Adapting to change blends farming, conservation

I’ve heard conversations about solar energy land use often framed as a choice: Food production or energy production. Agriculture or conservation.

As a farmer, I believe those are the wrong questions.

My husband’s family has farmed in northern Illinois for more than 160 years. Today, alongside traditional farming, we operate Illinois Solar Grazing, the largest solar grazing business in the state. Our flock of more than 600 sheep has grazed over 500 acres across 20 solar sites including in Cook, Grundy, Kane, Kendall and McHenry Counties, providing vegetation management while keeping land in active agricultural production.

Our business demonstrates that with thoughtful design and management, the same acre can produce food, energy, habitat and economic opportunity.

Before our partnership with Pivot Energy, our sheep operation had largely reached its limits and relied heavily on harvested feed. Solar grazing allowed us to transition much of our flock onto pasture, extending our grazing season and creating new opportunities for growth.

These new opportunities are particularly important now, when family farms face increasing economic pressures, land access challenges and uncertainty about the future. For many farmers, dual-use solar creates opportunities to diversify income, expand operations, and remain connected to the land.

After more than 160 years of farming, one thing has remained constant: agriculture is always evolving. The most successful farms adapt to changing conditions while remaining committed to stewardship of the land, and I see solar grazing and agrivoltaics as an essential part of helping us farmers adapt to those changes.

Brooke Watson

DeKalb