President Trump Is Wrong. Agrivoltaics Can HELP Farming Communities

Solar panels destroying farms? The U.S. President and members of his cabinet say so. The peer-reviewed science says otherwise — and we've got the receipts. We're back with another FUD-busting episode, and this time it's something near and dear to Nikki's heart. From claims that renewable energy can't coexist with farming, to the idea that solar panels monopolize prime agricultural land, we dig into the actual evidence — and show this narrative for what it is: a malicious attempt to stop farmers, rural communities, and working families from gaining the energy independence that could save the family farm. *⏱️ Chapter Breakdown:* 00:00 - Introduction 03:34 - Nikki does have some skin in the game 06:17 - The President hates wind turbines 07:49 - It's not just wind... 09:16 - Meet Agrivoltaics 11:25 - A personal example of solar panel improvements 12:41 - Modern solar panels are better 14:32 - Most people don't understand how plants grow... 16:21 - Solar panels are good for crops - and the science backs it up 17:53 - There are some crops that don't do so well... but... 20:32 - Animals 26:43 - Farming isn't profitable these days... 29:09 - Edge cases - Bifacial solar 32:54 - Financial pressures are real - and global 35:14 - The dangers of private equity and investors 36:12 - How solar leases work 39:04 - Different programs around the world 41:20 - Community benefits 44:20 - Nikki defends the King, surprisingly 46:04 - The claim that solar panels destroys farms is patently false 49:25 - Closing thoughts *📊 Sources and Further Reading:* Farming Crops With Solar: -ISE Fraunhofer Study on crop yield changes with solar panels - https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en/press-media/press-releases/2019/agrophotovoltaics-hight-harvesting-yield-in-hot-summer-of-2018.html -Agrivoltaics provide mutual benefits across the food–energy–water nexus in drylands - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0364-5 -Climate-driven divergence in biophysical and economic impacts of agrivoltaics - https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2514380123 -Vertical agrivoltaics in a temperate climate: Exploring technical, agricultural, meteorological, and social dimensions - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772427125001664 Farming Animals With Solar -Sheep grazing as sustainable vegetation management for solar energy production in the northeastern USA - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1625483/full -Combining solar panels and lamb grazing increases land productivity, study finds - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210429123402.htm -Agrivoltaics With Sheep & Solar Benefit All — Especially The Sheep! - https://cleantechnica.com/2025/05/25/agrivoltaics-with-sheep-solar-benefit-all-especially-the-sheep/ -An agrivoltaic approach provides an array of benefits - https://system.umn.edu/healthier/agrivoltaic-approach-provides-array-benefits Solar tracking vs static - A Review and Comparative Analysis of Solar Tracking Systems - https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2553 Solar benefits for farmers: - Agrivoltaics: Solar on Farms is a Promising Option for Farmers - https://www.ssii.org/agrivoltaics-a-promising-option-for-farmers-and-farmland/ U.S. Politics: - Secretary Rollings Blocks solar panels - https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/19/secretary-rollins-blocks-taxpayer-dollars-solar-panels-prime-farmland - Fallout of solar policy change for farmers - https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/american-farmers-bet-on-solar-then-trump-changed-the-rules - Trump pays companies to stop wind, pursue fossil fuels - https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5851702-trump-offshore-wind-lng-fossil-fuels - John Oliver - Last Week Tonight - Corn - youtube.com/watch?v=MI78WOW_u-Q Additional Links: - King Charles III visits Harlem Grown - https://time.com/article/2026/04/30/king-charles-harlem-grown-new-york - Harlem Grown community Farm- https://harlemgrown.org - Deflock Me - https://deflock.me ---- *👥 Today’s Sponsors* 🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - https://www.myeva.org ⚡ EnergySage - https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262 — ✊ Get Involved 🗳️ https://indivisible.org/town-hall-resources ❤️ Support the Show 📰 https://www.transportevolved.com 🔥 https://www.patreon.com/transportevolved ☕ https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved 📺 https://www.youtube.com/transportevolved 👕 https://www.redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd/ 🛍️ https://amzn.to/40xOyjm ₿ 1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH *💬 Join the Conversation* 🐘 https://mastodon.transportevolved.com/@show 💬 https://discord.gg/9WAjfQn 💬 https://fluxer.gg/mcj8aehg 🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevolved.bsky.social 🔁 Subscribe to our 2nd channel - https://www.youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2 --- *🎙️ Credits:* Host, Script, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Color: Vi Horton Art & Animation : Erin Carlie Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Music: via Artlist.io