Vertical Farming Policy Brief

Your tenure as an aide to United States Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is going along smoothly (remember that she represents eastern Manhattan as well parts of Queens). You again have the opportunity to offer her ideas for the new laws and legislation.

While working, you come across several articles about vertical farming. Working for a representative in New York City, you realize that this is an issue that your boss should be aware of. Thus, your task is to write an informative policy brief about whether or not New York City should begin to pursue vertical farming on at least some of the city’s vacant lots (almost 9,000 acres worth in New York City).

Your policy brief should contain the following:

-       Your views on vertical farming – Do you claim that it is an interesting, viable option worth pursuing? Or do you claim that it will not have any meaningful impact on New York City? Or do you claim something different?

o   Your brief will also require an overview of what vertical farming actually is and how it works.

§  If you’re discussing how vertical farming works, then you need to discuss how farming/plant growth actually works. What reactions and/or structures are involved in plant growth?

§  In fact, how do plants grow? Should plants be able to grow according to vertical farming? Under what conditions will plants grow indoors? Hint: You just performed an experiment investigating this!

o   Your opinions in your brief must be supported by logical and well-explained reasons. Be sure to use specific vocabulary (about photosynthesis, light, etc.) that you learned during the unit.

§  What are the benefits of vertical farming?

§  What are the drawbacks of vertical farming?

§  Who are the stakeholders in NYC affected by decisions about vertical farming? What might their feelings be and how might they be affected?

§  If vertical farming is going to be carried out on a large scale, then can your knowledge of photosynthesis and the factors that affect it be useful for developing more efficient plans?

·       Remember to use the vocabulary that you learned so far – terms like photosynthesis, wavelength, glucose, etc.

o   You also need to address at least one potential counterclaim.

o   You need to include an APA formatted bibliography.