Supporting Agricultural Landowners to Make Decisions about Solar Development: Training for Service Providers

Commodities

Practices

The proposed project will build on American Farmland Trust’s
Smart Solar℠ work by adapting an existing Pacific Northwest solar
leasing guidebook for farm and ranchland owners in California,
and by developing and offering a train-the-trainer program for
agricultural service providers in California, Idaho, Oregon, and
Washington, to prepare them to help agricultural producers and
landowners make informed decisions about renewable solar energy
development and land leasing. By equipping agricultural service
providers with resources and information to help farmers and
ranchers understand risks and challenges associated with solar
energy infrastructure development, potential financial benefits,
and opportunities with agrivoltaics, the proposed project will
address Western SARE goals related to good stewardship,
environmental implications, quality of life, and diversification.
As a result of this project, producers and agricultural
landowners throughout California, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho
will have increased access to resources and technical assistance
to help them make informed decisions about solar energy
development on their land. A minimum of 50 agricultural technical
service providers from CDs, NRCS, extension offices, NGOs, and
other entities will be trained to provide technical assistance to
producers and landowners on solar development and the California
Solar Leasing Guide, project training curriculum, and associated
materials will be made publicly available for free for others to
likewise use on AFT’s Farmland Information Center (FIC)
clearinghouse website. AFT also will set up an online network for
trainees to access resources, troubleshoot challenges, and share
best lessons learned that will extend beyond the life of this
grant. During the project, AFT will host quarterly check-in calls
for the cohort, and be available to provide support to trainees
post-training as needed.

The proposed project's objectives are as follows: 

1. Educate and empower 50 agricultural service providers in
   Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California to inform agricultural
   producers and landowners, and other agricultural professionals,
   on the threats and opportunities of renewable solar energy
   development on agricultural land.
2. Increase at least 200 Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and
   California agricultural landowners' knowledge and ability to
   protect the long-term viability of their farmland through access
   to clear, concise, and regionally specific solar leasing
   information.