(KMAland) — A new association is stepping forward to help farmers and ranchers navigate hosting renewable energy projects on their land.
Jeff Risley, executive director of the Renewable Energy Farmers of America, talks about the group and its goals.
“We are a nonprofit 501c6, specifically, and we just launched. In fact, we’ve been working on it for a little over a year. But the whole mission of REFA is to help and empower these farmer-and-rancher landowners who are either already hosting large renewable energy projects or those that want to. We want to help them navigate a very complex process. These are billion-dollar developments on your land, and you should have the opportunity to get really good information, to talk to other farmers who have been through it, and to know the best potential leases that you can negotiate. All of these are things we want to help farmers and ranchers with.”
The goal is to provide every farmer and rancher with unbiased information about the pros and cons of a potential project on their land.
“We did research with about 100 farmers last spring to test our idea, and one of the biggest things they asked for was just that; a trusted third party, unbiased, and nonpartisan, that can bring some truth to them in the language they are understanding, on how it’s going to impact my land and my farming operation. The other thing they wanted was the ability to talk to other farmers and ranchers that have been through this, so part of what we’ll do is peer-to-peer networking.”
REFA will also offer professional services to answer any questions about leases and their effects on each operation.
“They also told us to help us with professional services. So, we’re going to offer non-legal lease reviews. We’ll also be able to provide answers to tax questions. Obviously, these leases provide money to the farmers and ranchers, so they can impact their income, and could impact their business practices. So, these are the things that we want to provide to members, along with a collective voice. We are grounded in private property rights. We want to make sure that farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to host these projects if they want to, and not be encumbered by policy that prevents that opportunity.”
Membership is open to all farmer and rancher landowners in the United States for a $250 annual fee. Learn more about REFA at renewableenergyfarmers.org.