395A. Solar and Sheep - First generation farmer builds thriving operation

Green Energy Futures

Janna Greir and her partner Ryan always loved the idea of ranching, living in the country, and operating a small farm, but becoming a first-generation farmer is nearly impossible these days. That is until she discovered the combination of sheep and solar. The family had a dozen sheep until she landed a contract with Capital Power to manage the vegetation on their Strathmore Solar Farm. Janna has become something of an expert in vegetation management since then and the land is now much more productive and her flock has grown to more than 1,000 sheep on this one site alone. Her story points to a bright future for farmers who want to improve productivity and the economics of their farms. Janna says there is nothing but potential for the expansion of the idea often referred to as Agrivoltaics. This is part one in our series. GreenEnergyFutures CKUA.com Podcast BLOG at GreenEnergyFutures.ca