A Massachusetts dairy farmer once considered selling an awkward, hard-to-farm patch of his property to Walmart.
asserted
farmer → consider → Walmart
Instead, he turned the 11-acre slice into a solar field that now provides a steady lease income, while rooftop panels have nearly wiped out the farm’s $1,400 monthly electricity bill.
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panels → turn → bill
The story was told by John Nagy in Notre Dame Magazine in 'The Sun Farmers', a feature also republished by the Let’s Share the Sun Foundation.
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story → tell → Foundation
It follows George Hunt Jr., whose decision to combine farming with solar power created a new source of income without giving up the land.
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decision → follow → land
His experience shows how a property that seemed unsuitable for crops could still contribute to the farm, the local energy supply and the family’s long-term plans.
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that → show → farm
A difficult piece of farmland
Hunt’s farm was a working dairy operation, with hundreds of acres and a herd of about 250 cows.
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farm → work → cows
Like many dairy farmers, he had to balance the costs of running the farm against the uncertain returns from milk.
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he → have → milk
He also wanted to leave his children a business that could support a decent quality of life without requiring them to milk an enormous herd every day.
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that → want → herd
One part of the property presented a different kind of challenge.
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part → present → challenge
The 11-acre plot was levelled land that was difficult to farm.
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that → level → land
According to Nagy’s account, Hunt considered selling it to Walmart, which was interested in the site.
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which → accord → site
The retailer’s offer could have turned the unproductive parcel into a straightforward financial gain.
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offer → turn → gain
But Hunt began to see another possibility.
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Hunt → begin → possibility
Solar panels could make use of land that was not well suited to growing crops, while allowing the farm to retain ownership.
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farm → make → ownership
Rather than sell the site outright, he could lease it to a solar developer and earn regular income from the land.
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he → sell → land
The decision did not happen in isolation.
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decision → happen → isolation
Massachusetts had created incentives for solar power, including renewable energy credits, and the state’s solar programme had targets that encouraged development.
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that → create → development
Those policies helped make solar a viable option for farmers and other landowners.
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solar → make → farmers
Before committing to a larger project, Hunt had already installed solar panels on the roof of his barn.
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Hunt → commit → barn
The array supplied power for many of the farm’s daily needs, including pumping water, cooling milk, operating milking equipment and running lights.
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array → supply → equipment
When writer Nagy visited in 2015, he shared in his article that Hunt said the rooftop system had almost eliminated the farm’s monthly electricity bill of about $1,400.
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system → visit → 1,400
It also generated a small refund during much of the year for electricity sent back to the grid.
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It → generate → grid
For a dairy farm with substantial energy needs, reducing a major monthly expense offered a practical benefit beyond the environmental appeal of renewable power.
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reducing → reduce → power
The rooftop system gave Hunt confidence to consider a much larger solar project.
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system → give → project
If panels could help manage the farm’s own electricity costs, a ground-mounted array could make productive use of the land that had little value for conventional farming.
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that → help → farming
Hunt’s experience also highlights the importance of careful advice when navigating a complicated industry.
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experience → highlight → industry
The feature describes solar consultant Bill Jordan reviewing an earlier contract and helping Hunt identify a federal grant that had been overlooked.
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that → describe → grant
Hunt offered to pay Jordan for the work, but Jordan returned the check after the original contractor said it would prepare the grant application.
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it → offer → application
Leasing land to harvest sunshine
Hunt eventually chose solar over selling the awkward parcel to Walmart.
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Hunt → lease → Walmart
The 11-acre site became part of a 3-megawatt solar array that supplied electricity to the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, according to Nagy’s report.
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that → become → report
The arrangement gave Hunt a land-lease payment of $1,000 a week.
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arrangement → give → 1,000
While the income was reportedly less than the amount Walmart had offered to buy the land, it provided a recurring return while Hunt kept ownership of the property.
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Hunt → offer → property
The farmer described himself as pleased with the decision and came to see himself as a “sun farmer,” as per the report.
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farmer → describe → report
That phrase captures the unusual way the project fit into the farm.
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project → capture → farm
Hunt continued to raise cows, produce milk and manage the agricultural business, but the leased land created another kind of harvest.
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land → continue → harvest
Instead of crops, the field produced electricity, while the lease payment supported the farm’s finances.
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payment → produce → finances
Solar also created opportunities beyond the main array.
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Solar → create → array
Hunt was considering additional panels for other buildings on the property, including a structure used as an indoor sports arena.
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Hunt → consider → arena
The electricity could serve tenants at a nearby restaurant and help reduce their energy costs.
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electricity → serve → costs
A different kind of farm income
The solar lease was particularly valuable because dairy income could fluctuate.
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income → fluctuate → income
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
