Wind power: Saviour for family farmers?

Going green to save green

Is the way to save a family farm a wind turbine?

"Going green isn't a panacea for every struggling farmer," writes a recent MSNBC article. "The Weisshaars' turbine, for example, cost about $140,000, of which $29,000 was covered by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. The family expects the energy savings to pay off the investment in 10 to 15 years, although that timeframe could shrink if energy costs continue to balloon."

Still, for family farms that might pass on from generation to generation, then such a long term investment could make perfect sense.