Illinois farmer hosted 10 wind turbines across 800 acres; payments began at $10,000 per turbine

In Grundy County, Illinois, grain farmer John Dollinger gets yearly payments from ten wind turbines spread across his family's 800-acre property. About a decade ago, the deal guaranteed him $10,000 per turbine each year. That amount has slowly increased with inflation. By 2025, each turbine paid about $12,000, giving the farm roughly $120,000 in total income each year. Dollinger's experience is part of a wider trend across rural America. According to agricultural media outlet Ambrook, more than 90 per cent of land-based wind turbines in the United States are located on private farmland. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that from 2012 to 2017, 94 per cent of farmland with turbines remained in primary agricultural use. The extra income can help farmers deal with changing crop prices. But the growth of wind power continues to divide farming communities.Steady income versus land preservationFor many farmers, payments from turbine leases provide a rare source of financial security. A USDA report that studied wind energy costs from 2011 to 2020 found that farmers hosting turbines earn between $8,000 and $33,000 per turbine each year. Clayton Rosenberger farms 1...