Midwest Farmers Turn Solar Sites into Climate-Resilient Croplands with Agrivoltaics

Farmers and solar developers find unexpected wins in agrivoltaics

Across the U.S. Midwest, farmers and solar companies are piloting agrivoltaics — the practice of growing crops beneath utility‑scale solar panels — and discovering benefits that go beyond electricity generation. Producers report that panel shade can protect vulnerable crops from summer heat, reduce water stress, diversify farm income, and expand access to land for emerging growers.

Practical results on working farms

In Kearney, Missouri, grower Linda Hezel raises herbs, vegetables and other produce under a ground‑mounted array of 18 panels mounted roughly eight feet above the ground. Hezel, who experienced crop failures during the severe 2012 drought, has found that the array shields plants from heatwaves and has improved harvest health. She sells much of her produce to Kansas City restaurants seeking local farm‑to‑table supplies.

Partnerships that reduce costs and open land

Across several projects, solar operators are allowing farmers to cultivate plots on company land in exchange for vegetation management and informal site monitoring. That arrangement can save developers maintenance costs while giving growers rent‑free access to land. KaZoua Berry, farm director at Minnesota nonprofit The Food Group, leads trainees who now farm between panel rows at a US Solar pilot site. The program provides hands‑on training and a pathway to scale for first‑generation and small‑scale farmers.

Biodiversity and multiple land uses

Operators such as US Solar are also planting native flowers and grasses beneath panels to attract pollinators, and allowing controlled sheep grazing on some plots to manage vegetation. These practices boost biodiversity, reduce mowing needs, and keep land productively used.

Voices from the field

US Solar now hosts five growers at a single site. Peter Schmitt, the companys director of project management, says agrivoltaics could ease rural concerns that solar farms will displace productive farmland. Stacie Peterson, executive director of the American Solar Grazing Association, notes that solar grazing and integrated land uses are becoming more common as farmers look for income streams without buying large acreages. Berry and her trainees report better crop performance in the shade and renewed optimism about scaling their operations. “OK, we’re going somewhere with this,” she said to KBIA.

Why this matters

Agrivoltaics shows potential to address two pressing needs at once: expanding renewable energy while preserving productive, climate‑resilient farmland and opening new opportunities for farmers who lack affordable land access. Continued pilot projects and research will be important to establish best practices, assess crop‑specific outcomes, and measure long‑term economic and ecological impacts.

Bottom line: Early Midwestern pilots suggest agrivoltaics can improve crop resilience, diversify farm incomes, reduce maintenance costs for solar operators, and support pollinators and grazing — a promising model for multiuse rural landscapes.

Source: reporting by KBIA; programs referenced include The Food Group and US Solar.