By Michael Shulman
Building upon interest in agriculturally compatible approaches to solar energy development across the country, American Farmland Trust released a new solar soil health guide and announced new cross-sector partnerships to advance its Smart Solar SM work at the 2025 Solar Farm Summit in Chicago. The 3rd annual Summit represents America’s leading farmer-first solar forum and the largest agrivoltaics conference in North America.
“We are proud to once again co-sponsor this year’s Solar Farm Summit, the premier national conference on agrivoltaics,” said AFT Senior Fellow Jenny Lester-Moffitt. “AFT defines agrivoltaics as the intentional combination of solar energy generation and agricultural products on the same piece of land, a strategic approach to increasing the viability of America’s farms and ranches, while producing food and renewable energy. AFT’s direct support for agrivoltaics will help build on our national Smart Solar program, advancing new resources, tools and projects for farmers and farming communities for years to come.”
The new AFT-produced Solar Soil Health Guide presents key considerations and practices to safeguard soil health during solar development, from site assessment through design and construction into operations and maintenance. The guide is tailored to agrivoltaic applications, including grazing and crop production. However, the soil health principles articulated in the guide can be applied to any ground-mounted solar project to protect the future of farmland.
“This guide offers practical recommendations not only for landowners but also for solar developers, EPC firms, policymakers, and land use planners looking to make informed decisions during the construction and operation of solar projects,” said AFT Agrivoltaics Senior Technical Specialist Austin Kinzer. “By understanding and improving soil health, stakeholders can mitigate long-term risks like erosion and site instability, reduce maintenance costs, and transform soil from a liability into a long-term asset. AFT advocates for Smart Solar, which supports farm viability, equity, and resilient soils while helping ensure solar development is both economically and environmentally sustainable for rural communities.”
At the Summit, AFT also highlighted an aligned partnership with the InSPIRE program led by the National Renewable Energy Lab. The new collaboration, to be called AGRI-Tech – is the first comprehensive technical assistance program in America and will provide no-cost support to help farmers explore and implement agrivoltaics. AGRI-Tech will provide expert guidance, tools, and one-on-one support to make agrivoltaics more accessible and profitable for producers.
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