EDA News Winter Edition 2024

From Crisis to Creativity: Turning Challenges into Solutions

It's easy to get overwhelmed by the challenges we face—water shortages, food insecurity, clean energy demands, and the sustainable use of resources. There’s certainly no shortage of problems when it comes to ensuring that everyone’s basic needs can be met. But instead of focusing on the negative, what if we approached these issues with creativity and innovation? By shifting our mindset from scarcity to possibility, we could unlock new solutions that not only address these crises but also lead to a more sustainable future. Imagine what we could achieve if we poured our collective energy into designing technologies, systems, and policies that not only solve these problems but also build a world where everyone can thrive.

This is an enticing offer because according to the USDA, for corn and soybean producers in Illinois and Iowa, renting the same land averages only about $251 per acre. Granted, some solar operations can use livestock to graze around the panels and others put the panels far enough apart to allow crops to grow in between. But that's not always the case.

The problem with larger solar operations is the installation. The solar company must excavate and grade the land to build access roads and install the panels. Often fine sand is spread across large areas of rich topsoil. Construction activity or clearing of even small sections of cropland damages the topsoil and may impact the viability of future crops. This becomes an even bigger problem as the solar industry spreads further into the U.S. Midwest due to cheaper land rentals and a wealth of federal and state incentives.

Yes! All it takes is some creative thinking and the will to find a solution that benefits everyone. Jack's Solar Garden in Longmont Colorado is a family-owned farm that partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado State University and the University of Arizona to research how co-locating solar panels with agriculture can work. The operation has become a national model for farmers, solar developers and governments, on how to collaborate and produce renewable energy while continuing agricultural production. It’s called agrivoltaics (agriculture + photovoltaics = agrivoltaics).

The solar panels at Jack’s Solar Garden provide enough energy to power over 300 homes. Vegetables grown beneath the solar panels end up in the local community in CSAs and farmers markets. Some produce is also donated to local food pantries. They're also an active participant in the community hosting events like yoga, farm to table dinners, art shows and public information sessions on agrivolatics. Educational tours for school children are also teaching the next generation how energy and food can be produced side-by-side.

Realizing the impact the plant would have on the community’s water supply, a group of concerned citizens took action and formed a group called Water Watchers. They started an education campaign to mobilize the public. The more they learned, the more empowered they became. As time passed, they discovered that Nestlé was planning to expand their operation by purchasing another well in a nearby town. Drawing more water from the Grand River watershed would further impact water resources for the entire area. So they called for a boycott of Nestlé.

In 2016, the area experienced the driest summer in 10 years. Crops wilted and homeowners faced a fine of $130 for watering their lawns, while Nestlé continued to draw the same amount of water. Every five years Nestlé had to reapply for their water permit. The folks at Water Watchers attended numerous City Council meetings to protest the bottled water plant. As a result of continued pressure on elected officials, the provincial government finally agreed it was time to take a deeper look at updating their rules around water permits, which hadn’t been updated in 30 years.

The pressure paid off

WHY DO YOU SUPPORT EDA?

I was raised on a small family farm in central Kansas. As with all small farms, our income was dependent on good weather and good fortune. When we had enough rain, crops would be good and when we didn’t get enough rain, crops would suffer. Income would be limited. As droughts continue and aquifers are being drawn down, farms are being devastated and livestock are being sold. Our water and our food supply are in jeopardy. I joined EDA to help ensure we have water and food for everyone, no matter what your economic status is, or what type of business you are in.

Jerry P.

WHY DO YOU SUPPORT EDA?

As a child, I faced significant health challenges that often kept me confined to hospital for months at a time. Each time I was discharged, I found solace and healing in the woods behind my home—a place of peace and restoration. On one occasion, after spending three weeks in the hospital, I returned home to discover that the woods had been destroyed to make way for a new development. The loss was devastating, leaving me with a deep sense of grief.

Years later, when I learned about EDA and its commitment to sustainability, it stirred memories of that time. It reminded me how profoundly our environment impacts human well-being and underscores the vital connection between a healthy planet and humanity's health.

Brent T.

In the rich agricultural lands of the Midwest and the Arkansas Delta, farming communities faced a silent but growing crisis: water scarcity and stricter regulations. For years both areas used the traditional method of irrigation—flooding the land. But more recently, with changing climate patterns and the threat of droughts, it became clear that this method was draining local aquifers and putting their future livelihoods at risk. Drier conditions meant much of the water evaporated or ran off before reaching the plants’ roots.

Realizing this method was not sustainable, a group of visionary farmers got together and agreed to experiment with more innovative irrigation practices. They attended workshops, sought advice from agricultural experts, and exchanged ideas at community meetings.

One passionate farmer named Sarah led the charge for change in her farming community of Green Valley. She tried a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system on her family’s farm. She also installed soil moisture sensors, which automated her irrigation schedules, ensuring that water was used efficiently.

Through collaboration, determination and sharing of knowledge, these farmers proved that by applying the right irrigation practices to the right environment, we can sustain agricultural output and preserve the future of our valuable water resources.

To learn more about solutions that conserve water and improve crop productivity, check out these links:

https://aaes.uada.edu/research-highlights/influence-on-irrigation-choices/
https://environment.co/sustainable-irrigation-systems-to-reduce-agricultural-water-waste/
https://www.agritechtomorrow.com/article/2024/02/revolutionizing-agriculture-innovative-irrigation-solutions-for-a-sustainable-water-future/15247
https://scienceline.org/2021/04/why-arent-more-us-farmers-using-sustainable-practices/

UPCOMING EDA EVENTS

Giving Tuesday – December 3
Once again, EDA is participating in the country's largest generosity movement. This annual event is held in hundreds of cities, communities, organizations and networks across the country. Please reach out to family, friends and colleagues on giving Tuesday and encourage them to join you in supporting EDA.

Fireside Chat – December 12
This will be our last chance to get together before the holiday season and the new year begins. It’s a time to reflect on 2024, and provide members with more details on initiatives that came out of our October retreat and our strategy for 2025.

WHY DO YOU SUPPORT EDA?

I joined EDA because I do not want to have a world, our world, be one in which fear rules us all; where children turn to crime because they have no hope, because their basic needs are unmet. I do not want to have our world be one in which the rich so fear being poor that they force others into poverty; where wars are so common that everyone lives in fear of their lives. I want a world where everyone has the basic necessities of life without struggling for them, where there is enough food, there is clean water for all, and where everyone can have comfort, warmth and coolness, and the security to learn because they have access to enough energy.

Terry B.