Solar Farming With Sheep

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

Solar energy continues to expand capacity nationwide including on some farmland. But adding solar to farmland doesn’t necessarily mean that the acreage can’t still be productive. Nathan Durfee is a product developer for Adapture Renewables and says depending on the farming system, agrivoltaics can be a viable option.

Durfee… “Some areas it could be that we want to do crops, some areas that want to do grazing or let it fallow into a pollinator garden area. But each part of the country has its own pros and cons that you've really got away. So if you're like a rancher, then you can continue ranching on the land and we both get win from that given that we don't have for fuel and mowing throughout the summer. And then the rancher also gives the opportunity to let the sheep graze.”

Durfee said especially in the case of ranching, it can be a win-win for both sides. But sheep tend to fit the system best.

Durfee… “Unfortunately, cows are just too big and, rub up on things and then cause damage. I know goats have been looked at before in the past as well but they hop up on the panels and start messing with things. So sheep has really been the kind of happy middle ground.”

That’s Nathan Durfee of Adapture Renewables.