On a 160-acre farm in central Iowa, three tall wind turbines quietly rise above the fields. Each turbine uses less than an acre of land, but together they provide an annual income that has changed the financial future of 75-year-old farmer Evie Haupt. According to a CBS News report by Janet Shamlian and Alicia Hastey, Haupt earns about $35,000 each year by leasing part of her land for the wind turbines. The income rises with inflation and has helped her pay down a $350,000 farm debt left after her husband died a decade ago. Her remaining debt is now $67,000. For many family farms across the United States, extra sources of income have become important lifelines. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects farm profits to fall by 25 per cent, as farmers face higher costs, changing crop prices and unpredictable weather. Adding wind power to traditional farming can provide steady income and help protect farmers from financial shocks.
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