UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Extension and Cornell University’s Cooperative Enterprise Program are partnering to host an event focusing on grazing sheep beneath utility-scale solar arrays. Designed for sheep producers, the workshop will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at Penn State Extension’s Lebanon County office, 2120 Cornwall Road, Suite 1, Lebanon.
Sheep grazing under utility-scale solar arrays can provide a valuable source of income for both current and future sheep farmers, as they can offer vegetation management services and access to additional pasture, according to organizers.
As part of a project titled “A New Dawn for Shepherds: Grazing Sheep Under Utility-scale Solar Arrays,” Cornell conducted a survey earlier this year that collected responses from more than 600 farmers. The aim was to identify areas of collaboration that could help address the challenges related to the size and scale of grazing sheep beneath utility-scale solar arrays. This event will highlight the results of the survey.
Nearly 70% of respondents indicated that the sheep industry needs a producer-led organization to negotiate contracts, provide insurance, and transport and manage sheep once on site. As the number of sheep are likely to increase, 80% of farmers reported that they see a need for additional marketing services, branding, slaughter and processing.
Organizers noted that the meeting will allow farmers to weigh in and suggest next steps to develop farmer-led enterprises to advance the interests of farmers grazing sheep beneath solar arrays.
Penn State Extension offers this event free of charge, but the registration deadline is 11:59 p.m. Oct. 18. More information is available on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/
To learn more or request accommodations, contact Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension senior livestock educator, at [email protected] or 814-623-4800. For more information about the “New Dawn for Shepherds: Grazing Sheep Under Utility-scale Solar Arrays,” contact Bobbie Severson, director of the Cornell Cooperative Enterprise Program, at 607-255-1987 or [email protected].
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Services provided funding for “A New Dawn for Shepherds: Grazing Sheep Under Utility-scale Solar Arrays” through a Federal State Marketing Improvement Program grant.
–Alexandra McLaughlin, Penn State University
