1. Spriggs uses her cited information and her personal experience to invite readers to care about this topic. The personal stories about her childhood experiences with a local farmer show us how different farming has become over time. The author states many reasons buying local would be good for our local areas, and how the opposite is negatively impacting our world through adverse environmental affects.
2. Some of the other positions Spriggs mentions are that buying locally would be bad for national economy, bad for the environment, and it is more logical to buy food from where it grows best in the world. The author states that yes, trying to grow every type of fruit and vegetable everywhere is never going to happen, and suggests that buying locally isn't about buying everything you eat locally, just as much as you can. Spriggs explains that the idea of small farms being less resource efficient is a misconception around how you measure efficiency. The counterargument to small farms impacting national economy is that small farms would also be impacting local economy. The author admits that this specific subject is debatable, and cites a few opinions on it from reputable sources such as a professor of environmental economy.
3. A section of the essay I found particularly effective would be the section where she states that the author spent, "every summer on a 150-acre farm in rural Wisconsin." This personal experience gives the author a sense of authority over the topic. The way she describes the farmer she knew as a little girl makes the reader feel as though they also know him, and sympathize with his concerns for his local farm.
4. The photos are mostly helpful to her, as they illustrate a part of a system she describes. The figures depicting a monoculture and polyculutre farm I found particularlly helpful to see what the author is talking about when contrasting these two farming systems. Each photo has a good caption underneath that connects it to her essay.
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