Wind energy — along with solar — provides a clean, renewable source of power that helps our society move beyond traditional polluting power sources like gas and oil. And for some farmers, it will also provide a source of revenue.
One such farmer, Pete Ferrell, a fourth-generation cattle rancher in Beaumont, Kansas, spoke to Yale Climate Connections about his decision to allow 50 wind turbines to be built on his family's land.
"And I think most of your [readers] will understand that farming and ranching, it's hard. It's really hard. We have two issues that can make it very difficult for us to make a living: One of them is the markets, and the other is drought," Ferrell explained.
"Having this supplemental income has literally allowed me to have insurance so that I can make my payments even in the face of drought," he continued. "I always say that wind farming is my best cash crop because the wind blows even during a drought."
Ferrell was approached by a company proposing a wind farm on his land in the mid-1990s. Although his initial reaction to the idea was negative, he said, the company then flew him to California to observe the only farm in the United States, at the time, where wind farming coexisted with ranching.
That experience, combined with his knowledge of the harm that dirty energy sources were causing, made him reconsider.
Now, Ferrell said he is proud to host a wind farm on his land — not just for the money it brings in, but for the good it is doing for the world.
"I strongly believe we have to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, and I felt that this was an excellent statement on how we might do that," he said.
While some people believe that wind and solar energy farming will have to compete with agriculture and ranching for space, properties like Ferrell's show this is not necessarily the case.
Increasingly, more renewable energy farms are being designed and built in conjunction with existing farms instead of replacing them. That's good for the farmers, the planet, and everyone.
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