Page 14 - Harnett Life Spring 2019

“Mower” Than Meets The Eye!

By Rick Myers
As we’ve travelled the many highways of North Carolina on the panels, thereby ruining them. Hmmmm. What could
in recent years it’s been hard to miss them. They are seem- be the answer?
ingly popping up everywhere. I’m speaking of the numer-
ous solar farms that have become a common sight in our Sheep. They are the answer. Sheep simply lumber about all
state. We’re all familiar with them by now. The long rows day doing nothing but munching on tasty grass, not know-
of identical panels surrounded by chain linked fencing de- ing that they are actually doing the manual labor required
signed to keep out the curious. by the owner of the panels. It’s a win-win situation for all.

Many times, as I’ve passed these electrical curiosities a So, if you are out and about in our state’s countryside and
thought occurred to me. “Who’s mowing around and under see a solar panel farm surrounded by sheep you don’t have
all those panels?” I would silently think. It seemed to me to wonder anymore. They are simply there to offer their
that it would be quite a daunting task to undertake. So, I mowing services, not to mention they are at least thirty per-
decided to investigate. What I found out is very surprising! cent more cost effective than human landscapers. So, if you
are the owner of a fine herd of sheep, why not put them to
As it turns out, mowing machinery has the great potential good use. Contact the owner of a solar panel farm to inquire
to hit and damage the panels. This means a different meth- about using your animals to solve his problem! The sheep
od would have to be used. You can’t just let the grass and will enjoy the food and you’ll enjoy the monetary benefits.
weeds grow uncontrolled as they would soon overtake the Another win-win situation!
panels in height and block the precious sunbeams necessary
to produce the needed electricity. So just how is it done?

Mother nature, of course! Simply place grass eating an-
imals inside the fence to do what they do! What a great
idea. Only they had to be selective. Cows would be great,
but they are often taller than the bottom of the panels and
therefore might bump them and cause damage. What about
goats? Goats love grass. Again, a bad idea. They love to
climb and would surely soon be perched atop the panels
causing even more damaged than the aforementioned cows.
Not to mention the fact that goats will eat most anything.
It’s almost a certainty that they would soon be munching