“Behind the Mitten” is Michigan’s premiere travel radio show and Podcast, and since 2015 it has published more than 500 episodes. It is co-hosted by veteran journalist John Gonzalez and longtime chef & beer expert Amy Sherman. The show has been recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as Best in Category.

This week we spend time at the Western Michigan University Solar Farm, which uses "grass-powered woolen mowers" - a.k.a. sheep - to keep the vegetation in check. It's all part of Consumers Energy renewable energy programs.

On the podcast, John Gonzalez goes on site to talk to Josh Paciorek of Consumers Energy and Lauren Burns of Tending Tilth, who manages the sheep for Consumers. Some of the sheep even come up to them as they do the interview right in the Solar Park.

The Western Michigan University solar garden is part of a pilot program on vegetation management for other solar farms. The sheep keep the vegetation trimmed around the solar site’s 3,900 solar panels and 8.5 acres of land.

Important facts:

• Consumers Energy’s WMU Solar Garden was completed in 2016 at WMU’s Kalamazoo campus at the Business, Technology and Research Park. It generates up to 1 megawatt of electricity.
• The WMU Solar Garden was Consumers Energy’s second solar garden. Today the energy provider has three located at Grand Valley State University, WMU, and in Cadillac.
• Customers enrolled in Consumers Energy’s Solar Gardens program pay as little as $10 a month to support solar projects and receive bill credits based on electricity that’s generated.

Learn more about Consumers renewable energy programs at consumersenergy.com/residential/renewable-energy.

This segment aired as part of BTM's show on July 1-2, 2023.

BTM airs on radio stations across the state, and you can always find us as a podcast on your favorite streaming service.

Affiliates:

*8 a.m. Saturdays on WBRN - 1460 AM and 107.7 FM in Big Rapids

*8 a.m. Saturdays on Kalamazoo Talk Radio 1360 WKMI

*8 a.m. Saturdays on WILS-1320 AM in Lansing

*10 a.m. Saturdays 95.3 WBCK-FM in Battle Creek

*10 a.m. Saturdays on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM in Benton Harbor

*4 p.m. Saturdays on WIOS "The Bay's Best!" - 1480 AM & 106.9 FM in Tawas / East Tawas

*7 a.m. Sundays on the following Black Diamond Broadcasting stations:

-WCFX - CFX Today's Hits (95.3) in Mt. Pleasant
-WGFN - Classic Rock The Bear (98.1 & 95.3) in Traverse City
-WMRX - Sunny 97.7 in Midland
-WUPS - The Classic Hits Station (98.5) in Houghton Lake
-WWMK - 1063 MAC FM in Cheboygan

*Noon Sundays on News, Talk and Sports - 1380-AM WPHM in Port Huron

*1 p.m. Sundays on WSGW-AM (790) and FM (100.5) in Saginaw

*6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM (1300) and FM (106.9) in Grand Rapids

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