Jack's Solar Garden seeks more community engagement

Jack's Solar Garden is seeking applicants to fill two community-focused roles for 2022.

The family-owned solar garden, which is located between Niwot and Longmont off of North 95th Street, recently posted a call for their 2022 Artist on the Farm program and opened a position for an agrivoltaics education specialist at the farm's non-profit Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center (CALC).

Agrivoltaics, or the practice of growing crops in conjunction with solar panels, is Jack's Solar Garden's unique approach to more sustainably utilizing the land that houses the farm's 3,200 solar panels. The farm aims to be a model for farmers along the Front Range on how to produce renewable energy while improving agricultural production through agrivoltaics.

In addition to building a 1.2 MW solar array that powers over 300 homes, Jack's Solar Garden also works with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado State University, the University of Arizona and Sprout City Farms to study how best to grow crops underneath and around solar panels.

Additionally, the farm collaborated with Audubon Rockies to establish the largest Habitat Hero in Colorado around their solar array. These partnerships meet Jack's Solar Farms' mission of bettering the community.

In service of that same mission, Jack's Solar Garden will sponsor a 2022 Artist on the Farm. The selected artist will be tasked with both showcasing the farm's work to the community and engaging with the community through their art on the farm.

"Art inspires. Art reimagines what's possible. Art demonstrates how businesses, whether agricultural or otherwise, interact with the world and showcases how they are. Having an artist work with us each season provides me, and those that work with me, inspiration, joy, and a feeling of awe as to how an artist thinks about our work," said Byron Kominek, owner of Jack's Solar Garden.

Artists interested in applying must be based in Boulder County. The selected artist will receive $500 at the beginning of the program from Jack's Solar Garden to be used on supplies, transportation, collaboration, or other costs associated with bringing their art to the farm. They will also receive an additional $500 in October at the end of the program. Applications are due March 15, 2022, and the selected artist will be announced in April. Questions and applications can be sent to [email protected].

Throughout the summer, Jack's Solar Garden will host events for the artist to collaborate with the community and showcase their work. This will be the third year that the farm has sponsored an artist on the farm.

"I hope our next artist continues to incorporate community members into their residency, and I hope our community jumps in and participates," said Kominek.

In 2020, Rachael Scala, repurposed farm materials into art and hosted a one-day community painting day. The following year, Michelle Bernier hosted multiple educational dance workshops, filmed professional dancers on-site, and hosted a night-time movie showing.

The Artist on the Farm program is a chance for Jack's Solar Garden to increase its visibility within the community as well as to help local artists showcase their work.

"I hope our artist on the farm program inspires other businesses and community groups to engage with artists in reimagining their work and how they connect to our community," Kominek said.

Another open opportunity focused on community engagement and education is the farm's current job opening for an Agrivoltaics Education Specialist.

This position, as part of the non-profit Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center (CALC), will connect community members, students, and policymakers to clean energy, local food, and responsible land management education through agrivoltaic experiences at Jack's Solar Garden.

For more information visit http://www.jackssolargarden.com.