Recently taken over a rural property and got some spare land to put to use? Or perhaps you’ve got some extra space in your backyard that you’re not sure what to do with? There are many ways in which you could develop this land. However, not all development ideas are likely to be eco-friendly. Below are just a few suggestions when it comes to environmentally-friendly ways of putting land to use.
Rewild It
‘Rewilding’ involves returning land to its natural state so that plants and animals can thrive. It is more than simply neglecting land and seeing what grows there – rewilding schemes typically involve removing any man-made structures and then introducing specific native plants and wildlife to the area. To encourage people to re-wild land, governments and state authorities around the world have been starting to provide financial incentives. California is one example of a state that now pays farmers to re-wild land.
Start a solar farm
Spare land could alternatively be used to start a solar farm. This involves installing multiple solar panels to harvest energy from the sun. Solar farms are a clean alternative to fossil fuel power stations. You don’t need a lot of spare land to start a solar farm – in fact many community solar farms in cities are run from rooftops. Solar farms have great earning potential and you can seek funding from locals in return for providing them with free or discounted power. This post offers a few tips when it comes to community solar customer acquisition.
Grow organic crops
Another use for your spare land could be growing organic crops. These could be foods grown for personal consumption, or foods that you can sell to make money. Organic farming is more eco-friendly than regular farming but doesn’t involve using chemicals that can be harmful to local wildlife, soil quality and air quality. Of course, this does come with added challenges such as having to rely on natural pesticides, fertilizers and preservatives. Some of the easiest foods to grow organically include peas, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and beans.
Provide EV parking
Help to encourage widespread adoption of electric vehicles by providing a parking lot with EV charging stations. You could allow free use of your parking lot, or you could make money from it by installing parking meters or paid charging points.Such parking lots are becoming more common in urban areas where there are more EVs. Even if you haven’t got much land to develop, providing a couple parking spaces could still be beneficial in a busy urban area and could still make you some money.
Create a sustainable forest
Demand for timber is very high, however cutting down our scarce woodlands is not the solution. Sustainable forest can help to provide a source of timber, while ensuring that all felled trees are replaced. A single tree can make a lot of money, making a sustainable forest a good business venture, however you need to be prepared to grow new trees and nurture the wildlife with them.
