Letter: Does turning farmland into solar make sense for our future?
As residents of Dubois County watch more farmland being proposed for large-scale solar projects, we should pause and ask a very simple question: Does this make sense for our future?
Southern Indiana has some of the most productive farmland in the state. For generations, these fields have produced corn, soybeans, hay, and livestock that support our local economy and contribute to the nation’s food supply. Once farmland is covered with thousands of solar panels, that land is no longer producing food. It becomes an industrial power facility.
Supporters of these projects often say that solar energy is clean and necessary. But there is very little discussion about the long-term consequences of converting productive farmland into energy sites. Agriculture is not just another land use; it is the foundation of our food chain. Every acre removed from food production reduces the capacity to grow the crops and feed the livestock that ultimately end up on our tables.
Today, it may seem like only a few fields. But across Indiana and the Midwest, thousands of acres of farmland are being leased to energy companies because the financial incentives are far higher than traditional farming. Over time, this could permanently reshape rural communities and weaken the agricultural infrastructure that supports them.
When farmland disappears, the effects ripple outward. Grain elevators handle less grain. Livestock producers face higher feed costs. Local farm suppliers and equipment dealers lose business. And communities that once fed the country become dependent on food being shipped from farther away.
Energy development is important, but so is food security. Productive farmland should be treated as a strategic resource. Once it is converted to industrial use, it is rarely returned to agriculture.
Indiana has plenty of places where energy projects could be located, such as brownfields, industrial areas, and rooftops, without sacrificing the farmland that sustains our communities.
Before we cover our fields with solar panels, we should ask whether we are solving one problem while creating another.
The question is not just about energy.
It is about the future of agriculture, rural communities, and the food supply that every American depends on.
John Kaltenbacher
Dubois County
