These days, farmer Mike Bates has an extra appreciation for the sun. Not just because it’s helping to grow his crops, but now it’s also helping to power his livestock farm.

Interested in lowering his electricity costs, Washington County Farm Bureau member Mike Bates looked into installing solar panels on his turkey farm.

"For me to take better care of my livestock, I needed to keep them cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter and have better lighting. So I continued to need more electricity," Bates said.

Ankeny-based CB Solar installed the 100 kW solar array on Bates’ turkey farm one year ...