Ahavah Farm has been operating as an organic family farm since 2015 out of Peyton, Colorado. We were contacted in December of last year by the home/business owner, inquiring about a PV system to power his home and farm. At Sunlight Solar Energy, we are always thrilled to work with any customer interested in solar energy, whether it be for the environmental benefits, financial investments, or both. Our project at Ahavah Farm, however, has been a project that embodies the practicality and multidimensional benefits of solar power, and is an ideal model for the future of sustainability.
Apart from running an incredibly efficient and impressive farm, Josef participates heavily in community outreach. He hosts workshops at his farm, working to educate people on sustainable agriculture and the importance of food sourcing and biodynamic versatility. SSE team members visited the farm in early June to attend one of Josef’s workshops which focused on reducing environmental impacts. Josef spoke to the group of community members about agriculture and the intensive use of water and fossil fuels, stressing the importance of using solar energy and best management practices. After touring the farm itself, Josef led us around to one of the grazing fields for the alpacas, and proudly introduced his solar array to the class. Excited about his heavily reduced electric bill, as well as beneficial financing that allowed him to fund the system with zero out of pocket costs, Josef’s point of emphasis was the importance of a low impact lifestyle.
Ahavah Farm has made an impressive commitment to being carbon neutral, and has been able to reach this goal by using solar energy as their main source of power. Connected to the grid, Ahavah Farm produces 21,300 kilowatt hours each year from a 12.6 kW system. This system not only powers Josef’s home, but his farm as well, including two greenhouses, a flock of healthy chickens, a happy herd of alpacas, and an expansive crop maintained by drip irrigation and no-till methods. As a business operation, their energy use is entirely offset by the array and generates enough renewable energy to satisfy energy needs for both their home and farm year-round.
Solar energy empowers you to produce your own electricity, and to choose where your energy is coming from. Just as Ahavah customers want to buy organic, ethically-sourced products, Josef and his family value energy autonomy and choice. Both solar power and sustainable farming embody what it means to be self-sufficient, and to have independence in how you are producing and consuming energy. The customer is able to build a relationship with the supplier or grower, and this relationship fosters trust and support. Ahavah Farm is compatible with our company values, and we look forward to watching this business grow, powered with the energy from SSE.