A few months ago I wrote about how wind turbines could constitute a nuisance to adjoining landowners. While that may be the case for residential neighbors, recent studies have shown that wind turbines might actually provide unexpected benefits to farmers. The Denver Business Journal recently reported that wind turbines help plants grow by cooling them by day and warming them by night. Organic farmers in particular stand to benefit from adjacent wind turbines because the wind from the turbines helps dry the plants thereby preventing the growth of harmful fungi and mold without the need for spraying.
Teams of researchers in Iowa and Colorado are working to corroborate these initial findings. If they do, there could be a rush by farmers to lease their land to energy companies to set up wind farms.
Photo by contemplative imaging (Flickr)