Farmer Experience Grazing Livestock in Solar Projects
Hear from three different farmer experiences:
Brooke and Chauncey Watson, Co-founder and Vice President of Business Development for Illinois Solar Grazing & Watson Farms
In 2024, Watson Farms became one of the first solar graziers in the state with "hooves on the ground" actively maintaining vegetation on solar sites through grazing with sheep. Brooke will share their experience grazing sheep in solar sites. The Watson family are experienced sheep producers in northern Illinois with a flock of 400 ewes and counting. Using their expertise in livestock as well as commercial mowing, Watson Farms offers vegetation management services for solar sites throughout Illinois through their service company, Illinois Solar Grazing. Brooke manages inquiries, contracts, and scheduling. Brooke’s husband Chauncey serves as Vice President of Operations and oversees sheep production and deployment, as well as mowing and spraying operations. They are members of the American Solar Grazing Association.
Paul Knowlton, Owner and operator, Knowlton Farms
Paul Knowlton, owner and operator of Knowlton Farms in Grafton, MA, is preserving his family’s 150-year farming tradition. In a collaborative solar project, the Knowltons have brought crops and cattle back to the farm. In 2017, an innovative 2 MW AC community solar project with 1.4 MW AC of battery energy storage capacity was built on the farm. The elevated solar panels and spaced rows allow for machinery, grazing, and crop science, enabling the family to return to full-time farming after a long hiatus. Paul will share his thoughts on how agrisolar has allowed his farm to remain a viable family business. Paul is a farmer and owner of Knowlton Farms near Grafton, MA. For more than 150 years, Knowlton Farms has been a family-owned operation. Ensuring the viability of the farmland for the next generation has been a priority for Paul, who has been working with consistent dedication to ensure the farm remains true to family tradition.
Angie Burke, Director of Operations & Maintenance, Pivot Energy
Angie Burke is blazing the trail to a brighter, cleaner and more abundant future with prodigious prowess. Under her leadership, Pivot brought in more agrivoltaics projects last year than any other company—with over 30 sites in 2023 alone. There are thousands of sheep and dozens of new solar farmers digging into new opportunities under solar panels because of Angie and Pivot’s commitment to building a 100% agrivoltaics portfolio, which is becoming a reality faster than anyone might have believed possible. She will share her thoughts on solar grazing from a solar developer perspective. Angie is the director of Operations & Management at Pivot Energy. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan.
There is no cost to attend this webinar