As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research from Michigan State University says the answer could be both.
As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research from Michigan State University says the answer could be both.
Jake Stid, a graduate student in the College of Natural Science Hydrogeology Lab, analyzed remote sensing and aerial imagery to study how fields have been used in California for the last 25 years. Using databases to estimate revenues and costs, Stid found that farmers who used a small percentage of their land for solar arrays were more financially secure per acre than those who didn’t.
His research, now published in Nature Sustainability, could provide a new roadmap to solvency for farmers struggling to pay the bills. Instead of converting entire fields to solar arrays, Stid hopes this research will help more farmers decide to keep producing crops by strategically placing arrays on lower-yield spots in their fields.
Read More: Michigan State University
Photo Credit: Anthony Kendall, James Bingaman and Jake Stid, Michigan State University
