Solar Panel Farms and Plant-Based Hot Dogs
Some notes & quotes from recent reads:
Solar Panels Spread Across America's Heartland as Farmers Chase Stable Returns
Quotes:
Woolf, who has 1,200 acres of panels on his farm in the state’s Central Valley, says individual growers like him are turning to solar to survive. He began leasing land to solar developers about a decade ago, an arrangement that provides him with a much-needed new profit stream.
“We would prefer not to have any solar, but if we don’t have it, we won’t have the ability to keep this farm going,” he said.
Farmers are increasingly embracing solar as a buffer against volatile crop prices and rising expenses. Their incomes are heading for a 26% slide this year, the biggest drop since 2006, as cash receipts for corn, soy and sugar cane are expected to drop by double-digit percentages.
The shift is a big part of the renewables push in the US: The American Farmland Trust estimates that 83% of expected future solar development will take place on agricultural soil.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Climate Happenings to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.