The Solar Land Rush—A farmer’s perspective with Judy Gifford
Over the past 50 years, the pursuit of renewable energy has been driven by advocates who see large solar arrays as a crucial step toward reducing dependence on fossil fuels..
Critics, however, argue that the land available for solar arrays is limited, and the large-scale expansion of solar farms could compete with agricultural use, potentially reducing the amount of land available for crops and livestock. This concern is especially pressing for small farms, which may struggle to retain their land amid increasing demand for solar installations.
Judy Gifford, a small farm owner near Kennedyville has been watching the proliferation of solar on the Eastern Shore for a decade.
“Several years ago, the American Farmland Trust estimated that we were losing about 2,000 acres of farmland a day nationwide. I’m sure that number is even higher now. The problem is, people just assume we have endless land—it’s this attitude of, “Oh, we can build here, we can build there.” But the cumulative effect is reaching a tipping point,” she says.
Gifford and other small farmers on the Eastern Shore feel the pressure of allowing solar fields on farmland. The State’s renewable portfolio standard requires that 14% of its energy —whether consumed or purchased—must come from solar.
“14% is an arbitrary number, not based on science, and the consultants they’ve relied on have had some questionable figures. But regardless, the state is pushing ahead, even though our energy policy is a mess and this won’t solve it.”
Gifford sees a broader impact on the Easter Shore with the proliferation of solar fields: Less farmland means less grain production, and the Shore already imports grain for the $5 billion poultry industry. If rising costs drive chicken farms out of Maryland, it could devastate the Eastern Shore economy.
“Here in Kent County, we’ve worked hard to preserve our farmland. We respect and protect it. But now, developers are circling because they see open space as an opportunity to make money. Solar companies are offering outrageous sums for leases, which makes it harder for local farmers to compete,” Gifford says.
The Spy recently interviewed Judy Gifford to talk about how solar arrays imapct rural land use on the Eastern Shore.
Judy Gifford owns and operates St. Brigid’s Farm in Kennedyville and is a board member of Kent Conservation and Preservation alliance, treasurer and board member Colchester Farm CSA, and former member Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Administrative Council.
This video is approximately nine minutes in length.
Marsha Fritz says
The eastern Shore is no place for solar.
The landscape is broken up by rivers making the fields too small for efficient installation of panels. Because of the nature of the landscape farms are smaller than many in the West and Midwest.
The Eastern Shore is an area of rich
farmlands, productive waterways and historical significance. Solar doesn’t fit here.
I am not a nimby. Farmland l own in Indiana is being developed into a solar farm. There, the landscape stretches on for miles with few interruptions. The land was drained over a century ago; it had been a richly productive wetland. The resulting farmland was only marginally productive, requiring expensive inputs and infrastructure.
If l were farming in Maryland instead of Indiana. I would fight solar with everything I am worth!
Marsha Fritz
Briggs says
One mitigating factor that defines where large-scale solar is situated is the location of heavy utility electric wires. Commercial solar companies won’t dump a large project in just any field; they require proximity to a grid connection. Also, once the region’s grid capacity is full, more large-scale projects won’t be accepted by the utility companies. Agriculture will always be the number one industry on the Eastern Shore, even when it’s dominated by corporate interests.