Wind as a crop
By Megan HansonA new crop has become available to farmers, and it doesn't require seeds, water, or growing time. Dan Juhl, CEO of Juhl Wind Inc., is introducing wind as the newest cash crop.
"Wind is just like corn or beans," Juhl said.
He and his company are trying to develop "community wind farms," where farmers and other landowners don't just lease the space for wind turbines, but have ownership in the energy the turbine produces.
"Wind energy is a cash crop. While there's nothing wrong with renting the land, the big dollar is keeping the energy money in the community," said Juhl.
Juhl cited how many local energy plants and municipal utilities buy their energy from other places around the state and county.
"When consumers of the energy produce the energy they use, then the money stays in the community," said Juhl.
This system can not only diversify farms, but can also sustain through hard times that other crops can't.
"In a flood or a drought, wind energy is still a crop," Juhl said.
"It can still produce in troubled times."
Juhl said that when his company began working with communities to produce their own energy, the technology still had to be accepted.
"Now, with all of the wind turbines along Buffalo Ridge and other places, farmers understand," Juhl said.
"Farmers have evolved into taking a piece of machinery and making natural resources into sellable commodities," Juhl added.
Now, one of those commodities is wind.
Juhl Wind, which has already begun setting up community wind farms in places such as Bingham Lake near Windom, help the communities get started by developing, constructing, managing, and sometimes even co-owning the wind farms.
They also help to line up the financing for the farms, and find investors and banks willing to help pay for the wind turbines.
"That's all part of the development work we do," said Juhl.
In addition to developing new wind communities, Juhl Wind has been developing itself as well, and recently moved from a private company into the public sector.
Juhl Wind Inc. (JUHL.OB) currently trades on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board.
"We're just doing what we do," said Juhl.
"We need energy, and wind and solar energy can be a part of our mix...The time has come where the technology is available for people to produce their own energy and get energy independence from what's in their own backyard," Juhl said.
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longjammer
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08-15-08 7:37 AM
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"We're just doing what we do". Why did you put this quote into the article? It's meaningless and contributes nothing.
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