{"id":16555,"date":"2026-11-02T00:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T06:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/?p=16555"},"modified":"2026-10-30T13:00:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T18:00:38","slug":"is-an-agrivoltaic-operation-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2026\/11\/02\/is-an-agrivoltaic-operation-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Is an Agrivoltaic Operation Agriculture?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Pennsylvania Court of Appeals recently issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/pennsylvania\/commonwealth-court\/2026\/76-c-d-2025.html\">decision<\/a> in <em>West Lampeter Solar 1, LLC v. West Lampeter Township Zoning Hearing Board<\/em>, 351 A.3d 383, addressing an important question:  Is an agrivoltaic operation considered &#8220;agriculture&#8221; under the law?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2026\/10\/pexels-firststepkit-9684128-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16556\" role=\"none\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2026\/10\/pexels-firststepkit-9684128-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2026\/10\/pexels-firststepkit-9684128-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2026\/10\/pexels-firststepkit-9684128-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2026\/10\/pexels-firststepkit-9684128-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2026\/10\/pexels-firststepkit-9684128-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gerald and Jewel Garber own a 55-acre farm in Pennsylvania that was first purchased by Mr. Garber\u2019s father in the 1970s.&nbsp; The farm was used as pastureland or for growing crops since that time.&nbsp; Mr. Garber testified he would like to pass the farm to his children, but he would like it to continue generating income after he retires.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this goal in mind, the Garbers entered into a lease with West Lampeter Solar (\u201cSolar Company\u201d). The proposed solar farm would occupy 25-30 acres and would be surrounded by a 7-foot-tall fence.&nbsp; Below the solar panels, a custom seed mix of grasses would be planted, and the vegetation would be managed by sheep grazing. The solar panels would have a 25-year expected lifespan, and at the conclusion of their productive life, they would be decommissioned, removed, and the land would become a \u201cpasture again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dotterer Farms, LLC would be contracted to provide the sheep for the project, and its owner testified that sheep were ideal to manage vegetation on solar farms. Goats, he testified, are prone to curiosity, climbing, and chewing.&nbsp; Cattle have the potential to break panels.&nbsp; He testified that he intends to graze 160 Katahdin sheep on the farm from April \u2013 November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The farm is located in an agricultural district.&nbsp; The Township\u2019s zoning ordinance limits non-agricultural uses in an agricultural district to 5-acres.&nbsp; The ordinance does not define \u201csolar,\u201d \u201csolar farm,\u201d or \u201cagrivoltaic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Litigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solar Company applied to the local Zoning Board for a special exemption to use the land as an agrivoltaics solar farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The County Zoning Board held a hearing.&nbsp; The Board concluded that the proposed use is not agricultural, relying on the fact that the <em>principal<\/em> use of the land would be solar energy generation, with the <em>accessory<\/em> use of sheep grazing.&nbsp; Because the primary use was non-agricultural, and the project would use more than the 5-acre limit, the exemption was denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solar Company appealed to the trial court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trial court affirmed the Zoning Board\u2019s decision finding the use to be non-agricultural and noting that the project would undermine the town\u2019s effort to \u201cprotect and stabilize the Township\u2019s viable agricultural economy by eliminating uses that are incompatible with farming but permitting limited agricultural support businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solar Company appealed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Court of Appeals Decision<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The court of appeals affirmed and addressed three questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is \u201cAgrivoltaics\u201d Agriculture?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, the court addressed the key question of whether agrivoltaics was agriculture.&nbsp; It noted that according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, a solar farm does not meet the definition of \u201cagriculture\u201d under the State\u2019s Right to Farm Act. The court also considered the fact that the power generated by solar panels would not be used to prepare or market any crop of livestock products.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solar Company argued that agrivoltaics is a \u201ctechnological development within the agricultural industry,\u201d which the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code includes in the definition of an agricultural operation.&nbsp; The court, however, disagreed holding that a technological development in the ag industry must be read in context of dealing with the production of crops, livestock, or commodities. Here, there was no tie between the technological advance and agricultural products\u2014the generation of electricity did not advance the sheep grazing enterprise. Thus, the trial court did not err in its ruling that agrivoltaics was not an agricultural use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is Agrivoltaics Prohibited by the Zoning Ordinance?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solar Company argued that only \u201cnonagricultural uses\u201d were limited to five acres, but this project was a dual use project which should not be so limited.&nbsp; The court disagreed, holding that under the ordinance, photovoltaic energy generation was a \u201cnon-agricultural use\u201d that could not exceed five acres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Do Agrivoltaics Constitute a Dual Use Permitted by the Zoning Ordinance?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Company argued that in a dual use situation, the Zoning Board should opt for the classification that permits the broadest use of the land.&nbsp; The Township responded that there is no authority that a Zoning Board must treat two separate, albeit mutually beneficial uses, as a distinct, combined use. The Township argued that to interpret the proposed project solely as agriculture simply because there is an agricultural component \u201cwould lead to an absurd result.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The court noted that the proposed solar farm would have solar panels on the property for 12 months out of the year, while sheep would only bet here from April \u2013 November. During periods of drought, that sheep may have to be removed.&nbsp; The sheep are not a necessity to the solar farm, which could manage vegetation with a lawnmower.&nbsp; In light of this, the trial court did not err in finding the primary use to be solar energy generation, a non-agricultural use, with an incidental sheep grazing enterprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The court held that agrivoltaics was a non-agricultural use that may not exceed five acres per the Township ordinance.&nbsp; The trial court (and the Zoning Board) was affirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though this case is not decided under Texas law, I think it raises a couple of important considerations for Texas rural landowners and agricultural producers, nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, the discussion of Mr. Garber having a family farm that he wants to pass to the next generation, but needing to have continued income after he retires from farming is an issue that many farmers across the country are facing.&nbsp; Many rural ag producers are looking at alternative options including farm or grazing leases, solar or wind production, or agritourism to find a way to retire from farming but continue receiving an income stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, the concept of whether agrivoltaics is agriculture may be relevant in a number of contexts under Texas law.&nbsp; Though there are few zoning ordinances in rural Texas given the lack of county zoning authority, the application of many other laws could hinge on the question of whether agrivoltaics constitutes an agricultural use.&nbsp; For example, is a solar farm utilizing agrivoltaics an \u201cagricultural operation\u201d under the Texas Right to Farm statute?&nbsp; This answer would be critical in determining whether city-level requirements like zoning ordinances could apply and whether solar farms would have a defense against nuisance actions filed by neighbors.&nbsp; Would agrivoltaics be considered \u201cagricultural land\u201d under the Agritourism or Recreational Use Statutes? This answer could impact the potential liability if someone were to be injured on the land during a recreational or educational activity.&nbsp; From a property tax perspective, can agrivoltaics qualify for open space valuation as an agricultural use?&nbsp; The answer to this question could have a significant financial impact on an operation. &nbsp;These questions are, at this point, unanswered under Texas law but important for landowners and project developers to keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As technology advances and more agricultural operations consider alternative land uses, these types of issues will continue to arise across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Additional Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For additional information on agrivoltaics, listen to our <a href=\"https:\/\/aglaw.libsyn.com\/size\/5\/?search=agrivoltaics\">podcast episode<\/a> with Hannes Zetzsche. For more information on solar leasing, check out our podcast episodes on <a href=\"https:\/\/aglaw.libsyn.com\/episode-60-parks-brown-solar-lease-agreements\">solar lease agreements<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/aglaw.libsyn.com\/episode-172-garrett-couts-top-10-renewable-energy-lease-considerations-for-landowners\">key considerations for renewable energy leases<\/a>, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalaglawcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/assets\/articles\/hall_solar_Leasing.pdf\">handbook<\/a> authored by our friend, Shannon Ferrell. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Pennsylvania Court of Appeals recently issued a decision in West Lampeter Solar 1, LLC v. West Lampeter Township Zoning Hearing Board, 351 A.3d 383, addressing an important question: Is an agrivoltaic operation considered &#8220;agriculture&#8221; under the law? Background Gerald and Jewel Garber own a 55-acre farm in Pennsylvania that was first purchased by Mr. Garber\u2019s father in the 1970s.&nbsp; The farm was used as pastureland or for growing crops since that time.&nbsp; Mr. Garber testified he would like to pass the farm to his children, but he&#8230; <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2026\/11\/02\/is-an-agrivoltaic-operation-agriculture\/\">Read More &rarr;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2444,"featured_media":16556,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is an Agrivoltaic Operation Agriculture? - Texas Agriculture Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2026\/11\/02\/is-an-agrivoltaic-operation-agriculture\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is an Agrivoltaic Operation Agriculture? - Texas Agriculture Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Pennsylvania Court of Appeals recently issued a decision in West Lampeter Solar 1, LLC v. West Lampeter Township Zoning Hearing Board, 351 A.3d 383, addressing an important question: Is an agrivoltaic operation considered &#8220;agriculture&#8221; under the law? Background Gerald and Jewel Garber own a 55-acre farm in Pennsylvania that was first purchased by Mr. Garber\u2019s father in the 1970s.&nbsp; The farm was used as pastureland or for growing crops since that time.&nbsp; Mr. Garber testified he would like to pass the farm to his children, but he... 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West Lampeter Township Zoning Hearing Board, 351 A.3d 383, addressing an important question: Is an agrivoltaic operation considered &#8220;agriculture&#8221; under the law? Background Gerald and Jewel Garber own a 55-acre farm in Pennsylvania that was first purchased by Mr. Garber\u2019s father in the 1970s.&nbsp; The farm was used as pastureland or for growing crops since that time.&nbsp; Mr. Garber testified he would like to pass the farm to his children, but he... 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