…in the ag community strongly oppose. The Solar vs. Farming Debate Leimgruber criticized the push to cover productive farmland with solar panels, arguing it creates a false choice between energy…
AgNet News Hour Wednesday, 07-02-25
…continues to ignore ag’s economic role, while embracing short-sighted energy policies and approving solar development on prime farmland. He also raises alarms about the Chinese government buying U.S. farmland near…
AgNet News Hour Monday, 06-30-25
AgNet News Hour: Solar vs. Soil—California’s Farmland Crossroads In today’s AgNet News Hour, hosts Nick “The Ag Meter” Papagni and Josh McGill dig into one of the most controversial and…
California Farmland at Risk from Solar Bill
…in, stating, “It’s important for the fabric of America that we’re not selling away this farmland for solar panels.” Critics of the solar bill also point to international concerns, referencing…
Solar Panels, Farmland, and the Fight to Keep Farming
…the mounting pressures facing California farmers—from water shortages to solar development on prime farmland. Solar Panels, Farmland, and the Fight to Keep Farming “You’re absolutely right. That’s what we’re fighting,”…
California Farmland or Solar Fields? Ag Secretary Pushes Back
A Growing Concern Over Solar Expansion in Ag Zones U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is voicing strong opposition to the increasing use of prime agricultural land for solar panel installations….
AgNet News Hour Friday, 06-13-25
Today on AgNet News Hour: Pork Policy, Labor Pressure, Solar Land Fights, and Father’s Day in the Fields As we roll into Father’s Day weekend, the AgNet News Hour brings…
AgNet News Hour Wednesday, 06-11-25
…bill from the Bay Area: AB1156. It proposes to make it easier to convert farmland without water access into solar fields. As the Ag Meter himself puts it, “Solar panels…
Stuart Woolf: Solar Panels Replace Crops on Fresno County Farmland
…described how his family business is adapting by repurposing land once used for crops. “Some of our nation’s most diverse and productive farmland is now covered with solar panels.” —…
AgNet News Hour Friday, 06-13-25
Today on AgNet News Hour: Pork Policy, Labor Pressure, Solar Land Fights, and Father’s Day in the Fields As we roll into Father’s Day weekend, the AgNet News Hour brings…
Tomatoes to Tequila: Stuart Woolf’s Agave Revolution in California
…“Agave is perfect for California. But we need policies that actually support it.” ☀️ Solar Panels, Water Banking, and a New Farming Model Woolf is also rethinking the rest of…
Steve Hilton Pledges to Restore California Agriculture and Fight Regulatory Extremism
…fueled by environmental NGOs. He pointed to the solar farm expansion in fertile regions as a particularly “outrageous” misuse of prime ag land. “We have the most fertile soil in…
Rollins on Major Components of the Small Farms Farmer First Initiative
…economic stability of small farms and promote their growth in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the initiative includes protective measures to prevent farmland from being converted into foreign-owned solar panel sites,…
Rollins Lays Out Policies of Small Farms Farmer First Initiative
…solar panel sites, safeguarding U.S. agricultural land for its intended purpose. Beyond financial assistance, the initiative prioritizes generational succession, aiming to ensure small farms remain within families across generations. By…