Oregon couple earns $100K a year from 13 wind turbines on wheat farm
A wheat-farming family in Oregon has supplemented their income by hosting 13 wind turbines on their property. This dual-use land model provides financial stability against volatile crop prices while supporting renewable energy production.
Why it matters
It demonstrates a viable economic model for rural landowners to participate in the green energy transition without sacrificing agricultural output.
In the dry, rolling hills of Sherman County, Oregon, farming continues alongside huge green energy projects. For one local wheat-growing family, having wind turbines on their land has changed their yearly finances without stopping their traditional harvest. According to a report by The Oregonian/OregonLive, Kevin McCullough and his wife, Kathryn McCullough, grow wheat on land that contains about half of the Biglow Canyon wind farm. Thirteen of the huge industrial turbines stand directly on their property, turning above fields that are still used to grow crops. The money from the turbines has made a major difference for the family business. It provides a valuable second source of income while the family continues farming. "We were ecstatic," Kathryn McCullough told The Oregonian/OregonLive when talking about the arrival of the turbines. "What's not to like?
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