AgNet News Hour: Solar vs. Soil—California’s Farmland Crossroads

In today’s AgNet News Hour, hosts Nick “The Ag Meter” Papagni and Josh McGill dig into one of the most controversial and emotional issues facing California agriculture—solar development on productive farmland.

Nick and Josh welcome Larry Westerlund, Vice President of Development & Community Engagement for White Pine Renewables, to discuss AB 1156, a bill that would allow solar installations on land protected under the Williamson Act by temporarily suspending its ag-use restriction. Westerlund argues that for growers who have lost surface water allocations under SGMA, solar is a practical Plan B to keep land viable and generate income.

But the conversation quickly evolves into a powerful and often heated debate about what California’s real priorities should be. Should the state push solar panels onto rich farmland simply because water mismanagement has left fields fallow? Or should the state focus first on building water infrastructure and restoring full allocations to the people who feed the nation?

Josh and Nick question whether the supposed environmental benefits of solar are as clear-cut as presented. From the water-intensive process of lithium mining to the toxic waste concerns tied to solar panel and battery disposal, the show shines a light on the hidden costs of renewable energy. They also challenge claims that solar fields benefit pollinators and push back on what they see as a dangerous trend of sidelining food production for feel-good energy policy.

With input from ag leaders like Rich Kreps and references to Italy’s outright ban on solar farms on ag land, the episode offers both facts and fierce advocacy for protecting California’s agriculture legacy.

Plus, in this week’s Merck Minute, Glaucio Lopes shares why 2025 could be a strong financial year for dairies—and why now is the time for strategic investment.

If you care about farming, food security, and the future of California’s rural economy, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.