the Wikipedia article are numerous and varied. Forty-seven references in total are listed, most are contributions retrieved within the past four years. Organizations such as the Smithsonian magazine, the New York Times and the Discovery Channel are listed, which lends legitimacy to the information provided. The number of contributions made by multiple Wikipedia users are too numerous to document.

The primary contributor to the on the Encyclopedia of Earth article is a microbiologist, ecologist and Professor of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. No citation is provided for this article. Only one of the three links to additional reading is currently functioning. The working link connects to The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, which is mentioned within the article.

Assessment

While the Wikipedia article provides a wider range of opinions and relevant information, I feel as an article it is unconvincing. There are a variety of spelling and grammar mistakes as well as mathematical errors within the text. Overall it was a difficult document to read as it was unorganized and information was often repeated.

Citations in the Wikipedia article were missing in several instances and the information provided was inconsistent in its relevancy. As an example, the increase in fast food consumption by Americans was blamed on the cost differences between healthy and unhealthy food. I feel that this is both an untrained personal opinion and completely irrelevant in an article concerning vertical farming. This article was not completely without merit however. It provided a more inclusive view of the subject when compared to the Encyclopedia of Earth article; displaying disadvantages to vertical farming as readily as the benefits.

In contrast to Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia of Earth article was well written and information flowed in a way much easier to absorb; however, it contained the opinion of only one person. I felt that throughout the article the author gave a very one-sided and extreme opinion. Far too much time is spent detailing any possible disadvantage in conventional farming techniques in contrast to the information provided on vertical agriculture. A large portion of his article discusses how the creation of vertical farms will mean that conventional farmland can be abandoned to be reclaimed as wild habitats. I found this view very naive. There is no discussion on the economic impact of abandoning large areas on real estate or how current farmers would adjust to such a radical change. Although the author is considered an expert in the field of vertical farming, no vertical farm matching his description has ever been built. However several related statistics were still presented as facts.

Additional Resources

1. A Techno-Agrarian Manifesto: Is Vertical Farming The Future Of American Agriculture?
2. Farming goes vertical at Green Sky Farm
3. First vertical farm to boost supply of local greens; Each tower produces up to 10 times more vegetables than usual methods.
4. Garden Up: Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces
5. Sky-Field: A Vertical Farming Solution For Urban New York
6. Skyland: Vertical farming a Milano.
7. The Future of Agriculture May Be Up
8. The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century
9. Vertical Farm Diversification
10. Vertical Farming We Need To Feed More People With Less Land - How About Skyscraper Farms?."<ref?"Vertical Farming We Need To Feed More People With Less Land - How About Skyscraper Farms?." Rics Business (2010): 26-31. British Library Document Supply Centre Inside Serials & Conference Proceedings. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.</ref>

External Links

Encyclopedia of Earth: Vertical Farming[1]

The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network [2]

References

by Emily Snider LIB2002 Reference I 11 November 2012

Exact84 (talk) 10:03, 1 October 2012 (UTC)