Silicon Ranch Radio explores the American solar energy frontier. Listen in as we discover opportunities and challenges, with thought-leaders, industry and technology leaders, and our partners and community members.
What's really happening to the land beneath a solar array? Our exploration of CattleTracker™ continues as Nick de Vries sits down with soil scientist Dr. Taylor Bacon to dig into years of research examining how solar and managed grazing affect the ecosystem below. From soil moisture and temperature to plant productivity and carbon cycling, the research reveals encouraging results, including higher soil moisture and comparable vegetation productivity beneath the array. Together, they explore how solar is built and managed matters, and how science is helping Silicon Ranch better understand what it takes to keep the land beneath solar productive, resilient, and alive.
21 Jul 2026
Reliability, Affordability & the Future of Solar
What makes a solar energy project truly successful? Is it renewable power alone or the value it creates for the people and communities it serves? In this episode of Silicon Ranch Radio, Nick de Vries talks with Chris Jones, CEO of Middle Tennessee Electric, about meeting the "meat and potatoes" test: delivering reliable, affordable electricity while strengthening local communities. Together, they discuss the launch of CattleTracker™, the role of cost-effective locally generated solar in a growing region, and why preserving productive farmland can go hand in hand with building the grid of the future.
26 May 2026
Beyond Agrivoltaics: The Business of Cattle Under Solar
What if a solar farm could operate as a real cattle agribusiness? Loran Shallenberger, Silicon Ranch's Vice President of Regenerative Energy and Agrivoltaics joins Nick de Vries to explore the launch of Cattle Tracker, Silicon Ranch's patented platform designed to to integrate commercially viable cattle operations within utility-scale solar projects. We examine what it truly takes to build an AgriPV business that works economically for producers, operationally for solar, and sustainably for the land, covering everything from rotational grazing and forage quality to infrastructure design, animal behavior, and land stewardship. It's a behind-the-scenes look at how Silicon Ranch is rethinking what energy infrastructure can be — from sheep grazing to cattle operations at scale — and why the future of solar may depend as much on agriculture as electricity generation.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
16 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
58
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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