REAP WHAT YOU SOW

WIND AND AGRICULTURE FARMING ARE GOOD FOR CROPS, FARMERS, AND BEYOND

- DAMIEN MARTIN

Farmers see up close the effects of climate change every day as droughts and flooding make their livelihoods more precarious and growing seasons shift. A lot of them are doing what they can to both shore up their own positions and aid in the clean energy revolution by installing wind turbines on their farms. Turbines take up only about a half-acre each, and in contrast to the amount of space solar panels take up, farmers can keep growing crops right up to the base of turbines. As Nebraska corn and soybean farmer Mike Zakrzewski told the World Resources Institute, wind and agriculture on his land “was a win-win as far as I was concerned.” Here’s why.

RICH IN RESOURCES 

You might not be surprised to learn that some of the most productive agricultural land in the U.S. is also where the wind is. The areas in the Plains States and Midwest where most crops are grown are also where average wind speeds tend to be highest. There aren’t many highrise cities blocking wind, for one thing, but the lack of populous cities has a lot to do with the geography of the places. Sometimes the wind can be too powerful, as the Tornado Alley moniker indicates, but it can also be a tremendous resource. Harvesting wind and agriculture on the same land can help farmers with extra income in case crops fail, providing a reliable source in unpredictable times.