NAAA24 Winners

Solar Farmer of the Year

Together, Meg, Liza and Sprout City Farms are driving towards a thriving local food system in the Denver metro area: sprouting city farms, rooting city farmers, and reconnecting folks to the land and food that sustain them. And, at Jack’s Solar Garden, their brilliant example shines as a powerful working example of exactly how to develop adaptive, ecologically sound, and agricultural abundant farming and energy harvest practices. 

Solar Rancher of the Year

Today, Will's farm manages the vegetation on about 3,000 acres of solar property in southwest Georgia and is actively solar grazing, among many other things. Keeping the land under panels in agricultural use is a particular passion for Will and he’s deeply engaged in growing a new generation of sustainable abundance in sync with nature and advocating for systemic change in land stewardship. Will’s powerful vision and life’s work is helping to drive a renaissance in regenerative agriculture, under photovoltaic panels and otherwise.

Solar Eco-Steward of the Year

Rob is one of the country’s most dedicated and accomplished agrivoltaics professionals. An incredible storyteller, Rob tells the stories of pioneering people, ideas, and organizations and helps accelerate the nation’s transition to use of clean and renewable energy.

Robin's businesses have seeded over 10,000+ acres establishing native seed areas on solar projects, brown fields, capped landfills, flood plains, wetlands, riparian areas and open spaces. And she’s passionate about advocating for agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics.

Solar Farm of the Year

The synergy of immigrant communities, solar developers and contractors, and providers, alongside a dedication to cultivating healthy soil and nurturing pollinator-friendly habitats, has brought to fruition the vision of Big River Farms (a part of The Food Group), a Minnesota based non-profit supporting immigrant farmers who are new to the US in finding stable long term access to land. The soil on these arrays has been enriched by the micronutrients and minerals that native plant species contribute into the soil each year, providing an extremely welcoming environment for all the vegetables and fruits planned and planted.

Solar Ecosystem of the Year

The project's innovative approach involved planting native grasses and wildflowers between photovoltaic solar arrays on rehabilitated agricultural land in southern Minnesota. The solar-pollinator habitats not only saw increases in native plant species diversity and flower abundance but also witnessed a remarkable surge in insect populations, including agriculturally beneficial species like honeybees and native bees. By extending pollination services to adjacent crop fields, the solar-pollinator habitats showcased their potential to enhance agricultural productivity while safeguarding insect populations.

Solar Ranch of the Year

The Montgomery Sheep Farm demonstrates how solar farms can be designed and operated to accommodate agriculture, agritourism and rural hospitality. Previous to the construction of the solar farm, the property was not used for agriculture, but after the solar farm was completed, the 200 acres became home to more than 500 sheep, great pyrenees, chickens, turkeys, geese, peacocks, ponies and other farm animals. While the power generated on the solar farm is sold to the local utility, all facilities on the farm are powered by a separate micro-distribution grid. This allows the farm and its operations to operate truly independent from the electrical grid. 

Solar Ranch of the Year

The Houston Solar Farm and Lambing Barn is a direct result of Silicon Ranch’s long-term approach to solar and its commitment to square corners and ongoing improvement in our role as a renewable energy producer, community member, and land steward, all under our model of long-term ownership. This project aims to redress the two biggest challenges to grazing sheep on solar farms in the Southeast: 1) not enough sheep and shepherds, due to a huge decline in the overall number of sheep in the United States over the last century, and 2) the susceptibility of American sheep to parasites found in the Southeast as a result of national flock genetics that adapted over time for drier climates. 

Dual-Use Plan of the Year

The 13,000 acre Mammoth Solar Project in Indiana is one of the largest solar renewable energy facilities in America. It is also a massive agrivoltaics and pollinator farm backed by investments in science, agronomy and the local farmers. 

Champion of the Year

Under her leadership as director of O&M at Pivot Energy, Pivot brought in more agrivoltaics projects last than any other company—with over 30 sites in 2023 alone. There are thousands of sheep and dozens of new solar farmers digging into new opportunities under solar panels because of Angie and Pivot’s commitment to building a 100% agrivoltaics portfolio, which is becoming a reality faster than anyone might have believed possible.