Purdue University released a statistic last week that even shocked me. I knew the situation was bad, but I didn't know it was this bad. We will only get one chance to protect our farmland.
She is a lawyer for property owners, and similar to yourself noticed some serious shenanigans within the NYS Laws. She advocated and won against some very creepy laws...
She may have the ability to guide you and yours to larger advocacy groups.
Seems big business knows that the farmers are disconnected, feel a bit isolated due to their independence. Thus easy targets this far.
“ American farmers have been taken advantage of since the founding of this country” True this for sure. Good for you to stand against the machine. Our govt no matter who the magic man in charge is, is not on the average Americans side. Especially not farmers.
Alex, I am very concerned that this effort to buy up small farms in addition to reducing our food production, is to amass land in order to accommodate AI which needs massive, obscene amounts of energy, property and water resources. Clearly, if it were just to install solar they could do that in many other type of locations. There is too much power dangerously going to go to tech giants. We cannot allow this madness to happen. I hope you can also address this as I don't believe it is being publicized loudly enough. The buying off of an entire city which is what Elon Musk did in Memphis is appalling and illegal and needs to be addressed.
Great article. "Green Energy" is indeed a scam. I worked at the M.I.T. Energy Lab, Northeast Residential Experiment Station in Massachusetts in the 1980's. Basically, nothing has changed since then as far as solar cell efficiencies are concerned - you need way too much area to make it feasible, and the lifetime and maintenance issues never go away. The green energy scams are everywhere - take electric vehicles - the subsidy money ( your tax dollars ) are ridiculous. Tesla, as a corporation, would fail instantly if the subsidy money were taken away.
I agree with your position. My wife and I love your content; we will certainly be looking at purchasing land in a new way. Thank you. Peace.
Green energy is not a scam. Climate change is real. Energy fuels our modern economy. If you can't convince people to consume less, the next best option is to produce energy that doesn't destroy a livable climate.
The elephant in the room is why the monolithic corporations & private equity exist in the 1st place. Electricity should not be a billion dollar industry, it should be a local need served locally. I lived above the adirondaks almost to canada near the robert moses power dam and all the electricity went to NYC and Conn. 369 miles away. Municipal power and downsizing is the answer, but corporate vulture capitol has captured the american economy.
Alex, thank you for posting your experiences and research on farmland preservation! A long time ago, I was advocating for it regarding subdivision for "suburban lots with McMansions".
Thank you for bringing attention to this! And for working to prevent the spread of solar "farms."
We were approached by a solar company about my parents' farm in Virginia. (when we were still ignorant about all of this.) They definitely have the money -- they offered full price to buy it. Fortunately, they could not get the permissions and we were released from the contract.
We sold the farm to a hunter who will keep it forest and fields.
I have taken my part of the proceeds and bought land that I am currently making available to young farmers. Lease payments and soon mortgage payments are all in vegetables and help with invasive plant control rather than money. We are in our second year of a market vegetable operation that is feeding the local community with high quality sustainably grown vegetables..
I'm writing our story, and providing resources for those who would like to consider the idea of older landowners connecting with young farmers to save small farms and feed our communities, on a new substack: aboutthefarm.substack.com/
What a great, innovative solution! We hunters snd fishers were/are the original Conservationists. Small scale farming provides the biodiversity that sustains thriving fish and game populations. Also, ecological al diversity is good for us humans!
Hunters and Fishers (local Sportsman's or Rod & Gun Club) also have robust networks and organizations to lobby politicritters at all levels to promote farmland preservation.
I live in rural Virginia. Currently the big power developers here are approaching our counties with big solar farm proposals. We are a poor county so this looks good to our officials. An organization I help founded and was president of for ten years( still on the council) has taken it on as a campaign. We would be very interested in connecting with you and possibly getting a copy of the legislation your town board wrote.
Please beware AI "data centers". I may be wrong but I believe this is why the big push right now. See what Elon did in Memphis and why TVA is trying to do the same in Cheatam County.
Alexandra - I really like your substack and I'm a big fan. You are closer to this than I am, but I'm not alarmed. In comparison to the problem you identified, I'm terrified at the dangers of runaway climate change. Solar <farms> (strike that) generating projects are not permanent. They leave far less damage than monocultural nitrogen pumped farming practices that have destroyed American lands (not permanently, thankfully, nature rebounds). And they produce clean energy, which is great when it is displacing fossil fuel generation (it's not great when it's new generation to fuel data centers). Thanks again for sharing what you're doing and the things that you care about.
Perhaps you look in Attny. Bobbi Cox's substack.
She is a lawyer for property owners, and similar to yourself noticed some serious shenanigans within the NYS Laws. She advocated and won against some very creepy laws...
She may have the ability to guide you and yours to larger advocacy groups.
Seems big business knows that the farmers are disconnected, feel a bit isolated due to their independence. Thus easy targets this far.
You have the ability to become a beacon!!
Cheers!
She’s got a great Substack!
Great article, as usual.
Haha - thank you very much!
Yep!
“ American farmers have been taken advantage of since the founding of this country” True this for sure. Good for you to stand against the machine. Our govt no matter who the magic man in charge is, is not on the average Americans side. Especially not farmers.
Alex, I am very concerned that this effort to buy up small farms in addition to reducing our food production, is to amass land in order to accommodate AI which needs massive, obscene amounts of energy, property and water resources. Clearly, if it were just to install solar they could do that in many other type of locations. There is too much power dangerously going to go to tech giants. We cannot allow this madness to happen. I hope you can also address this as I don't believe it is being publicized loudly enough. The buying off of an entire city which is what Elon Musk did in Memphis is appalling and illegal and needs to be addressed.
This is absolutely part of it! And city infrastructure and roofs and roads should be used to support it. 🙏
Great article. "Green Energy" is indeed a scam. I worked at the M.I.T. Energy Lab, Northeast Residential Experiment Station in Massachusetts in the 1980's. Basically, nothing has changed since then as far as solar cell efficiencies are concerned - you need way too much area to make it feasible, and the lifetime and maintenance issues never go away. The green energy scams are everywhere - take electric vehicles - the subsidy money ( your tax dollars ) are ridiculous. Tesla, as a corporation, would fail instantly if the subsidy money were taken away.
I agree with your position. My wife and I love your content; we will certainly be looking at purchasing land in a new way. Thank you. Peace.
Thank you so much - and that is interesting to know!
Green energy is not a scam. Climate change is real. Energy fuels our modern economy. If you can't convince people to consume less, the next best option is to produce energy that doesn't destroy a livable climate.
("Basically, nothing has changed since then as far as solar cell efficiencies are concerned") You could not be more wrong.
The elephant in the room is why the monolithic corporations & private equity exist in the 1st place. Electricity should not be a billion dollar industry, it should be a local need served locally. I lived above the adirondaks almost to canada near the robert moses power dam and all the electricity went to NYC and Conn. 369 miles away. Municipal power and downsizing is the answer, but corporate vulture capitol has captured the american economy.
Alex, thank you for posting your experiences and research on farmland preservation! A long time ago, I was advocating for it regarding subdivision for "suburban lots with McMansions".
No farms, no food.
Amen Tom!
Thank you for bringing attention to this! And for working to prevent the spread of solar "farms."
We were approached by a solar company about my parents' farm in Virginia. (when we were still ignorant about all of this.) They definitely have the money -- they offered full price to buy it. Fortunately, they could not get the permissions and we were released from the contract.
We sold the farm to a hunter who will keep it forest and fields.
I have taken my part of the proceeds and bought land that I am currently making available to young farmers. Lease payments and soon mortgage payments are all in vegetables and help with invasive plant control rather than money. We are in our second year of a market vegetable operation that is feeding the local community with high quality sustainably grown vegetables..
I'm writing our story, and providing resources for those who would like to consider the idea of older landowners connecting with young farmers to save small farms and feed our communities, on a new substack: aboutthefarm.substack.com/
What a great, innovative solution! We hunters snd fishers were/are the original Conservationists. Small scale farming provides the biodiversity that sustains thriving fish and game populations. Also, ecological al diversity is good for us humans!
Hunters and Fishers (local Sportsman's or Rod & Gun Club) also have robust networks and organizations to lobby politicritters at all levels to promote farmland preservation.
I will definitely follow along!
I live in rural Virginia. Currently the big power developers here are approaching our counties with big solar farm proposals. We are a poor county so this looks good to our officials. An organization I help founded and was president of for ten years( still on the council) has taken it on as a campaign. We would be very interested in connecting with you and possibly getting a copy of the legislation your town board wrote.
Chad Oba
Chad108@icloud.com
Friendsofbuckinghamva.org
You got it!
Please beware AI "data centers". I may be wrong but I believe this is why the big push right now. See what Elon did in Memphis and why TVA is trying to do the same in Cheatam County.
Yup
Sadly, you are correct.
Thank you for sharing this information!
Will send out to my bcc list.
Thank you, Alexandra.
Brian
I’m looking for land to grow veg, herbs, flowers and teach herbal/floral design classes ++. Upstate NY would be nice!
Alexandra - I really like your substack and I'm a big fan. You are closer to this than I am, but I'm not alarmed. In comparison to the problem you identified, I'm terrified at the dangers of runaway climate change. Solar <farms> (strike that) generating projects are not permanent. They leave far less damage than monocultural nitrogen pumped farming practices that have destroyed American lands (not permanently, thankfully, nature rebounds). And they produce clean energy, which is great when it is displacing fossil fuel generation (it's not great when it's new generation to fuel data centers). Thanks again for sharing what you're doing and the things that you care about.