Iowa farmer earns $30,000 from four wind turbines, calls it the '401(k)' he never had

Crop prices and yields can change, while a wind turbine can provide relatively stable revenue Iowa is known for its farms, but its landscape is also filled with wind turbines. The state produced 59% of its energy from wind in 2023, the highest share of any US state. For many farmers, wind energy is not about politics or climate change. It is also a way to earn a steady income from their land.Dave Johnson, a livestock farmer in northern Iowa, leases part of his land to a utility that installed four wind turbines on his property, Vox reported. The turbines bring him about $30,000 a year in total. Johnson raises cattle and hogs and says he wanted his farm to generate more value.“I never had a 401(k),” Johnson said. “I farmed and stuck everything back into the farm. This is the 401(k) that I never had,” he told Vox.Johnson is a Republican and said he voted for Donald Trump. His son also has wind turbines on his farm. For Johnson, however, the turbines are mainly an economic decision. The steady income from them gives his farm another source of money at a time when farming can be difficult.Johnson is not the only farmer in the area who has chosen wind energy. Fred Koschmeder, a corn and...