Economically stressed farmers are finding relief in an unexpected sector, according to Reuters.
As prices for their standard crops have tumbled, farmers have taken their sheep herds to nearby solar energy plants to earn their keep. Sheep grazing has proven to be a valuable service for solar panel array owners looking to keep vegetation low.
Farmer Chad Raines didn't plant any cotton this season for the first time in four generations of family farming. Doing so would have put his farm in a deep deficit.
"Cotton prices have been terrible for so long, I had to do something different," he told Reuters.
Between the fees he's collected for bringing his sheep to solar farms and selling others to restaurants for meat, Raines has been able to keep his head above water.
Solar power offers plenty of opportunities for farmers in similar joint agrivoltaic arrangements. Solar panels provide needed shade for coffee plants, for example.
The energy generated by such solar arrays can help farmers reduce their electricity costs while also contributing energy to the grid.
Increasing renewable energy supply is vital to displacing dirty energy sources like coal and gas.
Burning fuel generates pollution, which exacerbates destructive weather patterns like droughts and floods. The resulting poor growing conditions are bad news for crops and ultimately mean higher prices at the grocery stores for all consumers.
In addition to benefits for farmers, sheep-grazing agrivoltaic arrangements are also beneficial for solar power plant owners, provided they have made up-front investments in gates and local water supplies for sheep.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
|
Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Save $1,000 this year 💸 "The economics work, when you're not trucking a flock of sheep across the country or hauling in trucks of water," said Reagan Farr, CEO of solar firm Silicon Ranch.
"It's much easier and less costly to pay our shepherds a living wage, than it is to hire someone to sit on a lawnmower for 10 hours a day, day in and day out."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
