The topic of solar farms has caused a lot of vocalized opinions at meetings and there is certainly nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to know what the public thinks, look at where the consumer spends their money.
Years ago we saw signs in the county that read “NO MEGA DAIRIES” and “NO FACTORY FARMS.” Today that’s where we spend our money. Whether it’s the Great Value label milk at Walmart (all from very large dairies) or the meat we purchase from Smithfield, Tyson, or Cooper Farms, it’s all mega farms. There is no emotion wasted on small farms when a lower price is involved.
People complain about China having their hands in our markets, yet if you buy pork products, there is a good chance it was processed at Smithfield Foods, the largest pork processor in the U.S. and a Chinese-owned company.
Amazon and Walmart also sell a very high percentage of products made in China, and who doesn’t shop there? Opinion polls don’t always reflect what the people truly want. The consumer’s pocketbook has always dictated change even when they said they didn’t want it.
There is also concern that we are giving up too much of our farm ground to solar, yet no one has complained about the 40% of our corn crop that goes into their gas tanks in the form of ethanol, a very inefficient way to produce energy. The trend line yields in the last 30 years for both corn and soybeans have increased more than the U.S. population growth while Brazil has overtaken us in the export market. We are not running out of food!
Solar offers an opportunity for consumers, taxpayers, land owners, and the land itself. The consumer has a growing need for electricity while the methods of producing it are being limited. After the recent property tax mailings, it’s obvious Wells County could use the increased investment that solar brings.
Land owners would benefit from the ability to use their land to produce a product in high demand, more so than corn or beans. And here is probably the most important aspect of this, the land benefits from being given a rest, much like the Conservation Reserve Program. It has a permanent cover crop. no fertilizer or chemicals, no heavy machinery, an uninhibited growth of soil microorganisms, earthworms and pollinator friendly insects, and above all no housing developments.
When the solar life is over it will once again produce that crops it is known for, but in better condition for our grandchildren than it is today.
When you take a position on a matter, that decision should be based on fact, not emotion. Referring to a useless barn in the middle of a bean field as “Special” is certainly not being dedicated to the facts.
The land owners rights and the pocketbooks of the consumer should not be ignored because of baseless emotion. BUILD SOLAR.
PAUL MILLS
Bluffton
