Respond: Katherine Gustafson, “School Bus Farmers’ Market”

Respond: Katherine Gustafson, “School Bus Farmers’ Market”

RESPOND •

Question 25.33

1. What questions sparked Gustafson’s journey, both her literal journey and the larger, metaphorical journey? How do her doubts (paragraph 8) set the stage for what follows in this chapter?

Question 25.34

2. At the end of this selection, we find that Gustafson is not satisfied with what she has thus far found. Why not? How do her experiences lead her to a deeper understanding of the challenges Americans face if they are to have a different relationship with the food they eat?

Question 25.35

3. Make a list of the specific unsustainable aspects of the model of alternative food delivery that Gustafson describes in this selection, noting the paragraph where she discusses each. What benefits come from learning about these challenges in the way that Gustafson teaches us about them — through a narrative interspersed with her comments and analyses — rather than having them presented as, say, a factual argument such as the list you made, with comments on each challenge?

Question 25.36

4. What sort of ethos does Gustafson create for herself in this chapter? How does her ethos influence your response to this selection? (Chapter 3 discusses arguments based on ethos.)

Question 25.37

5. How might Christian R. Weisser, author of the first selection in this chapter, from Sustainability: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, respond to Gustafson’s search for sustainable foodways? Why?

Question 25.38

6. In this chapter, you’ve read selections that focus on various aspects of sustainability as they relate to food, in particular. Write a proposal in which you define a problem relating to food and sustainability and then offer a solution to it, based on the readings in the chapter and other research that you might do. For example, you may wish to take a stand on the issue of genetically modified foods in the United States (or elsewhere), or you may examine the strengths or weaknesses of the local food movement. These are just two possible ideas. (Chapter 12 offers advice on creating proposal arguments, while Chapters 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 will assist you with questions about research.)

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