Wind – cash crop harvest
by Timlynn Babitsky
Wind energy is clean, sustainable, renewable, efficient, low-cost. We must capture this Wealth From The Wind for farmers and rural America. Wind energy works for the benefit of the American economy…Speaking on behalf of the American Corn Growers Foundation (ACGF), Dan McGuire (CEO) sees wind energy as an integral part of the future of US farming as do a growing number of State Energy Conservation Offices.
Traditionally a farm’s value was assessed by soil and water conditions, but with wind power emerging as a lucrative commodity, wind conditions may be part of a farm’s overall value. Whether generating wind electricity for their own use and resale, or by leasing their land for wind generation, farmers and ranchers can increase the productivity of their land and generate a sustained income for years to come.
When farmers lease their land for wind generation projects they can expect to generate between $3,000 to $5,000 per year per turbine. And that figure is rising! Land leases typically run for 25 years. That’s a nice chunk of dollars from a crop that doesn’t deplete the soil, require chemicals to mature to harvest, and renews itself on a minute to minute basis.