Dance, plants and grants taking root at Jack's Solar Garden

Spring is always a busy time for gardeners, and this year Jack's Solar Garden is finding the season to be super-charged with activity. Last March Jack's, the largest U.S. commercially active agrivoltaic system, was just preparing to have 3,200 solar panels installed.

What a difference a year makes. By November 2020 the system was up and running, and now it's nearly 100% sold out, seeds for grasses and wildflowers have been spread, a unique 2021 Artist on the Farm has been selected, a grant for irrigation has been awarded, vegetable garden prep is beginning and an agrivoltaic learning center has been established.

Byron Kominek, founder of Jack's Solar Garden, announced early this year that applications were being accepted to select the 2021 Artist on the Farm. With the pandemic putting the kibosh on all indoor artistic venues, the opportunity to connect with an audience, in an outdoor COVID-safe setting, appealed to several dance related applicants.

Executive Director of San Souci Festival of Dance Cinema Michelle Bernier's artist application rose to the top because of Bernier's years of experience with the dance world, connection to local dancers, and her beautiful films, Kominek said of this year's designated Artist on the Farm.

"One of the first things that caught my attention was just how unusual it is to see an artist residency in a location like this - both a solar power production site and a working farm. I've been interested in renewable energy my whole life, and even more interested in sustainable agriculture since adulthood, and since moving to Colorado in 2011," Bernier said.

Dancer-filmmaker Bernier plans for her year as the Artist on the Farm to begin with integrating an existing project called Community Dance Film, featuring professional Boulder County dancers, particularly those from marginalized communities, as they throw off the constraints of quarantining and reconnect with "their own dance-deprived bodies" in a natural setting.

She'll also work with new dancers shooting films on location at Jack's to raise awareness of renewable energy and sustainable farming. The third element of Bernier's artistic partnership with Jack's is to invite the families of dancers from local dance studios to tour the garden and learn about the research and technology being used.

Nearly all of the 1.2 MW system has been spoken for as of March 1, when the two most recent corporate subscribers, Western Disposal and Terrapin Care Station, committed to 15% and 10% of the panels, respectively. Other major subscribers include Premier Members Credit Union and In the Flow Boutique Cannabis.

As for the nitty gritty of gardening, spring planting prep is officially beginning. Knowing that weather forecasts predicted perhaps feet of snow descending on the area, Kominek put out a call for volunteers to help hand broadcast collected grass and wildflower seeds in the area where equipment had been parked during the solar array installation. A deep watering thanks to the melting snow will prompt the seeds to sprout and draw in pollinators. Early in 2020, perennial pollinators were planted by partner Audubon Rockies along the edge of the field.

In addition to providing renewable energy and engaging the community with art and education, Jack's works with researchers from Colorado State University, the University of Arizona, and the National Renewable Energy Labs to monitor the effects of growing crops, grasses, and wildflowers under and around the opaque solar panels.

Partnering with Jack's is Sprout City Farms, a not-for-profit organization based in Denver, which establishes community farms while empowering participation through education. This organization is in charge of the more traditional farming elements of Jack's beginning with the cultivation of the land under the solar panels.

Sprouts City Farms founder and executive director Meg Caley said, "We'll be breaking ground at Jack's Solar Garden as soon as the snow melts and the soil dries out. We plan to grow a little bit of everything"

Tomato and other seedlings are already germinating in a greenhouse and following the tilling, addition of soil amendments, and the installation of an irrigation system, cool weather crops will be directly sowed into the fields. The resulting produce will be available for sale at the Longmont Farmers Market and distributed through a no-cost CSA for families with SNAP and WIC benefits.

Newly hired farm manager Brittany Staie formerly with nearby Red Wagon Organic Farm, will be working with an assistant manager, and interns are being hired to round out the crew.

Caley said, "We'll be hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, April 17, with farm tours, fun activities, music, and more. Everyone is welcome to come celebrate with us and put a golden shovel in the ground." Details on the event will be announced when available.

Thanks to a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the installation of an irrigation system will soon begin, which will bring water to the portions of the five-acre field needing consistent hydration.

In addition, rotating tracking devices that follow the sun from east to west will be installed by Namaste Solar, the Boulder company that designed and built the solar array. The trackers are built by Solar Flexracks, a company with prior experience particular to the needs of agrivoltaic systems.

Now that Kominek's goals for Jack's Solar Garden are well within reach, the newly formed Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center has been established. Community members and students will have the opportunity to learn about the unique blending of clean energy, responsible land use management, and locally grown food through agrivoltaics by participating in tours and events.

Support the working farm: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/jacks-solar-garden-crowdfunder/sproutcityfarmsinc?modified=1

Apply for a farm crew internship: https://sproutcityfarms.org/join-our-team

Take a tour and learn more about Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center:https://www.coagrivoltaic.org/