Farmers and ranchers explore solar power at Gallatin Valley Earth Day panel

Community members gathered for a panel at the Museum of the Rockies last Wednesday to learn how solar power is being used in agriculture, from powering water wells and electric fences to cutting energy costs on cattle ranches.

On Feb. 11, Gallatin Valley Earth Day — a local group that puts on community-organized events to promote environmental stewardship — hosted the second event in a speaker series leading up to its Earth Day festival in April. Experts in agriculture and energy experts came together for a panel discussion titled, “Solar Power for Crops and Cows.”

“We picked the topic ‘Solar Power for Crops and Cows’ because we wanted to have a discussion about how renewable energy is being embraced in the rural parts of Montana,” said event organizer Anne Ready in an interview with the Exponent after the panel.

“[Gallatin Valley Earth Day] hopes to inspire others to install solar power on their ranches, farms or residential properties and to raise awareness that renewable energy can help farmers and ranchers remain profitable by reducing overhead costs and supporting long-term family operations,” she said.

One of the panelists was Montana veterinarian and fourth-generation cattle rancher Laurie Gaugler. She co-manages a Black Angus ranch near Judith Gap focused on sustainable land and livestock stewardship. 

Gaugler said that solar energy can offer advantages across a wide range of operations.

“We’ve used solar in a few different ways, starting with electric fences and water wells,” she said. “Being able to move water changes your entire grazing plan and helps improve rangeland through better utilization. The fencing lets us put cattle exactly where we need them.”

Gaugler said her ranch also installed a solar array at its headquarters last year, which has already reduced electricity costs and improved reliability in windy or hostile weather conditions.

Third-generation Montana farmer and President of the Montana Farmers Union Walter Schweitzer was the MC for the panel.

“I’m pretty passionate about solar, and what this event does is give people the opportunity to visit with neighbors and ask them questions about their experiences with solar,” Schweitzer said after the event. “Events like this take a little bit of the fear of the unknown out of solar projects and might encourage more people to look into building them themselves.”

Schweitzer spoke about the importance of adaptability in modern agriculture, encouraging today’s farmers and ranchers to embrace education and a willingness to experiment.

“Being an adaptive farmer or rancher means studying farming practices, learning different techniques to build soil health and being willing to try something new,” Schweitzer said. “It’s about visiting with your neighbors, finding out what’s working for them and going to events like this.”

Organizations like the farmers union have long focused on adult education to help producers respond to change, according to Schweitzer.

“We have events all over the state that teach farmers new techniques to build soil health and make their businesses more resilient,” Schweitzer said. “That’s adaptive agriculture. It’s adapting to change.”

Schweitzer also addressed questions about grants and government programs available to help fund solar projects, noting that recent changes have created uncertainty for food producers.

“A lot of the renewable energy grants and support tax credits have been paused and cut by the recent administration, and so there's a lot of unknowns,” he said.   

Additionally, while residential incentives are limited, businesses can still access certain tax credits for solar projects, according to Schweitzer.

Natasha Lane, an attendee who grew up on a small farm in rural Oregon, said she came to the panel because she is interested in learning more about sustainability in the farming industry.

Lane said the most interesting thing she learned was the payoff timeline for solar. 

“They said it was about seven to 10 years for that initial investment to pay off, which I think in the scale of farming is actually a pretty small time frame,” she said. “It was really cool to hear the unique perspectives of the different farmers and ranchers and how they utilize solar on their operations in comparison to one another.

“The payoff that solar offers makes it a better investment in my opinion, compared to the other forms of sustainable energy.”

To learn more about Gallatin Valley Earth Day and its upcoming events, visit https://www.gallatinvalleyearthday.org/.