Solar Grazing & Agrovoltaics: Growing Power While Growing Food

In this episode, Rebekah Pierce, author of Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food, joins Carolyn Nation to share her hands-on experience with agrovoltaics—the practice of grazing livestock under solar panels. Rebekah currently manages seven solar grazing sites across four counties in upstate New York, transforming underutilized land into productive agricultural systems while providing vegetation management for solar companies.

The conversation explores how solar grazing works in practice, how farmers can find and secure contracts, and why sheep have become the go-to species for these systems. Rebekah also addresses common concerns around farmland loss, food safety, and soil health, offering a grounded, farmer-first perspective on integrating renewable energy with agriculture.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

1. Getting Started with Solar Grazing
   Rebekah explains how she landed her first solar grazing contract in 2022 and how farmer-to-farmer connections opened the door to rapid growth.

2. Finding Opportunities in the Solar Industry
   Solar grazing requires “detective work”—from tracking construction projects and attending town board meetings to navigating the divide between solar builders and maintenance companies.

3. Land Use, Soil Health, and Public Concerns
   Many solar sites are built on non-prime or previously degraded land. Through managed rotational grazing, these areas can improve significantly while remaining in agriculture for 20–40 years.

4. Livestock Compatibility with Solar Sites
   Sheep are the most practical option today, but Rebekah discusses emerging possibilities for cattle, poultry, and other livestock as panel designs evolve.

5. Farming Under the Panels
   Beyond grazing, farmers are growing vegetables, hay, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, and even cranberries under and around solar arrays as equipment and layouts adapt.

6. Economics Without Subsidies
   Payments for vegetation management come directly from solar companies, providing steady income that has been transformative for Rebekah’s first-generation farm.

7. Safety, Food Quality, and Environmental Reality
   Rebekah addresses concerns about contamination, panel materials, and food safety, pointing to research showing no issues with meat from solar-grazed sites.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

1. Start tracking local solar projects by attending town meetings and monitoring planning notices.

2. Build relationships with solar developers, operations companies, and cooperatives like United Agrovoltaics.

3. Consider sheep as a low-barrier entry point for solar grazing systems.

4. Use intensive rotational grazing to improve soil health while meeting vegetation management requirements.

5. Stay persistent—solar grazing contracts often require repeated follow-ups and long timelines.

📌 Resources & Links:

• Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food by Rebekah Pierce

• United Agrovoltaics Cooperative

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