MAINE PUBLIC • February 17, 2022
Farmer Bussie York walks through a former cow pasture — one small part of the farm along the Sandy River in Farmington that's been in his family for about 70 years. The family has grown sugar beets, turnips and soybeans, among other crops. But today, much of the land is covered in metallic blue panels, 300,000 solar panels — a total of 76.5 megawatts, believed to be the largest solar array in New England. The project came to fruition in the midst of a major shift in the dairy industry. For years, the farm's primary export was milk. But that ended in 2018 when Horizon Organic discontinued its contract with the farm. Without a major buyer, York had to downsize the herd from 100 cows to just 15. "We had to look for something viable enough to keep the farm going.” Options were limited. He accepted an offer from a solar developer to set up panels on about 100 acres of farmland and 200 acres of woodland.