Letter to the editor: Why farmers embrace solar

We are the owners of an 82-plus-acre farm in Sarver, which we bought 38 years ago. We are in our 80s and love our farm on which we planted 2,000 trees of various American species. Our three married children and grandchildren love our farm, too, and know we do not want it sold when we die. By having 13-plus acres of it in solar energy in the back corner not seen from the road, the money received would cover taxes and other upkeep expenses for the farm for the next 25 or more years. We feel this would be so much better than having our farm, like so many others in Buffalo Township, sold and made into a housing plan.

When the solar panels are installed in two or three years, we plan to start a yearly scholarship for a Freeport High School student in honor of Jack Love, who was Phil’s best friend and fellow 1962 graduate. Those who knew him felt with his brilliant intelligence, great leadership abilities, integrity, vision, decision-making skills, empathy, creativity and respect that he would probably become a senator, secretary of State or higher some day. At age 21 he was returning from Christmas break to Columbia University, where he was in graduate school for Russian studies, with his bride of six months when he stopped for a fender-bender on the turnpike and was killed by a tractor-trailer.

We know many people in Buffalo Township are against solar. Would they rather have another housing plan or the 14 acres of solar that can’t be seen from the road?

Phil and Sara Vassalio

Buffalo Township