Jacks Solar Garden
8102 North 95th St, Longmont, Colorado, United States

Striving to make the most from my grandfather's land for the benefit of my family and my community.  Jack's Solar Garden is a national model for integrating agriculture with solar panels. We are collaborating with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado State University, and the University of Arizona to study the co-location of solar energy and food crop production on my family's land.

Off of North 95th Street in Boulder County, my grandfather, Jack, bought my family’s farm in 1972. Here, Jack farmed hay and wheat to support his family until 1980 when he passed away. Through the summer of 2019, hay production continued even though it has become less and less economically viable on our 24-acre farm.  As a boy, I spent summer vacations on my family's farm visiting my grandmother. After graduate school, serving in the Peace Corps, and working as a U.S. diplomat for the U.S. Agency for International Development, I wanted to live on my grandfather’s farm to learn how to make the most of our land. My path led me to solar energy and how agriculture can be integrated within a solar array. Now, Jack’s memory will live on as Jack’s Solar Garden will give new life to his farm and become not just a benefit to our family, but also to our community.