Messick’s Farm Equipment Cuts June Electricity Costs by 30% After Installing Over 2,200 Solar Panels

Jul 18, 2024

Lancaster County, Pa., known for its rich agricultural heritage, is increasingly being recognized for sustainability with businesses like Messick’s Farm Equipment leading the charge towards renewable energy. Messick’s headquarters in Rapho Township, Pa., now has over 2,200 solar panels that cover the roof. The addition has a 1.07-megawatt capacity, which ranks in the top 10 of the largest solar arrays located in Lancaster County, according to LNP LancasterOnline.

The decision to embrace solar energy was supported by financial and environmental factors. Messick’s foresees a potential reduction of up to 90% in annual electric expenses, according to LNP LancasterOnline .Using solar energy for the headquarters offsets the environmental footprint from other parts of the business, like its fleet of service trucks.

“We can’t replace what’s happening on the road, but we can offset it here,” says Kevin Messick, corporate administrator at Messick’s Farm Equipment.

After months of planning and installation, PPL Electric Utilities gave final approval for the solar arrays in May. By June, Messick’s had already seen a 30% decrease in its monthly electricity bill, a trend they plan to reduce to 10% of last year’s bill in July.

The inspiration for Messick’s solar endeavor came partly from neighboring businesses like Four Seasons Produce, whose 3-megawatt solar array in East Cocalico Township set a precedent for sustainable practices in the region, according to LNP LancasterOnline. Randy Groff, director of facilities and energy at Four Seasons, says the solar investment slashed electricity costs by 40% in 2018. Groff is expecting an additional 20% cost reduction in 2024 from the array.

Susan Bell, executive operations specialist at Kreider Farms in Lancaster County, says the company has saved over $2.5 million since its initial solar investments in 2017.

The impact extends beyond individual businesses. Lancaster County now boasts some of the largest solar installations in Pennsylvania, with the largest one being Keystone Solar’s installation of 6 megawatts, according to LNP LancasterOnline.

Lancaster County businesses are not just reducing costs but also inspiring others to follow suit. Interest in solar technologies is growing, driven by success stories like Messick’s and Four Seasons Produce, prompting more businesses to explore the economic and environmental benefits of solar adoption.

Source : Farm Equipment

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.