A Colorado wind farm has given the Kochis family an additional source of income from their century-old ranch, where 30 turbines share the land with cattle and crops.
Key Takeaways
- The ranch covers more than 10,000 acres on Colorado’s eastern plains.
- Wind lease payments supplement income from cattle and dryland crops.
- Farming and grazing continue around the turbine infrastructure.
Colorado wind farm shares land with agriculture
The Kochis family has farmed the property for more than 100 years. About half of the ranch is used for beef cattle, while the other half grows dryland crops including wheat, corn and millet.
Xcel Energy selected portions of the land for the Rush Creek Wind Farm. Thirty turbines were installed across the ranch, with crops planted nearby and cattle grazing around them. Turbine foundations, access roads and power lines occupy part of the property.
Lease payments add another income stream
The family receives payments through wind lease agreements alongside its agricultural income. That provides another source of revenue when crop yields or livestock markets are weak; the payment amounts and lease terms were not disclosed in the source material.
The family also received compensation for farming disruption during turbine installation. Improved access roads made it easier to move machinery around parts of the ranch.
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