RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP LEAVES LAND BRIGHT FUTURE
Article by John Wikman
As a third-generation landowner in Indiana, I’ve spent my life witnessing the evolution of farming on our land. The Wikman family has farmed this soil for nearly a century, and the lessons we’ve learned have taught us one essential truth: The land needs to heal.
In the 1980s, my father was ahead of his time, adopting soil management techniques that have since become standard practice. He was one of the first in the area to enroll in Conservation Reserve Programs, resting the land by taking it out of production for years.
Today, our family continues to embrace innovative approaches to farming that honor the health of our soil and the sustainability of our community. That’s why we’ve partnered with Doral Renewables on a project that uses cutting-edge agrivoltaic techniques to produce clean energy while improving the land.
Agrivoltaics allows us to farm beneath and between solar panels, creating an environment where biologically diverse flora and fauna can flourish. This practice revitalizes the land, making it more productive and resilient for future generations.
For our family, this project is about more than just clean energy; it’s about leaving the land better than we found it.
But this decision is also about something deeper: landowner rights. For nearly a century, our family has owned this farm outright, and that ownership has always come with the freedom to make the choices we believe are best for our land and our family.
My father transitioned from dairy farming to growing corn and soybeans, always guided by what would be most sustainable for the soil and most viable in the market.
He had the right to make those decisions, and so do I.
Partnering with Doral is no different. This is our choice to secure a sustainable future for our land while ensuring our farm stays in the family for my daughter and, someday, her children. It’s a choice that aligns with our values as stewards of this land and as innovators committed to progress.
This project isn’t just about farming or energy, it’s about taking care of the land and taking care of my family.
John Wikman is owner and operator of Helios Farms of Monterey, Indiana.
