Farmer Experience Growing Vegetables Under and in between Solar Arrays
Gina Thurn, Co-owner and operator of Our Kids Farm, will share her experience in growing vegetable crops under the array, in the inter-row spacing, and on the fence line of the array. She will also talk about how they countered arguments to deny permits to build arrays because people said it “took valuable farmland out of production”. She will share how this has not been the case on their farm and how dual-use solar is one tool that can be utilized to keep farms sustainable. Gina and her husband, Loren, own and operate Our Kids Farm near Exeter, RI. Our Kids Farm is a 5-acre farm consisting of seven greenhouses and outdoor growing areas. They grow vegetable transplants and fresh produce for wholesale and retail sales. They also sell homemade pickles, jams, cheese, and eggs at the farm. Through innovation and challenging themselves, the couple built up their business. In 2019 they installed a 0.15-acre solar array on their farm. What makes them unique is they grow vegetables underneath and around the array.
There is no cost to attend this webinar