Agroforestry and Agrivoltaics: Two Appropriate Technologies for Smart Shade on Farms

ATTRA: Farming is hard, period, but throw climate change into the mix and it gets even harder. Extreme heat from climate change can cause crops to shrivel, lose flavor complexity, become sunburned, and even die completely in some cases. In the case of perennial fruit crops, higher temperatures earlier in the year can also lead to premature bud-break, which leaves crops more vulnerable to weather events such as untimely rain, high winds, late frosts, and hail. To address these challenges, some farmers are turning to shade as a solution. Both agroforestry and agrivoltaics are practices that can provide smart shade to farms.