How one New Mexico landowner is keeping his family’s legacy alive while adapting to new opportunities
For nearly a century, the Yates family has called southern New Mexico home. Their land became part of Andy’s wife’s extended family in 1925, beginning as a small, couple hundred-acre farm and ranch. Today, it spans about 3,000 acres — a mix of crop fields, pasture and cattle — and remains the foundation of their livelihood.
Andy and his wife, April, are now the third generation to work the property, with hopes their children will become the fourth. “The land is part of [our] family’s past and will hopefully continue to be part of our family’s future,” he said. “Staying rural is a struggle with the enticements of the cities of gold just a few hours away. Making a comfortable living for all is the goal; keeping them close to the dining table is the struggle.”
For Andy, maintaining that family connection means finding practical ways to keep rural life sustainable. “Solar income fills the gap between needing extra land, extra income and comfortably enjoying what is currently available,” he said. “Hopefully, solar and/or wind projects of the future keep us at the table, dusty boots and all.”
Finding Opportunity in Change
Like many in agriculture, Andy knows that staying rural takes resourcefulness. Farming and ranching can be unpredictable, and balancing multiple jobs is often part of the equation. When a nearby transmission upgrade brought new opportunities for solar development, Andy didn’t go looking for it. It came to him.
“Transmission lines were being updated within our boundaries,” he recalled. “Suddenly, offers were coming from all directions, and we had to get smart on the subject quickly.”
After careful research and consideration, Andy entered into lease and option agreements with a solar developer and transmission company. Though the project has not yet broken ground, the experience has already been educational. The lease income provides breathing room, helping the family manage costs while maintaining their farming and ranching operations.
Andy also sees the potential for renewable energy to help younger generations stay connected to agriculture. “To keep farming today, you either inherit a debt-free operation or work to support one that’s mortgaged,” he said. “Hopefully, this changes that cycle for us.”
Standing Up for Landowners
In his community, support for energy projects has generally been positive, but Andy knows that is not always the case elsewhere. He has seen how misinformation spreads online and how easily outsiders can try to influence what happens on rural land.
“One of the reasons I strongly considered REFA was to help remove some of that noise,” he said. “The idea that others get to choose how farmers and ranchers use their land is preposterous.”
That conviction led Andy to join the REFA Board of Directors, where he helps ensure that landowners have access to trustworthy, fact-based guidance.
“Without organizations like REFA, landowners are at the mercy of people who don’t understand the value of a family farm,” Andy said. “When you start getting letters promising life-changing deals, it’s both exciting and frustrating not knowing what to do. REFA helps fill that information void.”
Keeping Traditions Alive
For Andy, the conversation around renewable energy is not about politics. It is about practicality and preservation. “Change is necessary in life to continue with past traditions,” he said. “A healthy mixture of old and new can help keep those traditions alive.”
His perspective captures what REFA stands for: honest experiences from real farmers and ranchers helping each other navigate a changing landscape.
“Farming and ranching aren’t going away, nor can they,” Andy said. “It’s time to blend the two for the good of our families, our lifestyles and our country.”
See how landowners like Andy are balancing tradition and change on our Landowner Stories page.
