Solar energy companies are working to buy up shore farm land

Snow Hill, Md- Solar energy companies are looking to buy up farm land on the shore.

Oak Shelter Farm, farmer, Virgil Shockley said, “You’re talking money that can set your family up for life here, your kids up for life and even your grandkids up for life. 100 acres and solar panels will do that. That’s what the offers are right now.”

Virgil Shockley, farmer of Oak Shelter Farm shares that they receive postcards just about every week with offers from solar energy companies. He shares why he won’t rent out his land, “they say 20 years basically is the life expectancy. You lose 2% per year in efficiency on the solar panels at the end of 20 years. I don’t think anybody can guarantee they’re going to be around to tear it all down and put it back the way it was.” said Shockley.

He also shared that a concern is the lack of farm land here on the shore.

“When I was a commissioner, that was one of the fights I always fought to save. Farmland in Worcester County and to preserve what we have. We don’t grow enough corn and soybeans here for the chicken companies. They have to bring it in by rail in order to feed the amount of chickens that we produce here.” he added, “So any acres that you lose, basically, that’s that’s one you have to bring in some somewhere else. So Indiana, Iowa, wherever the train tracks are coming from.”

Shockley shared that with the 57 years he’s put into farming, he’s not willing to let go. “You look at it and it becomes a part of you and it’s basically the blood, the sweat and everything that goes into farming. It, you, you. It’s hard to describe.”

He said that he is not giving up the farm land in his lifetime but the choice lies in the hands of his family.

Many farmers here on the shore are facing a similar dilemma as the solar energy presence increases here in Maryland.