Stories - Farm-To-Power

Your voices. Your stories.

“{Wind turbines} allowed us to continue to farm the land we love in a way that multiple generations have.”

“One of our favorite things to do is sit out on the porch and hear the wind turbines.”

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There are two things our world is going to continually need: food and power. Being a third-generation farmer and rancher, I have an appreciation for the land and its capabilities to provide as well as an understanding of a farmer/rancher’s obligation to produce quality crops/products for our communities near and far.

On other hand, I have been fortunate enough to work within the Renewable industry for the past 10 years. Through those years I have recognized both the importance and demand there is for energy now and in the future. Unique circumstances have brought two of my passions together to create efficiency of the land through Agrivoltaics/Agri-PV.

Our experience and research, combined with studies by others, would suggest that we may be able to increase our agriculture production by creating microclimates for our grass species and provide shade to get better health and production from cattle! We are confident that solar and farming/ranching can successfully coexist.

Brent Huwa

Keenesburg, Colorado

In your own words.

In your communities.

Ohio

“I’m the fifth of eight generations of family farmers in Union County, Ohio and do not want to have to sell my land in order to pay off accumulating medical expenses. I’m retired from farming, and have been considering leasing my land for solar prior to being confronted about it. Fossil fuels will run out and we need to update our energy sources, and I want to help contribute to this problem for current and future generations.”

Charles Warner

Richwood, OH

“I’m a lifelong farmer here in Richwood who’s retired and believes in the importance of using my land as an investment. I purchased land and want to develop solar as a retirement plan, to keep up with personal and medical expenses, and to not have to sell my land and my house… You can’t re-farm land that has had a bunch of housing developed on it, but you can re-farm land that have only had solar resting on it.”

Bruce Beery

Richwood, OH

“I started farming in my 20’s with my husband after moving to our family farm. We also owned and operated a local feed mill, which kept us well connected with the local agricultural community. I believe that farmers are becoming more open to renewable energies, and should be, as they become more affected by climate change. These renewables will play an important part in how modern farmers manage their costs, something that is a constant concern for them.”

Amy Grove

Stockport, OH

“While fossil fuels are good, they will eventually run out, and we need to be ready to rely on other sources of energy like wind and solar. Regarding farmers rights, it’s not only important for them to have ownership over what they do with their land, it’s also important for them to be able to contribute to diversifying our energy sources using these renewables.”

Ruby Deyoung

Chesapeake, OH

Wisconsin

“I think renewables need to be developed and pursued if we have it available in order to be responsible for our natural resources. One thing I would like to see, with solar panels specifically, is to also utilize the space beneath them for growing crops or grazing cattle.”

Robin Schmahl

Century Farms, Elkhart Lake, WI

“I have a background as an electrical engineer and I am interested in installing solar on my property to connect to the power grid. My goal is to give energy back to the community and keep the power local.”

Tony Ley

Dodgeville, WI

“I installed wind turbines on my property with Butler Ridge Wind Farm and I had a wonderful experience with the company during the entire process. The manager went out of his way to make it an incredible experience. If any dirt or debris was kicked up onto the roads during the installation, he had water trucks to immediately eliminate any issues. I would work with them again.”

Mark Pribbanow

Iron Ridge, WI

“I was approached in 2008 to install wind turbines on my farmland because of the significant wind we receive there in Lafayette County. I am very supportive of wind and expanding transmission lines because of how much energy you can generate with very little land use; it takes only a 1/2 acre of my land to produce 2 megawatts of electricity. I had a very positive experience with the company I worked with, as they were very communicative with me. I personally would install more wind turbines on my property if I could.”

Donald Feldmann

Feldmann Farms, Darlington, WI

“I am very supportive of transitioning to renewable energy sources. We have a wind turbine on our property, and it has worked out quite well. I believe that it is important to expand our energy transmission infrastructure because it is necessary for expanding wind power. We need to transition away from fossil fuels, so we should do it in a natural way by using Earth’s resources.”

David Giese

Brownsville, WI

Kansas

“I definitely support renewable energy, and I see a lot of economic potential with these wind farms. We are farmers, and we’ve been trying to build a wind farm in our area for almost a year. We live in the low-income part of my county, and there hasn’t been a new house in my community in 30 years. If you don’t start looking into the future, what are we leaving for our kids?”

Joyce Rock

Hope, KS

“I have two wind turbines on my property in Marshall County as part of the Irish Creek Wind Farm. I’ve had them on my property for two years, and I’m especially supportive of wind. My cows are out in the pasture and they couldn’t care less. On a hot sunny day, they’ll sit in the shade and move with it. The turbines are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m not anti-gas, nuclear, and coal, but the more energy sources you feed into the grid, the more reliable it is.”

Daniel Howell

Frankfort, KS

Indiana

“We could’ve used something like Farm-to-Power two years ago. We could’ve been educating our commissioners before all these lies took hold. Now we’re having to work backwards to undo what’s been done. We’re glad you’re here now to help us. I share every post you guys make, and I’m not the only one doing that.”

Douglas Carey

Rockport, IN

“I was pursuing wind power when neighbors forced their opinions to our county leaders on what we could and could not do on our own property. I now have solar power on part of my farm and am very happy with my experience.”

Elaine Surface-Russell

Lewisville, IN

“We make our living from the farm and operate our farm with business-minded individuals. So, for our family, it was a great opportunity when representatives from Ranger Power approached us with a lease option for several large parcels of land they were interested in for a solar facility. The lease agreement allows us to diversify our operations while maintaining ownership and allowing our family legacy to continue for future generations.”

Mike Smith

Shelbyville, IN

Colorado

“Haying 24 acres doesn’t pay the bills let alone provide sufficient income for a family – so, in 2017, our family began investigating an alternative pathway to producing revenue on our land – building a solar array… The electricity sales are far higher than what hay ever made for us, and because we designed the system for agrivoltaics, we keep the land under our solar panels in agricultural production. Shade from the panels keeps moisture in the ground longer and reduces the large swings in daily temperatures, both being extremely helpful in a semi-arid or arid climate like the Front Range of Colorado.”

Byron Kominek

Longmont, CO

“The process was very simple, and the company was very fair in every single aspect of the process. The transmission lines are easy to farm around and do not interfere with our Agricultural Production whatsoever. The people involved made sure the environmental impact to the land was minimal, and the great care and respect was amazing. More electrical infrastructure is needed to ensure we stay competitive with our global economy. To be able to be a part of ensuring the electrical future not only of the Western Region but for all of the United States is very rewarding.”

Nathan Troudt

Wiggins, CO

“We have wind turbines on our ranch, and we’ve had a good experience. We had a horrendous blizzard way back, and [the developer] brought bull dozers in and helped cleared the snow. A neighbor a while back had a fire on their property, and one of the employees of the wind farm called it in.”

Jamie McEndree

Springfield, Colorado

“We have wind turbines on our property, and they’ve benefited us. As far as solar, it works so well with cattle. The solar pumps are wonderful. Even on a cloudy day, they’ll pump more water than a windmill will pump.”

David Klinginsmith

Grover, CO

“I am Chiricahua Apache, and my name is Blue Horse. I believe renewable energy is going to be the engine of our survival. I used to farm, and now I’m starting to get back into building greenhouses to help feed the homeless and the poor. We have a water problem in Colorado, so this is a way to help combat that. It’s not about working hard, it’s about working smart. My greenhouses will have solar installed on them. I really believe in renewable energy. I believe we all need each other right now.”

Pedro Soliz

Loveland, CO

Michigan

“Growing Up amidst Europe’s majestic landscapes, I witnessed the undeniable power and beauty of wind energy in rural farming areas…My Grandmother grew up on a North Carolina farm…I stand fiercely with farmers like my Grandmother who today, choose to harness the elements, whether it’s wind, sun or any other renewable resource. Keeping small farmers thriving is a fight worth taking on as they are the backbone of our food system.”

Toni DeVol

Grand Rapids, MI

“On my farm in Alma, Michigan, I manage 500 acres of my own and farm a total of 1,000 acres. We grow cash crops like corn and soybeans. Wind turbines have been a game-changer for us in Gratiot County. The economic boost has saved our county government and helps them function thanks to the land leasing. As a member of the Alma school board, I see firsthand how this money supports our local government and public schools… I get really frustrated with all the misinformation about renewable energy. It’s important for people to have the right facts. I want to be a good neighbor and prioritize the community, and this is part of that.”

Art McClintic

Alma, MI

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I grew up farming near Hillsboro, OH and left to go to school and become a national park ranger. I met my husband while working at Yellowstone national park and we moved back to Ohio to get back into agriculture, and we fell in love with farming sheep. This led us to starting our solar grazing company and working in the renewable energy space. This is a perfect blend of agriculture and renewable energy, and addresses many of the concerns that people have with big solar projects by allowing the land to still be farmed.

Amanda Wilson

Ohio Solar Grazing, Hillsboro, Ohio

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Voicing your support.

Fief Family Farms

We had been interested in grazing our sheep in a solar array for a while when United Agrivoltaics contacted us about a project 3 miles down the road from our farm. We get paid to graze and don’t have to worry about any of the maintenance work or costs. We are really impressed with the operation, we are not grazing any differently than we would be on our own property. When you can combine solar and grazing it just makes sense- it’s good for the environment and energy production and it can create an additional income for the farmer.

Babette Fief, La Junta, CO

Heather Secrist

“Having solar on my property was a dream of mine; our farm has clean air, clean water, clean food, and clean energy is the icing on the cake. The Rural Commerce grant helped us save 25% in installations, and MinnSolar was a fabulous help in that. We have designed our farm to be net zero in energy usage.”

Heather Secrist, Suncrest Garden Farms, Cochrane, WI

Geronimo Oplinger

I am an old man, I believe in science, and I follow the facts. Renewable energy makes sense, and is the right path to help clean up the planet. That is why its important to have organizations like Farm-to-Power.

Geronimo Oplinger, Laotto, IN

Beverly Johnson, Longmont, CO

I have a well on my farm, and I am very fortunate to have a water source on my property. I am currently looking to convert that pump to solar to have it run with renewable energy and save money. We have the power from the sun, so we should use it.

Beverly Johnson, Longmont, CO

Ashley Beery

“Leasing my land for the Richwood Solar farm was the only option that we saw for maintaining it. Both my mother and myself have serious medical complications, and my father is in a nursing home. We have been struggling financially and had to sell my father’s home in the past. We did not want to lose our land, and with me being an only child, solar farming provided the best solution to our problems.”

Ashley Beery

Richwood, OH

Michael Anderson, Colorado

As a master electrician, I have a good understanding of electrical efficiency. I have looked into doing some solar energy while continuing my faming practices. I have a well on my property, and I see a lot of potential with having solar energy on my farm.

Michael Anderson, Colorado

Anna Clare Monlezun & Giovanni Taormina

We love living off grid, reliant on solar and wind power, we feel its gratifying to be living off of clean energy and to know our day-to-day activities are not contributing to fossil fuel extraction…. We graze our sheep, cattle, poultry, and horses around our solar array. and it’s integrated into the pastures. It doesn’t interfere with the grazing management, and we can still operate and rotationally graze as usual.

Anna Clare Monlezun & Giovanni Taormina, Guffey, CO

Howard DeForest

It [Renewable energy] is one of the many ways to make our electric infrastructure more efficient and creates jobs to maintain and sustain our growing use of energy

Howard DeForest, Michigan

Steve Gwinnup, Falmouth, IN

I had a signed lease wind a wind farm, as did many of my neighbors. The County Commissioners, who had invited the wind farm to the county, reversed their intentions of commissioning the project because of local opposition and pulled the plug. Later I signed a lease with a solar company, but it was stopped because a neighbor would not let us cross their property to gain a connection to the grid. So much for my property rights in my home community. I have since sold my farm and purchased a ranch in Tennessee.

Steve Gwinnup, Falmouth, IN

Jamie Newkirk

As property owner of {a} family farm, I feel we should have the right to decide if one form of renewable energy is right for us, not the local decision makers.

Jamie Newkirk, Falmouth, IN

Nathan Weathers

I am interested in putting solar panels on my land and where my cattle graze. Why not make money on a shade structure? If we can create another income stream, lower costs, and still graze cattle, its a win-win.

Nathan Weathers, Yuma, CO

Tinu Daboiku

I don’t have a lot of experience with farming in the conventional sense, but I do have a passion for working with and for the Earth towards self-sufficiency. My composting business helps support the sustainable lifecycle that I want to live, and I would love to get to a point where I can utilize renewable energy sources on my farm and property so that I don’t have to pay for a resource that can and should be free.

Tinu Daboiku, Dayton, OH

Tammy Thompson

“I have two wind turbines on my farm, and we receive payment for the lease on them. They financially help support my farm.”

Tammy Thompson, Agenda, KS

Sam Roberts

I am a BIG advocate for renewable energy due to seeing some of the devastation from fossil fuel and non renewable energies in my town and towns like mines. I would love to see communities like my own to thrive more economically as a result of using renewable energy that also combats the devastation from non renewable fossil fuel.

Sam Roberts, Columbus, OH

Kat Urquhart

It’s important for farmers and ranchers to join up with renewable energy. It would be a beneficial to both parties. Agriculture these days is hard enough, leasing a portion of land for a lease would make the hard times a little easier.