Katelyn Michell
Dr. Williams
Ethics and the Environment
12/2/13
PAEP Individual Reflection
The PAEP
project was truly a learning experience and was a great way to help us as
student get out into the community and learn about the different ways local
people are helping the environment while contributing to the flow of society.
With all the talk in class about agriculture and farming, my group and I felt
it was very fitting to go and visit a farm that practices both traditional
farming, as well as hydroponic farming, which is what we focused on in our
project. It was fun to be able to work with students I wouldn’t normally work
with and put our opinions and ideas together to collect the correct information
and put together a professional poster. It is also awesome to know that all of
the people and business’ the class interviewed were willing to share what they
do and about their lives. Doing this helps the student body and community
become more informed about ethics and the environment and how it directly
affects the world we live in.
At home, my
summer job for the past 4 years has been working on a local vegetable farm as a
cashier. This farm has a couple hydroponic greenhouses, so going into the visit
I already knew a little bit about the process and how it differs from
conventional farming. Hydroponic farming has actually been around for a very
long time, but in different forms. Many cultures, like the Aztecs, used
hydroponics for farming because of their limited nutrient rich soil and dry
weather. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were maintained using hydroponics, and
by taking out the use of soil in the process, many more parts of the world can
use its benefits to their advantage. This important factor is now being
emphasized in modern day farming. Areas of the world that do not have farmable
land, but have access to water can use hydroponic farming and provide a greater
surplus of food than any other type of farming, for a much cheaper cost.
Hydroponic farming is much more sustainable for the environment, since it is
all done in the same greenhouse and the soil is not being disrupted by
continuous replanting. Water is also conserved through hydroponic farming,
approximately 70% to 90% to be exact, by continually circulated the water
through the systems. Hydroponic farming has been perfected throughout the years
and has become a much more popular and efficient way to farm in the present.
There are
many strict rules put in place by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) program to prevent the runoff of water used in hydroponic
farming, as well as traditional farming, which would include fertilizer and
pesticides. Farms must obtain a permit before they can dispose of any water
into a national body of water, within the permits boundaries. Dave Hartshorn,
who we spoke to for the project, told us that he couldn’t certify the
hydroponic portion of his farm as Organic because the process does not contain
coil. The definition of Organic farming implies the use of soil, so hydroponic
farming would not meet the requirements. These policies different around the
world, such that in Europe, hydroponic farming can be certified Organic.
The science
of Hydroponic farming is quite a process when starting out and being explained,
but once the equipment is set up and ready to go, there is much less labor that
must go in compared to conventional farming. Hydroponic farming is done in large
greenhouses without any use of soil. Seeds are placed into flats of what is
called rock fiber, which is made up of many small square pouches that absorb
water and can be ripped apart easily. Once the seeds become seedlings, each
pouch is ripped off and placed into a hole, the same size, in long plastic
tubes. These tubes are strategically placed, evenly throughout the greenhouse,
perpendicular to the length of the greenhouse. They are raised up at waist
height by metal tubes that run the length of the greenhouse and provide water
to each perpendicular tube containing the pods of seedlings. The plastic tubes
are angled toward the ground so gravity pulls the water throughout the entire
tube and back to the beginning, in a cycle. The water is continually cycled
throughout the greenhouse and each plant gets the same and sufficient amount of
water, so they never dry out or get overwatered. The temperature is regulated
throughout the greenhouse, especially in the winter, but the main source of
heat is the sun, which works with the technology of the greenhouse. Fans are
placed at the front of the greenhouse to help regular temperature and when
turned on, it causes water to cascade down the back wall and act as an air
conditioner for the greenhouse. There is also a biomass wood furnace used to
heat the greenhouse in the winter. Once the heads of lettuce or basil are
mature and ready to be picked, they are pulled out of the holes by the pods and
are ready to be sold. Since no soil is used, there is no need to wash the
plants, which saves time for the workers.
Aphids and
whiteflies are a danger to hydroponic plants and are prevented by the releasing
of beneficial bugs that will eat the dangerous ones. The water comes from about
420 feet below the greenhouse and does require cleaning since iron may be
present in the water. There is about 140
hours of labor per week, according to Dave, and at the Hartshorn farm only two
people do this work. A greenhouse of this size could employ 20 to 30 people.
Hydroponic farming can be used to grow lettuce, basil and other herbs,
cucumbers, tomatoes, and much more. It takes about three weeks to grow lettuce,
and about six for basil. There are not too many hydroponic farms in Vermont,
but it is becoming much ore popular because of its cheapness in the long run
and environmental friendliness that it entails. Farmers no longer are overusing
the soil and depleting its nutrients, or contaminating it with fertilizers and
pesticides.
Ethics
always come up when discussing farming and agriculture, since it is the takers
affecting and disrupting our environment. Many times the negative affects of
conventional farming are put aside because people believe the benefits of more
convenient and cheap practices out way the destruction they may cause. Using a
water-based growing system under fluorescent lighting a controlled temperature
is typically looked at as very naturalistic, or at least very beneficial to the
environment since it is not being disrupted in the process. There are no
fertilizers or pesticides used in the process, so it is much more natural to
eat and for the environment. Although it is very much opinion, there are a lot
of ethical issues that come up with conventional farming, but very few that are
prominent for hydroponic farming. It is innovative and can be used on a much
more widespread scale of the world.
Once the
group was able to contact Hartshorn farm and set up a meeting time, we were
very excited, but the process we had to go through to get to that point was a
little frustrating. Everyone in the group had good ideas of places to go and
research and once we agreed on one, we immediately contacted them.
Unfortunately, after trying to schedule a meeting with two companies, we were
unsuccessful due to busy times at the offices and understaffing. This was a
little frustrating because we did not think that our visit would take too much
time, and only required one person to take some time to talk to us.
Fortunately, we got in contact with Dave at Hartshorn farm and learned so much
about hydroponic farming and how it directly relates to what we learn in Ethics
and the Environment. Finding a time for all of the members to meet was
definitely a struggle because we all have such busy schedules, but everyone
tried to make every meeting and contribute equally. I was very impressed at how
well we all worked together, which made completely the project much less
stressful. Although communication was a bit difficult, we were able to gather
all our information and equally provide our input and work to the project.
Agriculture
and farming were two of the biggest topics we discussed in class and always reverted
back to them after discussing almost any topic. Agriculture and taker culture,
explained in Ishmael, are very closely tied. The greenhouses are definitely not
a natural occurring phenomenon, and there is a lot of machinery and labor power
that goes into the whole process. On the other hand, it does not completely fit
the taker definition, because there is no use of soil or reuse of fields, which
destroys the land and its nutrients. Water is also being reused constantly,
which follows the peacekeeping law. The plants need a certain amount of water
to survive, and that amount is continually circulated throughout the system.
Hydroponics is a great representation of taker culture taking a step closer
towards sustainability and much more ethical practices. It is such a new
technology and it is really catching on in the world. Desjardins explains in his
books that the world of technology is expanding and this is both positive and
negative to the environment. Hydroponics is an example of a positive aspect of
takers technological growth. As explained by Hughes in many of the case study’s
that were present, hydroponics have been around for thousands of years, done in
many different ways by different cultures, and has helped societies stay
extremely sustainable and efficient with their resources as compared to
traditional agriculture. There is still so much to learn and be discovered
about agriculture, but I think that hydroponics is definitely a big step in the
right direction for the world.
Works Cited
"Aquaculture
- Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Guidance." EPA. Environmental
Protection
Agency, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
DesJardins,
Joseph R. Environmental Ethics: An Introduction to Environmental Philosophy.
Australia: Wadsworth Cengage, 2013. Print.
"History
of Hydroponics | « Boswyck Farms." Boswyck Farms RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 20 Nov.
2013.
Hughes,
J. Donald. An Environmental History of the World: Humankind's Changing Role
in the
Community
of Life.
London: Routledge, 2001. Print.
Quinn,
Daniel. Ishmael. New York: Bantam/Turner Book, 1995. Print.
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