Jan 21, 2026
Joe Heinrich comes from a multi-generation Iowa
farming family. As executive director of the non-profit Farm-to-Power, he's helping farmers to navigate the
new world of renewable energy. Solar and wind developers are
looking for land, which farmers have; farmers are looking for extra
income steams, which energy can provide.
But what happens to land with utility-scale energy installations?
Some farmers are making sure that the panels are high enough off
the ground that cattle can graze under them—and take advantage of
the shade they provide. Others are grazing sheep under the panels,
providing landscaping services and keeping the land healthy. Still
others are growing crops. All of these are examples of
agrovoltaics, or what Heinrich calls "double cropping"—harvesting
food and energy at the same time.