Farming the Wind

Welcome to the Gray County Wind Farm

On my way home for spring break, I know, such an exotic spring break location, I stopped and snapped a few pictures of one of the most beautiful farms near home. It's not your average grain farm, but it sure is a sight to see! Today, we're going to take a trip today to Kansas' largest and oldest wind farm. You might have not thought about harvesting this type of crop, but these farms are popping up across Kansas and it all started back in 2001 in Gray County near my hometown.

The Gray County Wind Farm has 170 turbines that generate enough electricity to power 33,000 homes. The towers sit on over 12,000 acres of farm land, but only 6 acres are directly used for the towers and roads. The rest of the acreage can still be farmed traditionally.

A couple of turbines at the Gray County Wind Farm

One of these turbines is 217 feed high. Each blade is 77 feet long. Why are sites chosen for wind farms to be built? The turbines only produce power when wind speeds are between 10 and 56 miles per hour. At the Gray County Farm, average wind speeds are 20 miles per hour.

Turbines in a corn stalk field near Montezuma, KS.

How many tons of carbon dioxide emissions does this farmer save in a year by having these turbines on his land? 585,000 tons

How much money does the farmer make from each turbine? $2,000 per turbine for 20 years

What are some major benefits of owning a wind farm? It produces no pollution while allowing ground to remain in agricultural use and supporting the local economy.