ASGA Brings Solar Professionals Together for Training in Vermont

On October 9, ASGA hosted a solar professional training in Burlington, Vermont, bringing together industry professionals to explore how sheep grazing can support vegetation management at solar energy sites. Led by Eric Bronson, the training introduced participants to the practical considerations of integrating grazing into solar operations and building productive partnerships between solar developers and graziers.

The morning session at Hula Lakeside covered key aspects of solar grazing, including sheep management, animal welfare, site design, and the collaboration needed to support successful grazing operations. In the afternoon, participants traveled to Encore Renewable Energy’s Danyow Road Solar site in Sheldon, Vermont, for a guided tour hosted by solar graziers Lewis Fox and Niko Kochendoerfer of Agrivoltaic Solutions, LLC. The site visit provided an opportunity to see solar grazing in practice and learn directly from those managing sheep at solar facilities. The training also benefited from the insights of graziers Jesse Robertson-DuBois of Finicky Farm and Rebekah Pierce of J&R Pierce Family Farm, who contributed their experience to the panel discussion.

ASGA extends its sincere thanks to Encore Renewable Energy for hosting the training, sponsoring the event, and providing photos, as well as to BlueWave and Cleantech Industry Resources for their sponsorship and support. We’re also grateful to Eric, Lewis, Niko, Jesse, and Rebekah for sharing their knowledge and helping make the day a valuable learning experience. By connecting solar professionals with experienced graziers and demonstrating how grazing works on the ground, these trainings help build the knowledge and relationships needed for successful solar grazing projects.

All photos in this post are credited to Encore Renewable Energy.