Jamie's PAEP Reflection

Jamie Favaloro

Professor Williams

Ethics & the Environment

2 December 2013

Cow Power: A Sustainable Way to Provide Power

            Farming has always been a large part of Vermont culture. Unfortunately, farmers often face the tough decision of whether or not to grow into a bigger production or take the risk of being squeezed out. Farmers are subject to many policies on how they run their operations and experience the scrutiny of many environmentalists. Audet's Blue Spruce Farm approached the problem of sustainability in a way that is beneficial to more the just the farm, but also to the surrounding community. Recent generations of the Audet family have put forth great effort into seeking a more sustainable way to continue their dairy farm at a time when farmers do not see high revenue for their intensive labor.

            With the help of Central Vermont Public Service and David Dunn, the Blue Spruce Farm has implemented the use of a biodigester. The biodigester simulates the process of a stomach, biologically digesting the cow waste and turning it into biogas. A squeegee is used to collect cow poop and wash waters, distributing it into the digester. Throughout a twenty-one day process, manure is kept at 100 degrees Fahrenheit and produces gas. The biogas fuels a spark ignited engine that drives the generator producing heat, hot water, and electricity that goes directly onto the utility grid, dispersing to power lines. This technology has enabled the Audet's to farm in a more sustainable manner by producing enough power to efficiently run the farm with an excess amount providing energy to 300 additional homes or businesses (Blue Spruce Farm website).

            In partner with other Cow Power farms in the state, the project has produced 48 million kilawatt hours since 2005. Cow power runs at 75% efficiency, higher than both wind and solar power, and has the potential to supply 10% of the nation's energy needs (Cow Power: The Film). The recent generations of the Blue Spruce Farm have focused on the best treatment of their cows. The Audet's are proud that Cow Power has additional benefits to their farm other than energy. The leftovers from the digester continue to go through a process of separation for multiple purposes. The solid matter continues to decompose and gets used as more comfortable bedding for their cows. The leftover liquid matter is stored as a nutrient rich and environmentally friendly fertilizer that helps grow better quality feed (Blue Spruce Farm website).

            In addition to those material benefits, Cow Power has allowed for the farm to reduce their carbon footprint by putting out fewer emissions into the air and in many ways making use of a very renewable resource, cow poop. The benefits of Cow Power are great in the sense that the amount of cow waste seems never ending while our fossil fuel driven society continues to get closer to hitting rock bottom as would the folks flying the Taker Thunderbolt in David Quinn's, Ishmael (107). By continuing to find renewable resources we are trying to alleviate the problem of running out of sources to produce power rather than considering how we get back to living more along the line of the Leavers. The Leavers lived in harmony with nature, rather than seeking to conquer all the land without consideration to what is truly the greatest good for the greatest number.  I don't have a magic solution for the monumental damage the Takers have imposed upon nature, but it seems that the Blue Spruce Farm's contribution was to implement Cow Power and become a carbon neutral operation.

            I support the Cow Power movement and it's intentions for a more environmentally friendly production. It would be difficult to disagree that finding alternative resources to carry on our daily business would not seem ideal. The Blue Spruce Farm has taken a situation in which they have been forced to take less money for their milk every three years due to steep market declines (Parsons 4) and create an operation that enables their farm to have an environmentally and economically sustainable future. What I find concerning about our desire to seek alternative and renewable resources is that it does not address the problem that has been so redundant throughout history. From the time of Taker civilization, the land has been sought to conquer without any consideration to nature. We know from the works of David Quinn and John Hughes, that history repeats itself for as long as we live so arrogantly and without regard to how we came to be on this Earth.

            Takers are not above the law, but continue to behave as though they are for as long as the destruction that has been so clearly caused by Taker intervention is ignored. It is imperative for the well-being of a maintainable life on Earth that we start to consider how humankind came to be and furthermore what actions can be taken to make a positive contribution in getting things on the track to recovery. I find myself fearful of the direction we are headed in and for future generations for as long as their life is habitable on Earth. As I mentioned before I feel stuck and only minimally hopeful for the restoration of the environment in regards to solutions and how to fix the damage that has been caused. The Ethics and the Environment class has truly opened my eyes to the ways in which humankind is responsible for so much of the environmental predicament we are in. I believe that a course like this allows students to broaden their lenses and become more aware and hopefully productive citizens, which is just what we need in order to tackle the challenge ahead of us.

            Working in a group can be very tough. I have been required to work in groups in previous jobs and found that they can often be a challenge, but I never experienced such a challenge finding a common time to meet as our PAEP group did. Being put into a group with three other busy college students, some of whom have jobs and myself as a parent, made coordinating a common time very difficult. Aside from finding a reasonable time for everyone to meet, the group experience went well. My visit to the Blue Spruce Farm was definitely my favorite part of the project. The fact that we live in such a small world was reiterated when I ran into a friend that I see on a weekly basis working on the farm. In speaking with Marie Audet and my friend, I was able to possess a much greater appreciation for the farming industry and all the hard work it entails. When I walked away from the farm I found myself feeling proud to be a Vermonter and in awe of the amazing project the farm has embarked on.

Works Cited

Audet, Marie. "Blue Spruce Farm | Audet's Cow Power." Blue Spruce Farm | Audet's

Cow Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bluesprucefarmvt.com/>.

Cow Power: The Film. Dir. Allison Gillette. Prod. Michael G. Gray. 2013. Online.

Parsons, Bob. "Vermont's Dairy Sector: Is There a Sustainable Future for the 800 Lb.

Gorilla?" Opportunities for Agricultural Working Paper Series 1.4 (n.d.): 1-12.    Print.

Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. New York: Bantam/Turner Book, 1995. Print.

 

Paige's Phenomenal PAEP Paper

Paige Schmittlein

11/20/13

PAEP Reflection

Hydroponics: An Agricultural Phenomenon

            Hydroponics was something that I knew nothing about before this project. As it turns out, hydroponic plants have been around forever, it even dates back to the Aztecs. Think of lily pads as an example. This is a plant that naturally grows in water. It has become a very important way of farming in recent years, as it makes it possible for people to grow food in areas that would otherwise be too arid to grow anything (History of Hydroponics). Hartshorn Farm only started their hydroponic farm this May and it cost more than half a million dollars and it took all of the previous fall and winter to start. However, once this money is spent and the work is done, it has a much lower cost to maintain than a regular farm.

            Hydroponics is a type of farming that takes place in a large greenhouse without the use of soil. Each seed is planted in a tray of rock fibers with the use of a vacuum. Once the seed grows into a seedling, the section of rock fiber it has been growing in is separated from the rest and put into a hole in one of the many tubes in the greenhouse which are arranged so that the water will flow through them in a certain way so that it can be recycled at the end to be reused in a cycle that never ends. This way they can reduce the amount of water needed as well as the amount of labor. The water is kept in a well about 420 feet underground. The temperature inside of the greenhouse is regulated and mostly comes from the sun. The insulation that they use is the same technology as space suits. It reflects the sun out and keeps the heat in. They also have the ability to pour down a wall of water in the back of the greenhouse that can act as an air conditioner. In the winter, they have a biomass wood furnace to heat the greenhouse. Overall, it is much more cost efficient and low-maintenance than a regular farm.

            The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program has strict rules against the runoff of water used for hydroponics. The farm needs to get a permit before disposing of any of its waters into a national body of water and within that permit are certain limitations (Aquaculture). Dave Hartshorn told us that there is also a barrier in place that stops his hydroponic farm from being certified organic. The definition of organic uses the word “soil” and because hydroponics doesn’t use soil, he currently cannot certify this part of the farm as organic. This policy is different in Europe where he would be able to be certified organic.

            Hydroponic farming is much more ethical than regular farming. It doesn’t use soil, so you don’t have to worry about farming the soil until it becomes unusable. It also uses about 70-90 percent less water than regular farming. Also, creating more of these farms could employ more people. A hydroponic farm the size of Hartshorn Farm would employ about 20-30 people, especially if it expanded to produce multiple types of vegetables. This is also less labor-intensive than regular farming because everything is at waist level, so more kinds of people would be able to work there. The vegetables produced don’t have any kind of chemicals on them, so they’re completely safe for consumption. Hartshorn Farm in particular doesn’t even use pesticides. If we had more hydroponic farms in America, we would have a much better way of producing fruits and vegetables.

            We can also relate the ethics of hydroponic farming to what we read about in Ishmael, Hughes, and Desjardins. When you first look at hydroponic farming, it seems very tied to taker culture. The greenhouses are man made and very controlled by the workers. However, the plants are grown in a way that is much more natural than reworking the soil over and over again every season and ruining the land. This only uses water, and it actually uses less water than regular farming would. Although it does resemble a part of taker culture, it is an attempt to be more sustainable. It is also not defying the peacekeeping law. By reusing the same water, you are not taking more resources than you need. Also, at Hartshorn farm, a lot of their excess produce goes to local schools and farm stands to sell to others that need it, so everyone is getting their fair share. To relate this to some of the Case Studies in Hughes, as I mentioned before, even the Aztecs grew plants hydroponically. This isn’t exactly utilitarianism, because it probably isn’t the greatest good for the greatest number of people because you can only grow as much as you have room for in your greenhouse, but as far as doing good for the environment, it is definitely a much more ethical option.

            We went through three different ideas of which companies to research before we ended up with Hartshorn Farm. We started with Green Mountain Compost which would have been interesting, but they couldn’t make time to visit with us and overall, they just seemed pretty disorganized, so I think it’s probably a good thing that we didn’t stick with them. We considered going to Localmotion, but they were busy as well, and I don’t think that they would have allowed for as strong a research project anyway. I’m glad we ended up with the organization that we did because I found learning about hydroponics extremely interesting, as it was something I had never known about before. I think our group worked extremely well together. We all had very strong work ethic and desire to make a strong poster. Our contact at Hartshorn Farm was very knowledgeable and was able to give us a better look at the organization than I ever could have hoped for. I feel lucky to have had this experience because I know that I am now much more informed on the subject of hydroponic farming in comparison to traditional farming and I think it’s important for people to know about this much more ethical and cost efficient way to farm.

Works Cited

"history of hydroponics | « Boswyck Farms." Boswyck Farms RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.boswyckfarms.org/history>.

"Aquaculture - Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Guidance." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/anaqulaw.html>.

Sarah's PAEP Reflection: A Hydroponic Phenomenon at Hartshorn Farm

Sarah Demers

Professor Williams

Ethics & The Environment

2 December 2013

Hartshorn Farm: A Hydroponic Phenomenon

The first plants to inhabit Earth grew in bodies of water. Structurally simple, these photosynthetic organisms represented the forerunners of land plants. Hydroponics is described as the growth of plants with nutrients and water, but without soil (Environmental). While this type of plant growth far predates human existence, the first recorded use of hydroponic farming dates back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built around 600 BC (History). During the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Aztecs created vast hydroponic farms on rafts, feeding their crops with nutrients dug from the bottom of lakes. Further record of hydroponics can be found in Marco Polo’s writing while he witnessed similar floating gardens in China during the late thirteenth century (Turner). With the use of hydroponics dating back thousands of years, it is clear many people grasped the benefits of such sustainable farming.

In more modern times, hydroponic farming has taken a new role of importance for food production, just as we saw at Hartshorn Farm during our site visit. The word hydroponics is derived from the Greek words, “hydro,” meaning water and “ponos,” meaning labor (Jensen). Instead of growing in dirt, plants grow in containers using alternate mediums such as clay, gravel, sand or rock fiber (History). The process begins with flats of one of these mediums, such as rock fiber, which will absorb water and allow the plant seed to grow roots. Once the seeds grow into seedlings, each pod is transferred to a pre-made hole with a constant flow of water mixed with a nutrient solution delivered from a drip irrigation system. Generally used for fast-growing, high-value crops such as lettuces and tomatoes, hydroponics are typically grown in greenhouses and can therefore be produced year-round (Burdick). The hydroponics at Hartshorn Farm enables food production throughout the cold winter of Vermont, which is no small feat considering our New England winters. Thus, in areas with limited amounts of farmable land, hydroponic farming offers an alternative.

While hydroponics is an efficient and environmentally sustainable method for growing plants, people often question the value of food produced hydroponically, making the assumption that the fruits and vegetables will have less nutritional value. Another common misconception is that hydroponic plants are genetically engineered (History). These ideas prove false, however, as hydroponics has nothing to do with genetic modification. In fact, unlike the seeds used in large-scale agriculture production, hydroponics often uses heirloom varieties, which have been cultivated by farmers for centuries (Jensen). Crops that are grown hydroponically are just as nutritious as soil-grown crops. So while some question the ethical framework surrounding hydroponics, it is actually a much less harmful method for growing food in comparison to traditional farming, and produces plants equal if not better in nutritional value. Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately 10 million hectares of arable land is lost every year due to various reasons (Environmental). Hydroponics offers a more efficient technique for growing crops, while also using 70%-90% less water than conventional growing (History).

It’s understandable why so many people are skeptical of food production, especially in today’s world with giant corporations providing so much of what we eat. Once the phenomenon of hydroponics is understood, however, there is no need for unease or doubt. As the use of hydroponics has expanded globally, policies have been developed to restrict certain practices. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program has strict rules against the runoff of water used for hydroponics. The farm in question needs to get a permit before disposing any waters into a national body of water and within that permit are certain limitations (Levitt). Visiting the Hartshorn Farm, I was able to see how water was reused in circulation throughout the greenhouse. Even though water is used in lesser amounts with hydroponics, it is still important to be aware of where water will end up. In addition to the water policies, there is a barrier in place that stops hydroponic farms from being certified as organic. We discussed this with the owner of Hartshorn Farm, Dave Hartshorn, and he explained that the definition of organic uses the word “soil.” Since hydroponics does not use soil, he cannot certify that part of his farm as organic. Unfortunately, the inability to label hydroponic farms as organic can send some people the wrong message, when in reality hydroponics uses fewer pesticides than soil-based farming.

            Hydroponics give us the opportunity to bring food production back to a smaller scale, and away from the destructive practices which Takers are so used to engaging in with growing food. As framed by Ishmael, totalitarian agriculture came into practice ten thousand years ago, and continues on in the Taker methods of farming today. Traditional soil-based farming has proved destructive to the environment, especially with the massive amounts of crop being produced to feed an exploding population. Specifically, farming has contributed to the eradiation of biodiversity, as more and more species prove unable to survive with environmental degradation. Even though many people are aware of the damage being done by practicing totalitarian agriculture, the Taker Machine continues to plow forward unabashed. In combination with the discovery of fossil fuels, totalitarian agriculture and specifically oil has allowed our population to expand so rapidly, that a cocky confidence surrounding our ability to continue feeding rising numbers has been perpetuated. Hydroponics offers a method to grow food in large quantities, but without taxing our environment so drastically. It is an alternative to the white washing that is currently going on within the giant food corporations producing the majority of our food.

            Takers have gotten used to a legacy of threatening the diversity of species, denying competitors access to food and resources, and ruling over the places we inhabit. We have made enormous advances in technology, but as Desjardins points out in “Environmental Ethics,” science and technology have been both a blessing and a curse to our Taker society. In many ways, these developments in technology have allowed people to believe environmental problems will be solved in time. Such a mentality suggests that humans can put their minds at ease and simply rely on technology to fix all issues, which is sadly very far from the truth. As Hughes points out in “An Environmental History of the World,” many past technological developments have actually resulted in more destruction to the earth, such as technologies that allowed for mining to occur. Hydroponics is a technological advancement that finally allows us to step away from harmful methods of food production, and from what I saw at Hartshorn Farm, it is a practice easier to manage than traditional farming. There is a shorter harvest time with hydroponics – plants grown in this manner have direct access to water and nutrients, meaning they are not forced to develop extensive root systems to find the nutrients they need (Turner). Hydroponics offers what everyone wants from technology – the ability to carry out tasks in a simpler and easier fashion – without damaging the environment.

            Studying hydroponics has brought me a long way from simply understanding farming as a soil-based practice. When I first began researching the use of hydroponics, I was surprised at how resourceful this type of plant growth could be. Indeed, I was even more taken aback to learn how far back the practice of hydroponic farming dates. Getting to see a greenhouse at Hartshorn Farm was helpful in cementing the idea of what hydroponics really entails. As my group worked on putting our professional poster together, we struggled at first with how to break up the information we had obtained. There was a good amount to cover without much physical space, but we eventually fleshed out separate paragraphs. It was great to have a Google Document where we could each write up our own portion of the project and put it all together for the poster. We also emailed one another to check in, which I thought helped us finish our poster in a timely manner. Each one of us did a good job ensuring that our part was done, and we felt comfortable asking one another for suggestions if needed. Overall, I think our group worked very nicely together, and produced a strong and informative professional poster.

            Sustainable techniques for growing food are often times taken for granted or viewed as unrealistic with today’s growing population, but hydroponics gives us an opportunity to change that. Growing plants in water does not work against the environment as the Taker version of soil-based farming so often does. Instead, hydroponics exemplifies the strength and efficiency that can be harvested when we respect nature’s tendencies.

Work Cited:

Burdick, Dave. "Caltech Studying Keys To Urban Hydroponic Farming, Roof Farms." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/21/caltech-studying-keys-to_n_145429.html>.

"Environmental Benefits of Hydroponic Growing." Hydropon East. Advanced Nutrients , 12 May 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://hydroponeast.com/en/previous-issues/5-2012/environment-benefits-from-hydroponics>.

"History of Hydroponics | « Boswyck Farms." Boswyck Farms RSS. WordPress, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.boswyckfarms.org/history>.

Jensen, Merle. "Controlled Environment Agriculture Center." What Is Hydroponics?. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://ag.arizona.edu/ceac/what-hydroponics>.

Levitt, Alice. "Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice." A Hydroponic Farm Makes Vermont Winters Tastier. N.p., 13 Oct. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.7dvt.com/2013hydroponic-farm-makes-vermont-winters-tastier>.

Turner, Bambi.  "How Hydroponics Works" 20 October 2008.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/alternative-methods/hydroponics.htm> 16 November 2013.

VINS draft

PAEP: Individual Reflective Analysis (REDUX) - Due on Monday, December 2

This assignment is due by Monday, December 2, as a stand-alone blog post here @ our course blog. In addition, you will submit this assignment to e-Port. PAEP – The individual reflective analysis The second deliverable for the PAEP common assignment is an individual reflective analysis which serves as an extended written narrative of the summarized information on the poster. This assignment will allow you to reflect on your experiential learning and address how your experience may have challenged, informed, or enriched your views. The written analysis will provide the unabridged version the four components of the poster: (1) history (2) science / technology (3) policies (4) ethics of the environmental subject, and in addition, require you to: (5) evaluate the ethical frameworks used in making policy and management decisions (note, this differs from simply identifying the applied ethical frameworks, which is what you are asked to do as a group for the poster), and (6) reflect upon your learning through each phase of the project from initial research to the culminating poster session. The format of this assignment is neither a standard research paper, nor a purely reflective essay; rather, it should merge the two and offer both critical analysis of and thoughtful reflection on the chosen topic. Your individual reflective analysis should be approximately 7 paragraphs (5-7 sentence paragraphs) double-spaced, and include a works cited page and in-text citations in proper MLA format. This analysis will be submitted to ePort and assessed as the common assignment for the course.

King Corn - Extra Credit Points!

King Corn video, check it out if you can't make the viewing on Tuesday. 5 sentences for extra credit.

Hartshorn Hydroponic Farm Draft