This month’s webinar featured our annual call on pollinators and beekeeping, and their implications for sheep production. We were joined by Allison Wickham (Siller Pollinator Company) and Travis Snyder (Wind and Sky Apiaries) for a panel discussion where they shared their expertise on successfully combining solar energy, honey production, and sheep grazing. 

Like solar grazing, beekeeping on solar sites requires a skilled application and expertise. Combining sheep grazing with pollinator plants similarly requires thoughtful planning. At ASGA, we hear a lot about the misconception that you can’t put sheep and pollinators in the same place. During the webinar, our expert speakers discussed how to do both, including what plants to include in sites that are good for sheep and pollinators and things to look out for when combining the two practices.

During their discussion, Allison and Travis covered the multiple ecological and operational benefits of “apivoltaics,” also known as solar beekeeping. The complementary land use of beekeeping and solar allows for enhanced vegetation as the pollinator services benefit both the solar site and surrounding properties. Additionally, solar site apiaries can outproduce conventional locations due to abundant pollinator-friendly vegetation.

Multiple stakeholders benefit from integrating beekeeping into solar operations, including solar developers and local communities. Travis also discussed Frontline Hives, a program that provides therapeutic benefits and business opportunities for veterans and first responders. In addition to those mentioned, local food systems and native pollinators benefit from solar beekeeping. Allison and Travis discussed the substantial business advantages of solar beekeeping, including value-added products, employment creation, therapeutic programs, educational opportunities, and marketing advantages.

In addition to discussing the benefits of solar beekeeping, our speakers covered what expertise and management practices are required for the industry. Solar beekeeping requires operators with established knowledge and experience. This allows for the solar beekeepers to have appropriate hive placement and experience with scaling considerations. They should also have a focus on production, rather than simply maintaining empty hives.

Solar beekeepers understand the strategic placement of hives for successful integration. Placing the hives outside of the security fence provides easier access, but placing inside the fencer offers additional security. Additionally, a central placement allows bees to access the entire site efficiently. However, the hives should be placed away from regular maintenance and work areas, and clear signage should indicate hive location. A buffer around hives is needed where vegetation management is handled, usually 30-50 feet.

Travis and Allison discussed how beekeeping and sheep grazing work together, and demonstrated that they are highly compatible agricultural activities. Sheep consume vegetation that would otherwise require mechanical mowing, and grazing stimulates new flower growth creating continuous nectar sources. Many pollinator-friendly plants are compatible with grazing, and sheep avoid toxic plants leaving many flowering species for pollinators. Proper rotational management of sheep prevents overgrazing and allows for flowering plants to recover.

Timing and seasonal factors impact beekeeping operations. For example, honey bees focus on tree blossoms in spring before shifting to meadow flowers in the summer. Additionally, honey harvesting typically occurs in mid-to-late summer depending on regional flowering patterns. Regional climate variations significantly affect both bee activity and honey production, so apiaries require time to establish before reaching full production capacity and hives require professional inspection schedules.

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Resources for Apivoltaics

• ASGA Solar Beekeeping Contract: https://solargrazing.org/solar-beekeeping-contract/
• Agrisolar Clearinghouse Solar Beekeeping Fact Sheet: https://www.agrisolarclearinghouse.org/fact-sheet-making-the-case-for-solar-beekeeping
• Ernst Seeds Fuzz & Buzz Seed Mixtures: https://solargrazing.org/fuzz-and-buzz-solar-seed-mix/
• Virginia Pollinator Smart Solar Program: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/pollinator-smart
• Frontline Hives: https://www.frontlinehives.com/