Illinois Farmer Today | Terry Rasmussen, May 5
Whether you’re an individual or a business, you need to constantly evolve.
That’s no different for farmers and agricultural workers. I come from a line of soybean and corn farmers — back to my great-grandfather — and my family has seen times change drastically over the decades as it has gradually become more difficult to turn a profit on our family farm. Growing up in Illinois, a yield of 100 bushels per acre was enough to get by, but now many more bushels are needed to breakeven. Through no fault of our own, the price of inputs like seed and fertilizer have increased tremendously, but corn prices have fallen.
It’s painfully obvious we as farmers must adapt to preserve family farms like mine, Jubilee Creek Farm in Princeville, Illinois.
In the spirit of survival, the next evolution of my business will center not solely on crops, but also a close and mutually beneficial relationship with solar panel fields. Last year, I became a certified solar grazier with the American Solar Grazing Association — an organization that promotes the practice of “solar grazing” in which farmers lease livestock to local solar installations to manage vegetation underneath the panels. It provides livestock with space to roam, food to eat, and shady places to rest while also naturally fertilizing the soil and ensuring vegetation doesn’t block sunlight from reaching the panels.
I don’t blame my fellow farmers who are skeptical. I’ve heard all the concerns that solar is taking prime farmland, and I, too, was unsure until I looked into the details. But the more I researched, the more I realized solar can work with us in harmony. It’s beneficial, not detrimental, to rural communities thanks to grazing and other dual-use practices like agrivoltaics.
Solar grazing is a win-win for farmers, livestock, soil diversity, and the environment — and it’s not an exaggeration to say it is saving long-running family farms like Jubilee Creek. This time next year, I plan to have our sheep flock rented to a large-scale solar farm. Grazing will provide the necessary income to keep the farm in my family and pass it down to my children and grandchildren.
Illinois is a unique state for farmers interested in grazing. We have plenty of farmland and a state government that is very supportive of solar development. Legislation like the recent Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act will help build more solar, which means more opportunities for farmers to get involved in grazing. Bills like CRGA are lifelines for farmers who might be struggling to evolve.
Solar is not a threat to rural communities. It’s an asset. It’s creating opportunities for family farms where before there were serious doubts. And for me and my family, it’s the future.
Terry Rasmussen is the owner of Jubilee Creek Farm in Princeville, Illinois.
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