Iowa farmer says crops barely cover taxes; solar leases offer $1,200 an acre
Iowa farmers are increasingly turning to solar energy leases as traditional row-crop farming becomes financially unsustainable due to low prices and rising costs. A new 3,200-acre solar project in Mills County has received approval, offering landowners a stable income alternative.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader economic shift in the agricultural sector where renewable energy infrastructure is becoming a vital financial lifeline for struggling farmers.
An Iowa farmer facing falling crop prices and rising machinery costs says leasing his land for solar panels could provide a vital source of income. His comments came after a major renewable energy project received an important local planning approval. The Mills County Zoning Board unanimously approved the proposed Folsom Lake Solar Project, a 3,200-acre renewable energy development near the Missouri River and west of Interstate 29 in south-western Iowa. Local farmer Tom Green, whose family farms 400 acres in the area, welcomed the decision. He confirmed that he hopes to include most of his land in the project. According to reporting by Omaha television station KETV NewsWatch 7, Green said traditional row-crop farming in the region has become increasingly difficult to keep financially sustainable. "We're getting (crop) prices that we got in the 1950s," Green told KETV.
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