1 in 50 American Sheep Now Works in the Energy Industry

1 in 50 American Sheep Now Works in the Energy Industry3 sep54 min

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Sheep are replacing lawnmowers on solar farms across America. They're quieter, cleaner, and in many cases cheaper. More than 113,000 of them now graze over 500 US solar sites — and for the farmers who run the flocks, the contracts are a new income that keeps their land and their business in agriculture. Today's guest is Rebekah Pierce, who runs a 300-sheep flock on 9 solar sites across upstate New York. Rebekah is a first-generation farmer, solar grazier, and author of Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food (Island Press). With Jigar on vacation, Jamie is joined by guest co-host Lauren Glickman, VP of policy and communications at solar developer Encore Renewable Energy and a lifelong solar and agriculture enthusiast. In this episode: <ul><li>Why Encore ditched its diesel mowing crews and committed its entire portfolio to grazing</li></ul> <ul><li>The business model almost nobody knows exists, and how it turned a money-losing hobby farm into a real livestock operation</li></ul> <ul><li>The two stubborn brothers who sold Rebekah her hay, leased their land for solar, and changed her family's life</li></ul> <ul><li>The prime-farmland myth: "Farmland isn't really useful if there's nobody who can afford to cultivate it"</li> </ul><ul><li>Why tomatoes, of all things, might grow better inside a solar array</li> </ul> Submit a question to Ask Jigar: <a href="https://octopusenergy.com/ask-jigar">https://octopusenergy.com/ask-jigar</a> S2G Investments: <a href="https://www.s2ginvestments.com/insights/report-illusion-of-crowds">https://www.s2ginvestments.com/insights/report-illusion-of-crowds</a> Octopus Energy: <a href="https://octopusenergy.com/faas">https://octopusenergy.com/faas</a> Our merch store: <a href="https://energy-empire.bonfire.com/collection/all-products">https://energy-empire.bonfire.com/collection/all-products</a>