Farming and hard work are often synonymous. In a profession that depends upon nature for its production and livelihood, the results can be plentiful or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, disastrous. A poor rainy season can leave farmers devastated, whereas a season of perfect sun and growing conditions can lead to abundance.
Lately, farmers also had to contend with the ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. Many are left with annual yields that are fractions of what they’re used to seeing.
According to a recent article from Aberdeen News, in these uncertain times that farmers and ranchers are facing, some who reside in the country’s wind belt have found a new crop to sell – wind.
According to the reporting, wind turbine leases give landowners a yearly boost to income that, although not a full salary, helps them make up for uncertainties brought by drought, floods, trade wars and the unstable price of crops and livestock. The reporting goes on to say that things have been especially trying in recent years: U.S. farm bankruptcy rates rose to 20% in 2019.
Aberdeen News writes that the landowners who lease their land, or those who are near enough to receive a “good neighbor” payment, can earn $3,000 to $7,000 per year for the small area that the turbines reside on.
“It makes for a pretty nice check every year,” the article reports Jack Thimesch as saying.
According to Aberdeen News, research shows that farmers who choose to lease their land say it makes a big difference in their long-term plans.
Aberdeen News writes that for Tom Cunningham, who’s been farming on Kansas land for close to 40 years, the income from wind turbines has made a tremendous difference.
“Before the wind turbines, things were rough,” the article reports him saying.
You can read Aberdeen New’s full article about farmers earning supplemental income from wind turbines, here.
Be sure to read the original reference article. Link is at the end of this story.
It sets a new bar for irony.