Farmers have many issues to deal with in the spring in order to get a crop planted and growing properly. That could change drastically if a neighbor leases to a wind developer and behemoth wind turbines or transmission lines are placed in the field next to yours. People who are not involved with farming may not realize the implications nor understand why many farmers want nothing to do with these industrial wind sites.
Sometimes weather provides only a small window of opportunity as to when a field is dry enough to plant before the next weather system comes through. Good drainage is crucial as to when a field is ready to be worked. That can all change when your drainage tile happens to flow through that neighbor’s adjacent field to the nearest open ditch, as it does in Van Wert County, and the tile outlet has been crushed by the weight of the installation crane. Burying a transmission line can cut multiple tile lines. One field in particular in the Blue Creek footprint needs tens of thousands of dollars worth of drainage repairs. Drainage repairs are sometimes signed off too soon or will only be done once as landowners have been unaware that the crane would be coming back through more times. All of that could change the planting window, especially in a wet season.
It is our opinion that wind developers do not have a farmer’s best interest in mind when working on leased ground. They have been known to move heavy machinery when the ground is wet. Recent crop yield maps prove that their compaction causes continuous lower yields.
— Toby Thomas, Citizens for Clear Skies, Ohio City
