April 1, 2024
By Deborah Keller
Rutherford County has been chosen to receive a federally funded million-dollar grant to study the potential positive effects of growing couch potatoes under existing solar panels.
The federal government feels that Rutherford County is an ideal place to grow couch potatoes due to own experience with the species. Each row of potatoes will have several full screen TV’s that will be powered by the solar panels. It has been shown that couch potatoes grow much larger with constant TV exposure.
Sony who will be supplying the televisions necessary to 
the project and Big Lots, who is supplying the couches also will be assisting in some of the funding.
The federal government wants to see if land underneath the solar panels can be put to good use. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says this is a pet project of the president that they will be doing across the country.
Interested solar farmers can contact county manager Steve Garrison for further information on the application project. Due to cost and expense only two farms will be chosen at this time however if this is a success, as Sec, Vilsack feels it will be, then there will more grants forthcoming in the future.
Application dates end on April 31, 2024.