At our April webinar, we explored where the U.S. sheep population currently stands and how it relates to the growing demand for solar grazing services.

This conversation couldn’t be more timely as we witness the remarkable growth of solar grazing across the country. As our recent ASGA U.S. Solar Grazing Census revealed, we now have approximately 130,000 acres of solar being grazed with over 110,000 sheep on solar sites as of October 2024 – and those numbers continue to climb!

Latest Sheep Inventory Insights

Travis Averill from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service shared some encouraging news from the January 2025 sheep and goat inventory report. For the first time in years, we’re seeing a small uptick in the U.S. sheep population, with all sheep in the United States at 5,050,000 head – up 0.3% from 2024.

The top five states for sheep inventory are:

• Texas (leading and increasing from previous year)
• California (unchanged)
• Colorado (unchanged)
• Wyoming (the only top-five state showing a decrease)
• Utah (rounding out the top five)

Travis also highlighted an interesting trend toward hair sheep, which are often preferred by solar graziers due to their adaptability and parasite resistance. While there’s no direct evidence linking solar grazing to these positive trends, the connection is certainly worth noting!

Regional Challenges & Opportunities

Dr. Brady Campbell from Ohio State University and Camren Maierle from the American Lamb Board provided invaluable insights based on their recent paper about solar grazing. They highlighted a fascinating geographic mismatch: while most U.S. sheep are concentrated in the Inter-Mountain West and Texas, solar development is rapidly expanding in the Midwest and Eastern regions where sheep numbers are traditionally lower.

This creates both challenges and opportunities:

• Regional Variation: Solar grazing looks dramatically different across regions due to variations in precipitation, soil types, and forage species
• Production Calendars: Graziers may need to adjust lambing dates and production schedules to match solar grazing demands
• Stocking Rates: Balancing vegetation management goals with animal performance requires careful consideration of stocking rates
• Overwintering Solutions: Finding winter housing for sheep is a particular challenge in the Midwest and Northeast

As Brady noted, “Vegetation management certainly does not equal animal performance” – a critical consideration for anyone entering this space. The key is finding the right balance between providing the vegetation management service while ensuring your animals thrive.

Looking to the Future

The big question on everyone’s mind: Will there be enough sheep to meet the solar grazing demand?

As Camren candidly put it, “The answer today is no.” With solar development projected to add approximately 2 million acres over the next five years, we would need an additional 2 million sheep if stocked at just one sheep per acre – and these sheep would need to be adaptable to grazing systems.

However, there’s tremendous opportunity for growth. The sheep industry has the capacity to expand rapidly with the right incentives and support. We’re already seeing innovative partnerships forming, with established producers leasing sheep to emerging solar graziers, creating win-win situations that benefit both parties.

Join Our Community & Solar Farm Summit Registration Opens

If you’re interested in learning more about solar grazing or connecting with others in this growing field, we encourage you to join the ASGA network. Our members enjoy access to:

• Monthly educational webinars and workshops
• A supportive community of experienced graziers
• Resources to help you navigate this exciting opportunity

Join us at: https://solargrazing.org/join/

We’re also excited to share that Solar Farm Summit registration is now open for their August 4-7 event in Chicago. This year they’re launching an exciting Dual Use Design Challenge for students of all ages to develop innovative agrivoltaic solutions. Learn more at: https://solarfarmsummit.com