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. Though few landscapes appear more beautiful, fertile and orderly than the straight, black, fragrant furrows of a newly tilled field, plowing is unnatural and, in many climates and soils, one of the most destructive things a farmer can do. Plowing strips soil bare, exposing it to erosion by rain and wind. It collapses soil structure — closing off the water channels left by deep roots and worms — and harms life in the soil, which though it may appear dead is in fact Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, containing a third of all organisms. Those thousands of microbial species are critical to human survival. They sustain photosynthesis, which all food and oxygen come from, by ferrying nutrients to plants and protecting them from pathogens. They decompose wastes, turning corpses of plants and animals back into new life. They’re also directly vital to human health, the source of 90 percent of antibiotics and 60 percent of anticancer drugs.

Answer 1

The excerpt from "Industrial-Scale Farming, Sustainable Path" by Miriam Horn illustrates the challenges and consequences associated with traditional farming practices, particularly plowing. Justin's experience on his family's land, coupled with his education, highlights how destructive long-standing agricultural methods can be to soil health and overall ecosystem integrity.

Horn emphasizes that plowing, while often perceived as a necessary and beneficial part of farming due to the neat appearance it provides, has significant adverse effects. The act of plowing exposes soil to erosion, disrupts its structure, and negatively impacts the diverse microbial life that is essential for a functioning ecosystem. The soil, often seen as a lifeless entity, is in fact teeming with life and serves critical functions, including nutrient transport to plants, decomposition of organic material, and the production of essential medicines.

The narrative suggests a need for a shift in agricultural practices towards more sustainable methods that preserve soil health and promote biodiversity. By understanding the harmful consequences of conventional farming techniques, like plowing, farmers can adopt practices that safeguard the vital organisms within the soil, ultimately leading to healthier crops and ecosystems. This call for re-evaluation aligns with a broader movement towards sustainable agriculture, which seeks to balance productivity with environmental stewardship.