"Industrial Scale Farming, Sustainable Path" by Miriam Horn Working with his dad and brother on land homesteaded by his maternal great grandparents just after the Civil War, Justin grew up hearing how his grandmothers put wet tea towels in windows to try to keep out the black blizzards of the Dust Bowl. Given responsibility for several fields while still in high school, he’d watched his own soils blowing and washing away, weeds running out of control and paltry yields. But it wasn’t until he went off to Kansas State University that he understood a prime cause of that damage: generations of plowing.

Question

"Industrial Scale Farming, Sustainable Path" by Miriam Horn Working with his dad and brother on land homesteaded by his maternal great grandparents just after the Civil War, Justin grew up hearing how his grandmothers put wet tea towels in windows to try to keep out the black blizzards of the Dust Bowl. Given responsibility for several fields while still in high school, he’d watched his own soils blowing and washing away, weeds running out of control and paltry yields. But it wasn’t until he went off to Kansas State University that he understood a prime cause of that damage: generations of plowing.

"Organic Farming Could Worsen Global Warming" by Courtney Vinopal For decades, the conventional wisdom surrounding organic farming has been that it produces crops that are healthier and better for the environment as a whole. In the U.S., where organic food sales totaled nearly $50 billion last year and made up 5.7 percent of total food sales, companies such as Annie’s and Organic Valley market their products as leaving a low carbon footprint. They remind consumers that their ingredients “matter…to the planet we all share,” or that their farming practices “remove excess carbon dioxide from the air.” The International Federation of Agriculture Movements promises in its literature that organic farming can “help reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the agricultural sector of the European Union and beyond.”
In 3–5 sentences, compare and contrast the text structure of the two excerpts. Why do you think each author chose to present information in this way?

Answer 1

In "Industrial Scale Farming, Sustainable Path" by Miriam Horn, the text is structured in a narrative format, following Justin's personal journey and experiences with farming practices. The author uses storytelling to illustrate the impact of industrial-scale farming on the environment and the shift towards sustainable practices. This approach helps the reader connect emotionally with the subject matter and understand the importance of sustainable agriculture.

In contrast, "Organic Farming Could Worsen Global Warming" by Courtney Vinopal is structured in a more informational and persuasive style. The author presents facts and statistics about organic farming and its potential impact on global warming, aiming to challenge the conventional wisdom surrounding organic practices. This structure is designed to inform and educate the reader about the complexities of organic farming and its relationship to environmental issues.

Each author likely chose their respective text structures to effectively convey their message and engage their audience. By using a narrative approach, Horn is able to humanize the issue and highlight the personal experiences of farmers like Justin. On the other hand, Vinopal's informational style allows for a more direct presentation of facts and arguments, aiming to challenge and inform the reader about the nuances of organic farming and its impact on global warming.