19-acres in Scotland, CT - Herb Farming

Greenskies Clean Focus is looking for farmers to participate in an exciting opportunity for co-located growing within an active solar array. The area available is prime for growers interested in sustainable farming practices and/or the emerging field of agrivoltaics (the co-location of agriculture and solar energy generation).

The area for farming comprises approximately 19 acres within a fenced solar facility, scheduled for completion in the late Fall of 2026, first growing season Spring of 2027. The anticipated service life of this solar facility is 20 to 30 years. This solar facility is a distributed energy resource that will help contribute to Connecticut's renewable energy goals and support the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU).

The site is located on two parcels that comprise 92.5 acres, which are zoned as Residential Agricultural and abuts Gager Hill Road for access via a gravel road. A seven-foot-high chain-link / agricultural style fence fence will enclose the site with a locking vehicle access gate. Existing buildings and structures are not accessible for storage but other means are under consideration. Plans include incorporating commercially saleable perennial plants, such as herbs, in the interrow
spacing (i.e. the rows between panel arrays). Areas that will not be farmed, such as the areas underneath the arrays, and between the arrays and the fence line, will be permanently stabilized with a seed mix containing perennial grasses that will also include some forbs that can provide support for pollinator species.

The project area has grades ranging from 3 to 8 percent. It is classified as prime farmland soils and would be ideal for organic growth of vegetables, fruits, or other horticultural use. This land was mostly recently used for corn production. It has alternated between corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) production. Most recently, in 2024, the site was used to farm feed corn.

The plantable area consists of approximately 120-rows of 8-foot wide aisles between linear rows of solar panels. Planting will need to accommodate an underground conduit at a depth of 24-inches. Use of hand management techniques and walk-behind no-til tractors allowable. The solar modules will be around 10 feet above the final grade with roughly two to three feet of ground clearance. Peak sunlight hours for crops between the panels are estimated between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. (No crops are to be grown directly beneath the panels.) 

Greenskies is consulting with the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on crop irrigation practices within the array. Measures could include collecting water directly from the drip edge of the solar panels or utilizing on-site stormwater basins, etc. Pesticides and herbicides may be used with permission from the landowners and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

Greenskies is interested in building relationships with local third-party farmers to grow crops within this fenced solar array. Want to learn more? We'd love to talk with you about this opportunity for agricultural with solar dual-use.

About Greenskies Clean Focus

Greenskies Clean Focus offers a full suite of renewable energy solutions to commercial, public sector, and utility energy users throughout the US. Our vertical integration delivers the most cost-competitive solar, battery storage, and low carbon solutions. From beginning to end, our customers work with a single delivery team. Greenskies originates, develops, constructs, and operates, while Clean Focus finances and owns the systems. 

Founded in 2009, Greenskies has constructed and operates over 340 MW of solar projects across 640 sites in 19 states. Greenskies is the solar partner of choice for landowners, municipalities, and large corporations. Our customers include 51% of Connecticut municipalities and three of the top five US corporate solar users, Amazon, Walmart & Target. In addition, Solar Power World ranked Greenskies the number one commercial solar developer in the US, based on cumulative kW of installations. For more information, please visit www.greenskies.com