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.
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.
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.
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.
Green energy is indeed a huge, tax-money scam. The only viable energy option is nuclear energy. See the Ethical Skeptics work that shows e-cars do not pollute less than gasoline cars unless charged by power from a nuclear plant or from a solar array at the car owner's home. Climate change is 100% fraud. It's nothing more than a political money-grab. There were professors of mine at the MIT that agreed on that point. Peace.
If you are a truth seeker, then you should be willing to recognize you may be wrong. I checked your source (not the most authoritative place to seek final answers, but whatever). Your source supports my conclusion. The evolution of PV over the decades has seen a consistent rise in energy conversion efficiency and simultaneous reductions in capital cost—especially for crystalline silicon. Concentrator systems lead in peak performance, with expectations of reaching ~25% average efficiency by 2020, though real-world factors affect their deployment.
Jeff, the goal numbers you cite are exactly the same as what I was told by two M.I.T. PhD friends in the 1980's - they both started PV companies and closed them down. Solar PV is not an honest business model. We agree to disagree. Peace.
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.
Thank you for speaking out about the protection of a foundation of any civilization - farmland. Solar has its place - on the roofs of homes, buildings, etc. But not on farmlands. We must all speak up for the protection of our local food economies.
If anyone bothered to click on the Purdue study, they would see that 88% of farmers reported that they have NOT been contacted about solar. You need to issue a correction on this. 😬
In MN I've seen these fields go up. I don't like them. A waste of good land, where people could live or hunt or even put houses. Solar (and wind) don't make enough sense up here. If we really want to be efficient, make some novel investments in nuclear. But that's too scary for some...
Great article, as usual.
Haha - thank you very much!
Yep!
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. 🙏
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!
“ 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.
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.
Green energy is indeed a huge, tax-money scam. The only viable energy option is nuclear energy. See the Ethical Skeptics work that shows e-cars do not pollute less than gasoline cars unless charged by power from a nuclear plant or from a solar array at the car owner's home. Climate change is 100% fraud. It's nothing more than a political money-grab. There were professors of mine at the MIT that agreed on that point. Peace.
Check out the remarkable progress California has made to decarbonize its grid. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7341828295006527490/
Keep an open mind Steve.
Have a great day Jeff. We agree to disagree. Peace.
("Basically, nothing has changed since then as far as solar cell efficiencies are concerned") You could not be more wrong.
I am certainly correct. Look at the crystaline silicon efficiency graph in this document:
https://sites.lafayette.edu/egrs352-sp14-pv/technology/history-of-pv-technology/
It's horribly inefficient, and that's not considering maintenance costs and panel lifetime.
I lived on the island of Kauai for 12 years. I did the math on Solar PV for our house when we got there - it made no economic sense.
Peace
If you are a truth seeker, then you should be willing to recognize you may be wrong. I checked your source (not the most authoritative place to seek final answers, but whatever). Your source supports my conclusion. The evolution of PV over the decades has seen a consistent rise in energy conversion efficiency and simultaneous reductions in capital cost—especially for crystalline silicon. Concentrator systems lead in peak performance, with expectations of reaching ~25% average efficiency by 2020, though real-world factors affect their deployment.
You might also check NREL, where our government has been doing important research (including for your fave nuclear) for decades. https://www.nrel.gov/pv/module-efficiency?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Jeff, the goal numbers you cite are exactly the same as what I was told by two M.I.T. PhD friends in the 1980's - they both started PV companies and closed them down. Solar PV is not an honest business model. We agree to disagree. Peace.
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/
I will definitely follow along!
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’m looking for land to grow veg, herbs, flowers and teach herbal/floral design classes ++. Upstate NY would be nice!
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.
Sadly, you are correct.
Yup
Thank you for sharing this information!
Will send out to my bcc list.
Thank you, Alexandra.
Brian
@Alexandra Fasulo
Your YouTube short inspired my comment to this:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7339438639757619201?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28ugcPost%3A7339438639757619201%2C7342342651725160448%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287342342651725160448%2Curn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7339438639757619201%29
Thank you for speaking out about the protection of a foundation of any civilization - farmland. Solar has its place - on the roofs of homes, buildings, etc. But not on farmlands. We must all speak up for the protection of our local food economies.
Amen!
If anyone bothered to click on the Purdue study, they would see that 88% of farmers reported that they have NOT been contacted about solar. You need to issue a correction on this. 😬
In MN I've seen these fields go up. I don't like them. A waste of good land, where people could live or hunt or even put houses. Solar (and wind) don't make enough sense up here. If we really want to be efficient, make some novel investments in nuclear. But that's too scary for some...