Cultivating the coexistence of agriculture and solar farms

By now, most Americans have heard of solar farms. But how about solar farmers? A quarter of California farms, nearly 2,000 altogether, are generating onsite solar energy, making it far and away the national leader, according to a 2011 report (PDF) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlining the use of solar on farms. Hawaii, Colorado and Texas count over 500 farms producing solar power, while Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona and Montana have over 200 each. But how farmers are solarizing that land has become a point of contention. While some have chosen to install solar panels, pumps, coolers, heaters and more to decarbonize their farm operations and downsize costs, others — sometimes controversially — have stopped planting crops altogether in favor of solar farms. "The prevailing reasons farmers decide to replace crops with solar are because the farmers are getting older or because it’s easier and more lucrative," said Weinmann. "They’re principally motivated by risk aversion, and less inclined to want exposure to the volatility that might come with a more traditional crop. Risk is a significant part of the calculus in their decisions, at least in the cases I am aware of."