r/UpliftingNews • u/ArgentineBeauty • 4h ago

Two Minnesota solar farms planted native grasses and wildflowers beneath their panels. Five years later, flowering plant species had increased sevenfold, native bee numbers more than 20 fold and total insect numbers had tripled, while more bees were also visiting nearby soybean fields.

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/two-minnesota-solar-farms-turned-the-ground-beneath-their-panels-into-habitat-and-native-bee-abundance-rose-more-than-20-fold/36680/
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u/OldDoubt1577 2h ago

Solar panels are great. You have to consider that lots of solar farms are literally on previous farmland, and that land wasn't earmarked for prairie restoration or wildflowers. If it isn't prepped for corn or soy, it was laying barren. Solar panels cost hardly anything to maintain, and don't eat fertilizer, pesticides, water, or need a harvest. Large up front (subsidized) investment on the farmer's part, and its literally printing money. As passive as it gets (just wie down the panels ocassionally.

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u/El_Babayaga69 35m ago

Yeah who needs food these days

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u/OldDoubt1577 32m ago

Its excellent that you bring that up, most of the corn grown in the USA at least isn't for direct human consumption and instead fuel ethanol, animal feed, and processed food additives. Soybeans aren't consumed domestically and are primarily used to regenerate the soil of nitrogen for the corn crop, and exported. Fuel ethanol is actually really nifty since the electricity generated can be used to power vehicles in much the same way, but far more efficient.

If you're worried about food, its California that grows much of the domestically available produce, although the USA imports A LOT of food. Point being, some farmer in the midwest forgoing planting DENT CORN isn't going to meaningfully affect food security.