The Aporia · Minnesota farmers grazed sheep under solar panels; flock covered 6,500 acres

Arlo Hark and Josie Trople founded Cannon Valley Graziers in Northfield, Minnesota, in 2017, a company that uses sheep to graze under solar panels on over 6,500 acres across multiple states. The business offers services like Solar Grazing, Vegetation Management, and Forestry Restoration, reducing costs compared to mowing while enhancing soil health and biodiversity. Cannon Valley Graziers has gained recognition for its innovative approach and was named the 2026 Solar Ranchers of the Year by the North American Agrivoltaics Awards.

Written by AI on 2026-10-05, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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In 2017, Arlo Hark and Josie Trople founded Cannon Valley Graziers in Northfield, Minnesota. This company specializes in solar grazing, where sheep are used to manage vegetation under solar panels instead of using chemical herbicides or mowers. By 2026, their business had covered over 6,500 acres across solar farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and other parts of the United States. The company rotates its flock across multiple sites each season, providing a sustainable vegetation management solution for solar farm operators. Cannon Valley Graziers also offers services like forestry restoration and has sister ventures named Tethera and Bayl. Their innovative approach to integrating livestock farming with renewable energy infrastructure is gaining recognition; they were recently honored as the 2026 Solar Ranchers of the Year by the North American Agrivoltaics Awards.

Written for “Solar Farms And Sheep Grazing” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Solar Farms And Sheep Grazing

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It says he shares leadership responsibilities with other board members and passes on the field-tested lessons that he and Josie have learned over the nearly ten years of building the business, which the citation says now has a footprint across the country.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-05

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Minnesota farmers grazed sheep under solar panels; flock covered 6,500 acres · assertive framing

In 2017, Arlo Hark and Josie Trople founded Cannon Valley Graziers in Northfield, Minnesota, as a dedicated solar grazing operation. asserted

Hark → found → operation

According to the North American Agrivoltaics Awards, the business has now grazed more than 6,500 acres of solar farms for developers, operators and owners. uncertain

business → accord → developers

Its flock rotates across dozens of sites each season in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, with further sites in the western and central United States. asserted

flock → rotate → States

The company offers Solar Grazing, Vegetation Management and Forestry Restoration, and has two sister ventures, Tethera and Bayl. asserted

company → offer → ventures

The pair have been named the 2026 Solar Ranchers of the Year. asserted

pair → name → Year

How Minnesota farmers started solar grazing Arlo and Josie founded Cannon Valley Graziers in Northfield, Minnesota, in 2017. asserted

Arlo → start → 2017

It describes the business as a dedicated solar grazing operation that has now grazed more than 6,500 acres of solar farms for developers, operators and owners. asserted

that → describe → developers

The business started in the upper Midwest. asserted

business → start → Midwest

Cannon Valley Graziers now rotates its flock across dozens of sites each season in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, and also grazes solar farms further afield in the western and central United States. asserted

Graziers → rotate → States

How grazing-based vegetation management works The company's work now spans three service lines: Solar Grazing, Vegetation Management and Forestry Restoration. asserted

work → base → lines

It describes Arlo and Josie as experts with applied experience in the field, who have combined these services into a single offering of grazing-based vegetation management. asserted

who → describe → management

This approach costs less than mowing. asserted

approach → cost → less

It also builds soil health and biodiversity rather than simply suppressing growth, and it keeps working land working with natural systems. asserted

it → build → systems

The citation says this operating model has earned Cannon Valley Graziers coverage from Bloomberg, Minnesota Public Radio and other media. asserted

model → say → Bloomberg

How the couple expanded the business Arlo holds a board seat at the American Solar Grazing Association. asserted

Arlo → expand → Association

citation → say → country

The couple have launched two sister ventures: Tethera, which focuses on meat, and Bayl, which focuses on renewable fibre. asserted

which → launch → fibre

Both turn the flock's vegetation-management work into finished products, so that the business draws on food, renewable fibre and fashion, and grazing. asserted

business → turn → food

Arlo and Josie, as younger farmers with a young family, say their experience shows that solar grazing can give the next generation of agricultural producers access to working land. asserted

grazing → say → land

It names land access as a problem that prevents many would-be farmers and ranchers from getting started. asserted

that → name → farmers

Minnesota farmers grazed sheep under solar panels; flock covered 6,500 acres

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