Pete Ferrell shares how REFA helps landowners make smart renewable energy decisions
In the heart of the Kansas Flint Hills, Pete Ferrell carries a legacy more than a century old. His family has worked the same land near Beaumont since 1888, and as a fourth-generation rancher, Pete once believed that legacy meant sticking to tradition.
When a retired Kansas State University professor approached him in 1994 about putting wind turbines on the ranch, Pete’s answer was simple. “My first reaction was a pretty hard no,” he recalled on the Farm4Profit podcast. “But he persisted and flew me to California to see ranchers who already had wind farms. One of them said, ‘What turbines? We’re still watching our grass and cattle like we always have.’ That was a breakthrough moment.”
That visit shifted Pete’s thinking. He saw that wind energy didn’t have to compete with agriculture – it could complement it. In 2005, the Ferrell Ranch became home to the Elk River Wind Farm, one of the earliest commercial wind developments in Kansas.
It wasn’t just a philosophical shift. It was financial survival. By the early 2000s, Pete was managing 3,000 head of cattle and working 15-hour days to keep the ranch afloat. The wind farm brought reliable income and stability to a volatile business.
“I always say that wind power is my best cash crop because the wind blows even during a drought, It allows us to manage our financial obligations with greater certainty, for sure.”
Pete said in a radio interview.
That certainty gave Pete the space to think beyond day-to-day survival and start helping other landowners understand what renewable energy might mean for their operations. Today, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Renewable Energy Farmers of America (REFA), which is dedicated to helping farmers and ranchers navigate renewable energy decisions with clarity and confidence.
“After this wind farm was built in 2005, my phone rang off the hook. People heard the story of this yahoo cowboy that somehow got a wind farm built on his ranch. They wanted to know how I did it, and so I became a consultant, especially for farmers and ranchers who were being approached.” REFA was established to provide the same services.
REFA provides landowners with unbiased education, expert support and connections to others who have already been through the process. Pete encourages any farmer or rancher considering a lease to take one step: become a member of REFA.
Wind power didn’t just strengthen Pete Ferrell’s ranch. It gave him the chance to secure its future and share what he learned along the way. Through REFA, he’s turning that experience into guidance for others so landowners across the country can make confident, informed decisions about what comes next for their land and their legacy.
Become a member today.
