Saltcedar was planted across the West for shade and windbreaks; from 10,000 acres in 1920, the plant spread to over 1.2 million acres by the mid-1960s

Once planted to meet practical needs, saltcedar spread widely across Western floodplains. (Wikimedia Commons)

A shrub planted to shade poultry and block the wind has spread across floodplains in the American West. According to the U.S. Forest Service’s Fire Effects Information System review of Tamarix, saltcedar was recommended in the early 1900s. Suggested for ornamental use, windbreaks, fuel, and shade for poultry and small stock, it ended up expanding … Read more

A Colorado farmer put 3,276 solar panels over his crops, and the shade created cooler conditions for heat-sensitive plants

A Colorado farmer put 3,276 solar panels over his crops, and the shade created cooler conditions for heat-sensitive plants

Representative Image of solar panels and thriving crops growing together on the same farmland (AI-generated image) A family farm in Longmont, Colorado has turned part of its land into a working example of how solar power and agriculture can share the same ground. Byron Kominek, owner of Jack’s Solar Garden, covered roughly five acres of … Read more