Q&A

DEAR NEW FARM:

I have very little knowledge of wind generators and am trying to decide if this technology is for me. I have a very high hill on my farm that I think would be a good site for a generator. Any advice would be appreciated.

Robert Gray
Illinois

DEAR ROBERT:

A little more than a year ago, we wrote a comprehensive series about on-farm wind power based on a workshop given by Nick Sagrillo at the 2004 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Nick has done a good bit of consulting in your area.) The series includes information on site selection, discusses different types of equipment and their relative cost and best application, and delves into other issues such as rural zoning and ethical considerations:

Part I: Generating electricity is a breeze…
Part II: Wind in the silos
Part III: Farming the wind

This seems a good time to remind readers how easy it is to search our archives by topic. Just look for the “Google” icon on our homepage, type your query into the search window, and Google will do a dedicated search of our site. “Wind” brings up all the stories in the aforementioned series, plus other wind and wind-power related topics we have covered (including an essay entitled The down side of commercial wind power that David Van Tassel originally wrote for the Prairie Writers Circle).

Good luck making your decision,
NF

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