Russ Schiermeier on installing solar for a more efficient farm in Bruneau, Idaho: Season 4, Ep. 9

The Land I Trust

Russell Schiermeier runs an 800-acre farm in Bruneau, Idaho. Like much of Idaho, Russ’s farm is in a very arid climate, so irrigation is a must. As a result, Russ says Idaho farmers “live or die by our power costs." To address that, Russ installed solar in the pivot corners of his fields to pump water at lower cost than the grid. Russ is now active in building awareness among other farmers of the benefits of installing solar. Russ doesn’t push solar for altruistic reasons, he advocates for farmers’ best interests. He speaks to how solar can increase the value of farmland, boost the competitiveness of Idaho agriculture, and improve the economic resiliency of farming. Now, Russ has the largest solar farm in Idaho Power’s net metering program.