John Umscheid: Estherville, Iowa

“The rain wouldn’t stop during planting season, and then the drought hit. My harvest was cut in half, and corn prices dropped to $4.50 a bushel. I barely made enough to pay my bills, and without crop insurance, I don’t know what I’d have done.

But community solar could change things for us in a meaningful way. When ESA Solar Energy contacted me about placing a community solar project on my farm, I quickly became excited. They lease the land for 20 years, and I get steady income from that, no matter the weather.

That financial stability means I can replace the tires on my tractor or finally take my family on a vacation. My daughters have never even seen the ocean. If this solar deal works out, maybe I can make that happen.

It’s not just about me, though. My youngest daughter wants to move back and take over the farm. This lease gives her the chance to do that without shouldering the financial challenges of farming. If this goes through, by the end of the lease, we’ll be close to having a century farm, and that’s something I’m proud of.”