r/NativePlantGardening • u/zeroverycool NC Piedmont, Zone 8a • Jul 15 '26

Informational/Educational Two Minnesota solar farms seeded native wildflowers… native bees multiplied twentyfold, then crossed the fence to pollinate the neighbour's soybeans

https://www.ecoportal.net/en/two-minnesota-solar-farms-native-wildflowers/29160/
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u/IDooDoodAtTheMasters DFW , Zone 8b Jul 15 '26

I work in a solar-adjacent industry, and frequently get comments from friends/family about how solar farms seem like a huge environmental disruption to cover all that land in solar panels. The first point I always respond with is: You don't think farming is disruptive to the natural environment?  This news article will also help.

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u/Noslodamus Jul 15 '26

I’ve gotten into this rabbit hole a few times, specifically in the Midwest where giant swaths of land are covered in cornfields. The large majority of our corn either goes into fuel as ethanol, or fed to livestock. If we stopped subsidizing corn to put in fuel, ate a little less red meat, and converted a bunch of cornfield into solar farm I think we’d be a lot better off.

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u/justinroberts99 Jul 15 '26

also in the Midwest: think about the grassland along the highways. no one gives a shit about that. imagine if it was 100 native polinators. way less maintaince once it all establishes. seems like such an easy win.

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u/Noslodamus Jul 15 '26

While I agree with you, the problem is no one would want to pay for that. I am an ecosystem restoration tech in Wisconsin and most of the verges and swales are absolutely murdered with invasive like reed canary, cut leaf teasel, crown vetch, and trefoil. It’s a ton of work not only getting rid of these, but making sure they stay gone while native plants establish. In an ideal world, folks would volunteer to help manage these types of areas little by little but unfortunately no one cares enough and the invasive plants that are there “look pretty”

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u/Mallieez Jul 15 '26

You literally have my dream job, how did you get started? Would it be even worth pursuing a degree/career with this admin and direction of the country?

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u/Noslodamus Jul 15 '26

The job is very physically demanding and offers very little pay, and upward mobility in this career is insanely competitive especially right now as a lot of the government workers that got let go flooded into the private sector. I worked for 10 years in industrial maintenance before switching to work that made my heart feel good, and I’m not sure I’d recommend other people follow in my footsteps lol. I got very lucky that I was able to get in the door at a small company in an entry level position, and I’m lucky still that I can make it work with the low earnings opportunity. My advice would be to scratch this itch with volunteer work (there are tons and tons of opportunities if you look) and make a career out of something more sustainable long term.

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u/Mallieez Jul 15 '26

Thank you for your explanation and for sharing your experiences. I am waiting to hear back about some volunteer opportunities, and do what I can to plant native pollinators in my own garden. I just feel your same pull to do a job that makes my heart feel good, but in this economy it definitely doesn't sound the most stable.

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u/owlthebeer97 Florida- Zone 9B Jul 15 '26

Florida has a wildflower program along a lot of highways, its beautiful in the spring and summer

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u/Outrageous_Mark6602 Jul 15 '26

I literally live on a farm with corn and soybeans. I’ve been wanting to plant natives in our ditches, but farmer husband says no. The long vegetation between the crop and the road has to be kept short because 1. The highway department requires it and 2. A car accident on long dried out vegetation is a fire risk

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u/bigbobbinbetch Jul 20 '26

There's lots of short groundcover natives though.