Solar Grazing
“By introducing this type of agricultural ideas, we’re able to unlock a whole new world of possibilities. There’s an incredible potential to have a real enormous positive impact on soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.” American Solar Grazing Association
Soil is alive. Soil is a living thing.
Solar grazing is spreading rapidly across the U.S., covering an astounding 130,000 acres of solar sites while creating new opportunities for family farms. This ingenious practice combines agricultural production with solar energy in an elegant new model, using the same land to produce food and energy. By raising sheep and lambs on solar sites, farmers are not only keeping their family farms in agriculture but building thriving businesses and bringing a new generation into farming. American Solar Grazing Association
Pastures and Panels: The Power of Solar Grazing
Featured Publications
Guide to Developing a Flock Health Management Plan for a Solar Grazing System
From the Publication: This guide outlines flock health fundamentals and best practices for a solar grazier to consider when developing their flock health management plan with a veterinarian. These best practices are framed as statements of good management and are intended as guidance, not requirements.. Download Flock Heath Management Plan for a Solar Grazing System from the American Solar Grazing website.
Parasite Management in Solar Grazing Systems
From the Publication: Effective parasite control is essential in solar grazing due to the high risk of health impacts, productivity losses, and negative publicity. Download this publication from the American Solar Grazing website.
Featured Producer Stories
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From the Publication: While some frame the use of farmland for solar production as an either/or situation, new research in agrivoltaics – or the colocation of solar arrays with agricultural pursuits, including farming and livestock grazing – shows the two may actually provide a “yes, and” opportunity. In fact, some of the latest studies suggest that these hybrid solar-agricultural projects can not just help further the adoption of renewable energy but also offer unexpected benefits to food and crop producers. Download the publication from the American Society of Civil Engineers
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From the Publication: low intensity grazing can provide a cost-effective way of managing grassland in solar farms while increasing its conservation value, as long as some structural diversity is maintained. Download the publication from the American Solar Grazing Association
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From the Website: Water access represents one of the most significant operational challenges for solar grazing enterprises. Sheep need 1-3 gallons of water per day, depending on age, stage of lactation, and the water content of available forage. Inadequate water access is an animal welfare issue, directly impacting sheep health, breeding success, and lamb survival rates. Download the publication from the American Solar Grazing Association.
Additional Grazing Publications
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From NPR Illinois: Agrivoltaics could reassure rural communities and local regulators that renewables and farms can coexist, said Paul Mwebaze, an economist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Read the story.
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From Michigan State University: Farmers who raise sheep and cattle and local planning and zoning board members are invited to learn about solar grazing opportunities. Read the story.
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From Canary Media: The agrivoltaics practice of raising sheep under solar panels is a win-win for Illinois farmers — but first the market for lamb meat needs to grow. Read the story.
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From FarmWeekNow.com “Agrivoltaics offers a way to move past that either-or choice, by making it possible to harvest the sun twice, for food and for energy. But the science was untested. Could crops thrive under solar panels? Could developers make it economically viable? Those were the questions that brought us here.” Read the story.
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From In Focus: From cooler soil to paid grazing land, farmers in the US are finding that solar panels can do more than generate power. Read the story.
Recent News Stories on Solar
Featured Website
American Solar Grazing Association
From the Website: ASGA is a community of over 1,400 farmers, solar developers, and innovators who are shaping the future of solar energy and farming.
Rick Adams isn’t afraid of change and is a pioneer in challenging “what is” for the potential of “what could be.”