Academic Venture Fund Supplemental Grants
Grazing Sheep on Solar Array Sites
Discovering best practices to boost pollinator habitat and sequester soil carbon
AVF project: Growing commitments to renewable energy indicate that the land used for solar sites will increase dramatically over the next years, with projections of up to 40,000 acres in New York State alone. The vegetation in these modified landscapes must be controlled to prevent solar panel shading. Grazing with sheep is an efficient, cost-effective way to control the vegetation and keep the land in agricultural production. This project will document how sheep grazing may influence pollinator habitat and sequestration of soil carbon, and will provide sound recommendations for best management practices by farmers and solar site operators.
This supplemental grant supports two students who will create informational material for communities that surround the solar array site. The students will share information about the project on social media, and create materials on the benefits of grazing ruminants for healthy soils and pollinator plant habitat on solar farms.
Topics: Energy, Environment and Sustainability; Food and Agriculture
The Team
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Michael Thonney, Department of Animal Science
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Johannes Lehmann, School of Integrative Plant Science - Soil and Crop Sciences Section
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Scott McArt, Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Nikola (Niko) Kochendoerfer, Department of Animal Sciences
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Community partner: Cascadilla Solar Array Site
Academic Venture Fund Supplemental Grants
Supporting undergraduate participation in cutting-edge, community-engaged projects funded by the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future