--- title: "Minnesota farmer harvests cucumbers at solar farm" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/tech/minnesota-farmer-harvests-cucumbers-at-solar-farm" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/minnesota-farmer-harvests-cucumbers-at-solar-farm" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/tech/minnesota-farmer-harvests-cucumbers-at-solar-farm.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/minnesota-farmer-harvests-cucumbers-at-solar-farm" category: "Science & Tech" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-22T03:46:18.101Z" source_reported: "2026-09-21T17:22:43.000Z" updated: "2026-09-22T03:46:18.101Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-22T05:30:20.342474+00:00" --- # Minnesota farmer harvests cucumbers at solar farm *An agrivoltaics project in Big Lake, Minnesota, combines solar power generation with crop cultivation.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Trust high (86) due to multiple named sources, USDA announcement, and corroborating figures across many outlets. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic strong (95) with quotes, context, specific data, clear structure, and future actions noted. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype low (15); language is measured and headline matches article content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Winifred Sylvah harvested approximately 140 pounds of cucumbers from a solar farm in Big Lake, Minnesota. - The Big Lake project is an example of agrivoltaics, a method of combining solar power generation with agriculture. - Farmers at the Big Lake site have secured 10-year land leases, providing more stability than typical short-term agreements. - The project is a partnership between The Food Group, U.S. Solar, and Conexus Energy. Winifred Sylvah has harvested about 140 pounds of cucumbers from a plot of land at a solar farm in Big Lake, Minnesota. This project is an example of agrivoltaics, a technique that integrates farming with solar power generation. The initiative is a collaboration between The Food Group, a non-profit organisation supporting emerging farmers, U.S. Solar, and Conexus Energy. Farmers involved in the Big Lake project have entered into 10-year land leases, a significant increase in security compared to the typical one-year leases that can hinder long-term farming practices like achieving organic certification. The Big Lake agrivoltaics project utilises a 1-megawatt solar array. Farmers cultivate crops in the spaces between and around the solar panels. This approach aims to demonstrate that sufficient sunlight is available for both solar energy production and crop growth, addressing potential conflicts over land use in rural areas. The project provides farmers with affordable access to land while also creating an additional use for land designated for solar infrastructure. ## Context of farmer support The expansion of the Big Lake project comes at a time when federal support for new farmers is being reduced. In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $300 million in cuts to a grant program designed to assist new farmers. These cuts affected three programs specifically aimed at helping farmers of colour in Minnesota. The Washington Top News report noted these reductions are part of broader efforts to decrease federal spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. ## Omissions in coverage None of the right-rated digests mention the U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement of $300 million in cuts to a grant program for new farmers, a detail included in the full report from Washington Top News and mentioned in left-rated reports. The right-rated digest also does not mention the 10-year land leases for farmers, a detail present in the full report and mentioned in centre-rated reports. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 58% (7) - Centre: 34% (4) - Right: 8% (1) 0 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-22T05:30:20.342474+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 11 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-22T06:30:09.102Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted Winifred Sylvah's cucumber harvest and the concept of agrivoltaics. Several digests mentioned Sylvah picking cucumbers on a wet September morning with raindrops falling from solar panels. The Toronto Star, The Independent, Associated Press News, The Independent (US), The Hamilton Spectator, and St Catharines Standard digests all noted Sylvah's harvest and the Big Lake location. The Northern Virginia Daily digest also mentioned Sylvah's thriving cucumber harvest and the blending of farming with solar power, identifying the supporting organisations. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the promise of agrivoltaics and Sylvah's harvest. Washington Top News, in its full report, detailed Sylvah's cucumber yield, the 10-year leases, and the partnership between The Food Group, U.S. Solar, and Conexus Energy. It also discussed the USDA's funding cuts to new farmer programs. Digests from The Northern Virginia Daily, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, The Record, and Winnipeg Free Press mentioned Sylvah's cucumber harvest at the solar farm in Big Lake, with The Northern Virginia Daily digest also noting the project's blend of farming and solar power and its supporting organisations. ### Right - The right-rated digest from The Batesville Daily Guard mentioned Winifred Sylvah's cucumber harvest at the solar farm in Big Lake, Minnesota. It stated she is part of an agrivoltaics project that blends farming with solar power and identified the initiative's supporters: The Food Group, U.S. Solar, and Conexus Energy. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 6 - veryHigh: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/09/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power – WTOP News - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_9f153474-fab0-5452-931c-b8dd42b26bbd.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/minnesota-ames-solar-iowa-state-university-trump-b3053798.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/big-lake-project-farming-solar-power-1d8f3774ca0f9f9d63d165d0bfeddbb4) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/minnesota-ames-solar-iowa-state-university-trump-b3053798.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Northern Virginia Daily](https://nvdaily.com/associated_press_national/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_6fe72f23-e42f-511d-8af6-772d632fa813.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel](https://gjsentinel.com/news/us/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_e27bfaa7-9e14-5ffd-84dd-611c65b36d9b.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Batesville Daily Guard](https://guardonline.com/news/national/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_391dfc08-f3c3-59e3-8fcd-e1b29cc44a9e.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/business/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_bfa1018c-6ff5-5906-8013-9f14381ac71f.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [The Record](https://therecord.com/business/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_65becd2f-b3ef-5350-a38c-9550aebd745e.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/business/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power/article_66a17a99-4ba3-5df1-a41e-ef2ece0d98e9.html) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/09/21/minnesota-agrivoltaics-project-shows-promise-of-mixing-farming-solar-power) — Minnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power ## Questions **What is agrivoltaics?** Agrivoltaics is a technique that combines farming with solar power generation. It involves cultivating crops in the spaces between and around solar panels, demonstrating that land can be used for both solar energy production and agriculture simultaneously. **What did Winifred Sylvah harvest?** Winifred Sylvah harvested approximately 140 pounds of cucumbers from her plot at the solar farm in Big Lake, Minnesota. She is one of three farmers participating in the agrivoltaics project. **What are the land lease terms at the Big Lake project?** Farmers at the Big Lake agrivoltaics project have secured 10-year land leases. This provides them with greater certainty and stability compared to the typical one-year leases, allowing for more long-term planning and investment in their farming operations. **What is the significance of the USDA cuts mentioned in the reports?** The reports mention that the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $300 million in cuts to a grant program for new farmers. This reduction in funding impacts support for land and market access for emerging farmers, including programs aimed at farmers of colour. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/tech/minnesota-farmer-harvests-cucumbers-at-solar-farm. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Minnesota farmer harvests cucumbers at solar farm", https://mediabias.news/tech/minnesota-farmer-harvests-cucumbers-at-solar-farm