Multifunctional Agriculture on DU’s Campus Prepared for: University of Denver Proposal Review Committee Prepared by: Maya X, Undergraduate Student April 13, 2017 Introduction: I have worked on at Mountain Flower Goat Dairy an urban goat farm in Boulder, Colorado for the past four years of my life. The farm focuses on sustainability and animal husbandry, but that is no easy task in a society that doesn’t encourage sustainable agricultural practices. Rotational grazing of crops and animals a process that can eliminate soil depletion and lower or abolish greenhouse gases emitted from animals. When animals are grazed on pastures, their feces become nutrients for the ground, which are no longer released as gases into the atmosphere. Therefore, plants and crops will grow more productively on the same chunk of land if they are rotationally grazed, as in the animals pasture is moved throughout the year to different sections. This eliminates the problem of over-grazing, while also fertilizing the land equally. The ecology of agriculture requires rotation, for both the animals and plants to survive sustainably. Mountain Flower Goat Dairy leases land from a century old iris garden farm. Our goats are rotationally grazed to re-enrich the soil, so that the iris plants can thrive in better quality soil. This is a practice that benefits the land, the goat farm, and the iris farm. The farm has taught me a lot about rotational grazing and the importance of that practice for the most efficient land use. We strive to teach the public and surrounding community about the importance of sustainable agriculture through our farm, and rotational grazing is a main focus. Topic Proposal: The topic I will be discussing for my research project will be multifunctional agriculture and the benefits of rotational farming practices for sustainability. Multifunctional agriculture is agriculture that produces various non commodity outputs alongside food or commodity outputs. It also recognizes that agriculture can have other functions than just to provide food. It should function to protect environment, landscape, and rural employment. The word multifunctional agriculture can also be referred to as “rotational agriculture,” “rotational grazing,” or “integrated crop and livestock use.” Specialized farming has dominated the agriculture and food industry causing a loss in biodiversity, depleting the land of vital nutrients, environmental affects, and concerns for animal welfare. According to the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, “integrated crop/livestock agriculture could improve soil quality, increase yield, produce a diversity of foods, augment pollinator populations, aid pest management, and improve land use efficiency” (Mason 365). Integrated crop/livestock agriculture or multifunctional agriculture practices would fix many of the issues that are created by specialized agriculture. Focus: The questio.

1. Multifunctional Agriculture on DU’s
Campus
Prepared for: University of Denver Proposal Review Committee
Prepared by: Maya X, Undergraduate Student
April 13, 2017
Introduction:
I have worked on at Mountain Flower Goat Dairy an urban goat
farm in Boulder, Colorado for the past four
years of my life. The farm focuses on sustainability and animal
husbandry, but that is no easy task in a society
that doesn’t encourage sustainable agricultural practices.
Rotational grazing of crops and animals a process that
can eliminate soil depletion and lower or abolish greenhouse
gases emitted from animals. When animals are
grazed on pastures, their feces become nutrients for the ground,
which are no longer released as gases into the
atmosphere. Therefore, plants and crops will grow more
productively on the same chunk of land if they are

2. rotationally grazed, as in the animals pasture is moved
throughout the year to different sections. This eliminates
the problem of over-grazing, while also fertilizing the land
equally. The ecology of agriculture requires
rotation, for both the animals and plants to survive sustainably.
Mountain Flower Goat Dairy leases land from a
century old iris garden farm. Our goats are rotationally grazed
to re-enrich the soil, so that the iris plants can
thrive in better quality soil. This is a practice that benefits the
land, the goat farm, and the iris farm. The farm
has taught me a lot about rotational grazing and the importance
of that practice for the most efficient land use.
We strive to teach the public and surrounding community about
the importance of sustainable agriculture
through our farm, and rotational grazing is a main focus.
Topic Proposal:
The topic I will be discussing for my research project will be
multifunctional agriculture and the benefits of
rotational farming practices for sustainability. Multifunctional
agriculture is agriculture that produces various

3. non commodity outputs alongside food or commodity outputs. It
also recognizes that agriculture can have
other functions than just to provide food. It should function to
protect environment, landscape, and rural
employment. The word multifunctional agriculture can also be
referred to as “rotational agriculture,”
“rotational grazing,” or “integrated crop and livestock use.”
Specialized farming has dominated the agriculture
and food industry causing a loss in biodiversity, depleting the
land of vital nutrients, environmental affects, and
concerns for animal welfare. According to the Journal of
Sustainable Agriculture, “integrated crop/livestock
agriculture could improve soil quality, increase yield, produce a
diversity of foods, augment pollinator
populations, aid pest management, and improve land use
efficiency” (Mason 365). Integrated crop/livestock
agriculture or multifunctional agriculture practices would fix
many of the issues that are created by specialized
agriculture.
Focus:
The question that this project will focus on is how policy
change nationally and locally can promote sustainable
multifunction agriculture practices. This information will come

4. from looking into the policy changes that other
countries have made towards this practice already, and how to
model their progress in US.
Why this is important:
Agriculture contributes to 6 to 7% of the total U.S. greenhouse
gases, and manure management contributes to
7% of the methane emitted into the atmosphere. Changing the
feeding of animals from corn to grass can lower
the methane released from manure that is a large contribution to
climate change. Agriculture is a major
compounding factor in the climate change crisis that needs to be
addressed. Mass-producing specialized
agriculture practices are not only bad for climate change, but
climate change is also very bad for agriculture.
Some of these effects of climate change on agriculture are
increased stress to crops and livestock due to weeds,
diseases, and pests, extreme precipitation and soil erosion, heat
and drought damage, rate of adaption, and food
security (US Global Change Research Program). Agriculture
policy in the US focuses largely on subsidies for

5. common crops that encourages specialized agriculture, but
policy needs to be changed to encourage diverse
crop practices, restoration and protection of the land instead.
This subject is vital to creating positive social,
economic, and environmental change. Food production affects
the whole population. It is important that the US
continue to be progressive and keep up with other countries that
seem to be much farther ahead in sustainable
agriculture practices in attendance to climate change as well as
other food production issues. Many European
countries have already made model policies for multifunctional
agriculture and are seeing the effects of that
change.
As part of the DU student body, many students are passionate
about stopping climate change. I believe this is
not only a very important topic for the US to consider, but it is
also crucial for DU. As an institution that has a
constant need for food productions through the dining halls, DU
has a lot of power to make local change by
who they get their food supplied by. There are farms that are
trying to use these practices now but who are not
able to economically sustain themselves. This research will
hopefully lead to a way to change policy that

6. promotes multifunctional agriculture while still economically
benefitting DU. Sustainability is not only about
environmental factors, but also economic sustainability for
farmers, food products, and in this case the
University of Denver.
Sources:
For this research project, I will interview the founders and
employees at Mountain Flower Goat Dairy, Taber
Ward, Michael Montgomery, and Madelynn Evensen. In a
survey, I would like to demonstrate how many
students at DU want policy change to help lower emissions of
greenhouse gases and promote climate change
action. This will demonstrate the wishes of the student body
that live and learn on this campus and why it
should be important for DU to consider. I will use peer-
reviewed journals like the American Institute of
Biological Science and the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture to
provide evidence for my claims. I would like
to utilize sources from economic, social, and scientific
perspectives, as well as those of real life farmers in

7. order to incorporate the policy change that will most
cooperatively function for all of those affected.
Sustainable agriculture also needs sustainable policy.
TOPIC PROPOSAL RUBRIC
Exceptional
(A-level work)
Effective
(B-level work)
Inconsistent
(C-level work)
Inadequate
(D/F-level work)
Concise
discussion
of subject

8. Provides a clear and
sophisticated introduction to
the topic; conversant with
key terms/language relevant
to the topic; draws on quality
facts and stats to offer
context and background
Provides an interesting, if
more general, introduction
to the topic; may leave
readers with some
questions after reading;
provides facts and stats for
context and background
Provides an introduction
to the topic based on
broad or popular
knowledge; no outside
sources used
Introduction lacks specificity
and development; may be
unclear or unfinished.
Clear
statement of
intended
focus
Research questions are
complex and clearly stated;
direction of research is

9. explicit and well designed.
Research questions are
meaningful, though they
may require further
development; direction of
research is presented, if
vaguely.
Research questions lack
development and do not
demonstrate sufficient
background research on
the topic; direction of
research is not clear.
Research questions are
surface or missing
altogether; little or no
direction for research is
outlined.
Rationale for
choosing
subject
Reasons for choosing this
topic are clearly and
articulately expressed, and
suggest a thoughtful
selection process.
Reasons for choosing this
topic are clearly expressed.
Reasons for choosing the

10. topic are unclear or need
to be inferred from other
parts of the proposal.
Rationale is missing or
suggests only a surface
interest in the topic.
Mention of
key
resources
Quality academic sources
are discussed and
demonstrate comprehensive
background research.
Quality sources are
discussed and demonstrate
meaningful background
research, if limited.
Sources are discussed,
but they don’t reflect
much academic research.
No sources are mentioned
or are done so in a limited or
superficial way.
Required
elements
All elements of the
assignment are covered in

11. detail, including research
questions, names and titles
of possible interview
subjects, and survey topics.
All elements of the
assignment are present,
but may lack detail and/or
sufficient discussion of
purpose.
One item missing entirely
from the proposal.
More than one item missing
entirely from the proposal.
PRODUCTION, SUSTAINABILITY AND BENEFITS OF
HYBRID FOODS
Introduction
Hybrid Foods production is one of emerging genetic engineering
technology through which foods are being produced in public
seed farms as hybrid fruits and vegetables. It is one of the great
sources of earning for the state as well because governments
today have less focus on imports of seeds in order to develop
hybrid fruits and vegetables. They have introduced this hybrid
food mechanism in order to produce variety of hybrid fruits and
vegetables due to which their expense on imports become less
(Winckler, 1999). During my visit to the farm and area where I
have seen lots of U-shaped stands and many open-sheds were
prepared with sticks and plastic wire, cobbled them together in

12. order to hang the vegetables in such a way that their growth
would not affect. If farmers continue to grow these hybrid
vegetables and sell it to government, they can earn more than
70% of their annual farming income effectively and efficiently.
Project Proposal
As far as research proposal is concerned, it will be extensive
research on ‘‘Production, Sustainability and Benefits of Hybrid
Foods’’. Hybrid foods are type of genetically modified food is
basically extracted from different cross-breed plants. Their
DNA’s are being altered by using effective methods of genetic
engineering. Genetic engineering is a basic tool which we used
for variety of purposes
(Plumer, 2015). Hybrid food is a genetically engineered food
which is produced from cross-breeding plant along with
controlled pollination. The seed which is called hybrid produces
a new plant containing properties of both crossed-plants (CA,
2018). These cross-breeding plants are produced with higher
productivity, insect resistance along with enhanced nutrition. It
has greatly enhanced our knowledge about genetic engineering
and most importantly, the production of hybrid foods and its
benefits to the grower, seller, buyer and consumer as well.
As far as production and sustainability are concerned, it is
hereditarily designed nourishment which is delivered from
cross-rearing plant alongside controlled fertilization. The seed
which is considered mixture delivers another plant containing
properties of both crossed-plants. These cross-rearing plants are
created with higher efficiency, bug obstruction alongside
improved nourishment
. The prime cause of hybrid foods is being handled as a basic
food items that contain such fixings which have been adjusted
by hereditary building.
Focus

13. The research will focus on the question that hybrid food is a
new mechanism to product hybrid foods and vegetables, how
much it is sustainable and beneficial for the human body and
what kind of measures would be taken by farmers or by state in
growing hybrid foods productively?
Why is it Important?
Agriculture is an asset for the state whose greater portion of
economy belongs to the agriculture sector. U.S. has large
concern towards its farmers and agriculture production in order
to enhance its agricultural market around the globe. For this
purpose, the mechanism of the production of hybrid foods has
been induced by the government in order to strengthen the
economy along with enrichment of the U.S. Farmer community.
In order to export and make fastest growth of vegetables and
vegetables, hybrid food farming is a sustainable production
which has ultimate benefit to the state, farmers and final
consumer. In order to produce own fruits and vegetables, U.S.
does not have to import them from other countries (John, 2016).
Although, it is a strong economy, but agriculture needs to be
improvised by induction of new techniques i.e. hybrid
technique. Due to which production, sustainability and benefits
of hybrid food become important and essential production.
Sources
In order to conduct and complete the research, I will conduct
several interviews of growers, various personnel of the
agriculture department who have direct concern to sustainable
hybrid foods production. Likewise, visit the farms including
productive to farms in charge of where we will get to know that
how they take care of hybrid seeds and plants to have
favourable output. As far as theoretical research and knowledge
are concerned, we will consider various agricultural websites,

14. U.S. department and most important various scholarly articles
through which we can develop interest towards production,
sustainability, and benefits of hybrid foods so that we can
conduct extensive research on this productive and scientific
perspective effectively and efficiently. Likewise, to get
knowledge about hybrid foods we will consider following areas
as well.
· Hybrid Foods
· Hybrid Diet
· Optimum Nutrition
· Food Pyramid
· Nutrition Facts
· Balanced Diet
· Nutritional Science
· Food Labels
· Food and Science
· Cross-Breeding
· Benefits of Hybrid Foods
Above-mentioned are certain areas which would help us in
conducting the research efficiently.
References
John, M. (2016). The Hungry Philosopher. Self-Examined

15. Appetite.
Winckler, S. (1999). A Savage Life. The New York Times.
�Consider these and other relevant concerns in your end
comment:
After reading each proposal, what questions do you still have
about the topic?
-Are hybrid foods considered GMO foods?
What terms need further explication?
-all terms were explained well
What is the research question? Is it clearly stated and
explained?
-the research question is explained well, but I would add more
on how hybrid foods may effect farmers, consumers, etc.
Does the proposal draw on academic sources?
-yes
Does the proposal demonstrate relevant background knowledge

16. on the topic?
-It shows the author has had some background with hybrid
foods, but it is unclear.
After reading the proposal, do you get a good sense of the
direction of the project? Why or why not?
-I get the sense that they know the topic well, but it lacks
direction in terms of answering certain unstated questions that
might help guide the paper more clearly.
What is the writer’s relationship to the topic? Is it clear why he
or she has chosen to study it?
-I am unsure why the topic matters to the author specifically.
They did write why it matters to humanity as a whole, but they
did not elaborate on why it might be important to them.
Which topic proposal appears to have most potential?
-They only provided one topic proposal.
�Give examples of other purposes
�Already have explained this in previous paragraphs

17. �Long run-on sentence.