Is Grazing Sheep Beneath Solar Arrays and Opportunity for Your Future?




Event Details

Date

September 25, 2023

Time

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location

Livingston County Murray Hill office campus
1 Murray Hill Drive
Mt. Morris, NY 14510

Host

The CEP and NWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team

Nancy Glazier
585-315-7746



Grazing sheep beneath utility-scale solar arrays can build wealth of present and future sheep farmers as vegetation management service providers and access to additional pasture. The Cornell Cooperative Enterprise Program (CEP) conducted a survey earlier this year completed by over 600 farmers. Farmers identified barriers to grazing sheep under solar arrays and weighed in on need for a producer-led organization to negotiate contracts on their behalf, coordinate logistics of multiple flocks, provide transport of sheep to and from the site, care for sheep while on-site, and provide supplemental mowing. Additional questions focused on processing and marketing needs.

The CEP in collaboration with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Northwest NY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops team will share results of the survey with interested farmers on Monday, September 25, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Livingston County Murray Hill office campus, 1 Murray Hill Drive, Mt. Morris, NY 14510. Those attending will be invited to share perspectives on grazing sheep beneath solar arrays and identify necessary next steps towards forming producers-led organization.

For more information or need for accommodation, please contact Nancy Glazier, Livestock Specialist at 585.315.7746, email: nig3@cornell.edu or Bobbie Severson, CEP Director, phone: 607.255.1987 or email rmh27@cornell.edu. 

Please register for the event by September 25 at 5:00 pm

Funding for A New Dawn for Shepherds: Grazing Sheep under Utility-scale Solar Arrays was made possible by USDA Agricultural Marketing Services, Federal State Marketing Improvement Program through grant agreement 21FSMIPNY1002. Its contents are solely




more content - left
Field Crops

Field Crops

Dairy

Dairy

Business

Business

Livestock

Livestock

Grains

Grains

more content - right

Upcoming Events

Crops, Cows & Critters - Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Newsletter Sponsorship

December 19, 2025
January 30, 2026

Our two forms of publications feature research-based and timely information from our four specialists, listed to the right, along with local event notifications and Cornell University outreach. This information is provided to participants who range from dairy, livestock, and field crops producers to agricultural suppliers and consultants.

Weekly Email Update: Shared with 625+ households who have signed up with our program.
Monthly Paper Mailer: To reach our stakeholders and farmers who lack internet access, we send out a monthly mailer where your company's logo and contact information would be featured with a mailing list of 330+ households.

If you sponsor our weekly and monthly publications you reach approximately 955 households.

Visit our website to view our newsletters!

2025 Cornell Food Beverage & Animal Feed Manufacturer Survey

December 19, 2025

Industry and Educational Advocates for New York State's Food, Beverage, and Animal Feed Manufacturing industries:

As you know, NYS has a diverse food and beverage manufacturing industry, in both the types of industries that exist and the wide distribution of firms by scale. Many manufacturing firms have strong backward linkages to agricultural production sectors in the state that support both farm-level and downstream food industry firms and consumers. In collaboration with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, a team from Cornell University's Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management has recently rolled out the 2025 New York State Food, Beverage, and Animal Feed Manufacturer Survey. The industry will benefit from an updated assessment of the industry that informs private and public investments and opportunities to support firm growth and improved profitability. 

Boots in the Barn: Cornell Dairy Research Updates

January 13, 2026
January 20, 2026
January 27, 2026
February 3, 2026
February 10, 2026
February 17, 2026
February 24, 2026

Join us for some or all!


Announcements

No announcements at this time.