Sheep Industry News May 2023

SOLAR GRAZING Continued from Page 20

cal distance to a site,” Barter said. “If you’ve got 50 sheep and you’re go ing to travel two hours to a site, I can tell you right now that isn’t going to pencil out. But if you’ve got a site within a few miles of home and that allows you to expand your flock a bit, that absolutely could work.” Barter also strongly encourages producers to ask for multi-year con tracts on any site they agree to graze. Unfortunately, the solar compa nies tend to gravitate toward one-year deals. This is especially true for anyone without a track record of grazing on such sites. “I wouldn’t sign a contract that’s any less than three years at this point,” Barter said. “Actual revenues from solar grazing are a moving target. People ask me all the time how much these solar companies are paying, and the answer is they’ll pay as little as possible. You have to negotiate with them. Get all of the information up front. Get it all in writing and don’t sign anything without knowing what you’re signing.” Considerations during those negotiations should include expenses such as mowing of ungrazed areas – which is often part of the grazer’s contract – and liability insurance. “You have to have the equipment to mow – or a plan in place to deal with those areas – because the contracts require it,” Hain said. “The panels can’t be shaded. I know some producers who have brought in a landscaping company to handle that portion, but generally it’s going to be on you to arrange and pay for that.” Usually, solar grazing will require assistance, especially if you anticipate adding solar to your current operation. Whether it’s family members or paid staff, you’ll need someone to check on the sheep daily. Depending on the size of the site, that might require moving temporary fencing. “The average size of sites that are being planned, permitted and eventually built is growing exponentially,” Barter said. “There are a lot of utility-scale solar sites proposed and planned in the next five years.” While sheep are still the best option for vegetation management, large sites can pose a problem for parts of the country where producers

tend to run smaller flocks. Taking on such a site might mean expand ing your flock or partnering with other producers to effectively graze the available land. But keep in mind that solar grazing isn’t a year round proposition in many parts of the country, so you’ll need a place for those sheep to call home when they aren’t on the solar company’s payroll. CERTIFICATION ASGA is in the process of developing a national certification pro gram that will help prepare producers to get their start in this growing industry. In addition, certification might help producers new to the industry show solar companies that they’re prepared for the job. “There’s certainly a learning curve in grazing sheep,” Barter said. “The management is an ongoing, potential nightmare that can be stressful at times.” Of course, that could be said about any livestock endeavor. For more information, email grazing@lightsourcebp.com or info@ solargrazing.org.

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