Solar Energy Putting Sheep to Work in Minnesota

By Cora Hoffer

Using livestock such as goats and sheep to graze under solar arrays is quickly becoming a popular vegetation management practice at solar sites. In Minnesota, it provides opportunities for local graziers to access land, generate income, and use livestock as a land management tool.

Based out of Northfield, Minnesota, Arlo Hark and Josie Trople started Cannon Valley Graziers (CVG) in 2018. They began with the mission of using livestock to create a tangible, positive impact on the soil health, water quality, and biodiversity of their region.

Solar grazing is a type of “agrivoltaics” or “dual-use solar.” Simply put, agrivoltaics is the practice of using the same land for both agriculture and solar energy production. Minnesota is a leading state for agrivoltaics. According to the Innovative Solar Practices Integrated with Rural Economies and Ecosystems project map, there are 593 agrivoltaics sites in the U.S., with 259, or 44%, of those located in Minnesota. Of those Minnesota sites, 55 are reported as managed with grazing.

CVG initially began working in prairie and forest ecosystems to perform disturbance management, practices aimed at mitigating or managing disruptions to an ecosystem. Observing a growing number of solar sites appearing throughout rural Minnesota, they quickly recognized an opportunity to expand their services to solar developers who were interested in implementing environmentally beneficial land practices at solar sites.

When CVG started, solar grazing was a relatively new concept. There were only a small number of shepherds grazing on the fringes of solar sites, and the solar industry was hesitant to bring on livestock as part of the vegetation management strategy.

Over the past several years, CVG has watched the industry change and, with that, so has their business. CVG has grown from managing a flock of 20 sheep to now managing over 2,200 head of sheep and goats. In 2024, they grazed just under 2,000 acres of solar projects throughout the Upper Midwest. While solar grazing makes up a majority of their work, they also graze goats in forest ecosystems and offer sheep grazing for ecological disturbance management on public and private land in Minnesota.

“Our focus is to use the principles of targeted grazing to support native ecosystem function on these sites, promote soil health and water quality, while also meeting the vegetation management requirements of the solar industry,” said Arlo.

According to a presentation by the American Solar Grazing Association in April 2024, there were 100,000 acres of solar sites being grazed in the U.S. by more than 80,000 sheep. CVG predicts that number will double in the next 2 to 3 years, noting it as a key opportunity for the sheep industry.

By integrating targeted grazing into traditional land management, CVG produces lamb and wool while providing a helpful service. This model creates new revenue streams for graziers and strengthens the economic viability of the sheep industry. Rather than relying solely on commodity markets, graziers can be compensated for the ecological benefits they deliver: vegetation management, soil health improvement, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration.

The model also improves land access opportunities by allowing farmers to use the land beneath solar panels to graze their livestock. This provides additional pasture area without the purchase or rent of new land, expanding the grazing operation and granting access to a new source of forage for the animals.