Little USA Community Solar Campus Hosts Soil Testing Workshop for Teachers, Launching New Era of Agrivoltaics Education in Union Springs
UNION SPRINGS, AL — January 12, 2026 — On December 13, the future site of the Little USA Community Solar Campus served as a living laboratory for local land stewardship. Middle school STEM and sustainability educators gathered with Devotha Mwazembo, a soil scientist at nearby Tuskegee University, on the 20+ acre property for a hands-on soil testing workshop, marking a milestone for the Black Belt’s first dedicated agrivoltaic training hub.
The workshop aimed to establish a scientific baseline for the campus's soil health and provide educators with a curriculum to inspire the next generation of future farmers and community members to consider sustainability as a priority. Participants learned core sampling techniques to analyze nutrient density and soil composition, which will provide data to design the site’s "dual-use" landscape, where solar energy production coexists with sustainable farming.
"Our family has deep roots in Union Springs dating back to the 1800s, and the Little USA Campus is our way of investing back into this land and this community that’s meant so much to our family for generations," says Herb Ferrette, Founder of Little USA. "The workshop wasn't just about dirt; it was about preparing the foundation for a facility that will provide clean energy, a field-to-fork food source, and high-tech career training for our community."
A Multi-Purpose Vision for Bullock County The Little USA Community Solar Campus is far more than a traditional solar farm. The December workshop is the first of many planned educational initiatives aimed at local K-12 students, post-secondary schools, and workforce trainees. Key features of the developing campus will include:
Agrivoltaic Farming: Growing local food sources directly beneath solar panels to maximize land productivity and an additional income stream.
Green Career Training: Partnerships with regional institutions to offer NABCEP certifications for solar technicians and designers.
Community Resources: Plans for EV charging stations and an incubator for new local businesses.
By prioritizing soil health from day one, Little USA is ensuring that the transition to renewable energy enhances, rather than replaces, the agricultural integrity of the region.
The project team is currently working with partners like Sweet Grown Alabama, Jack’s Solar Garden, and regional universities to finalize the campus’s sustainable farming plan. Our USDA, SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) funded Institute. Agriculture educators from Tuskegee and Auburn Universities and local farmers joined a local farm tour that included a bee farm, goat farm, and row crop examples of facilities that can benefit from solar panel integration. Construction at the Little USA site in Union Springs is slated to move forward in the coming months, with more community workshops planned for the spring.
