Farm Risk Management Through Renewable Energy

January 11th, 2013


Farm Development Now (http://www.farmdevnow.com/welcome.html) presented 'Risk Management Through Renewable Energy and Crop Insurance' today at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, drawing a crowd of approximately 300 farmers, particularly African American and Native American farmers to participate in workshops for renewable energy, crop insurance, and farm financing. Several exhibitors were present to assist farmers, including NC Solar Now, Yes! Solar Solutions, Future Farmers of America, and several farm loan and financing agencies. The worskhop was free to attend.

The opening welcome session was chaired by Dr. Mark Little, Acting Program Director, Economic Development at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Anthony Locklear, Executive Director of Native American Interfaith Ministries, and Rosalind Gray, Esq. Founder of the Sun Farmers Institute, also gave opening speeches. The room was then divided into groups and attended workshops for Renewable Energy Projects on the Farm, and Farm Loans and Crop Insurance. I attended both, but for the purposes of this blog will discuss only the Renewable Energy Workshop. 

NCSEA Director Paul Quinlan Addressing the Farmers at Todays Solar Workshop.

The Renewable Energy Workshop was presented by Dr. Reginald Parker, CEO and Founder of 510nano, a minority owned green solar development firm, and Time Webb, CFO of 510nano. The aim of the talk was to educate rural farmers of alternative methods of producing income through renewable energy use. Over the past few years solar farms have been experience an economic boom in North Carolina, thanks to the state's generous renewable energy tax credit program, and several farmers throughout the state have been able to reap the benefits of it, coming as much needed relief during past droughts, poor farming techniques, and the decline in demand of the tobacco crop. The basics of several renewable systems were presented, including solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass, and helpful and insightful ideas on how to monetize resources to create a stable income. At the end of the talk there was a Q&A session where attendees could ask several questions, some of the most common concerns were the profitability of solar farms, how to interconnect electricity to the grid, and how to obtain proper financing to build proper solar infrastructure onto their land.

A free luncheon was provided during the event for all attendees.

The day concluded with some last remarks by representatives from local finance companies, Melissa Malkin-Weber, Self Help Credit Union, Rick Larson, Natural Capital Invesment Fund, David Thigpen, USDA Rural Development, and closing remarks by Rosalind Gray, Sun Farmers Institute The workshop plans to meet again in April to provide more assistance for renewable energy for farms and further educate farmers in North Carolina.