Old McDonald Had a Wind Farm?

When I was a young child growing up on a farm in northeast Iowa, most farmers had a little of everything - a herd of cattle, a couple of pig barns, some chicken coops, and fields of corn, oats, soybeans, and alfalfa. In the late 70s and 80s, farmers became more specialized. Large hog barns, cattle feeder lots, and huge chicken confinement buildings like my father had became the norm. Farming has always focused on raising either animal or plant products.

Until now. Witness the latest "farming" trend popping up across the plains. Wind farms! These farms harness the power of wind with giant turbines, and convert it to electricity which is sold to energy companies. Last Saturday we saw a couple of these "farms" just south and north of Mason City, Iowa. On our return later that night, red lights atop each turbine dotted the black sky for miles. If we hadn't seen the turbines in the light of day, we would have had no idea what the hundreds of red lights were. It was quite a sight!

If pigs "Oink" and cows "Moo," I wonder what wind turbines say?