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HPPR Environment

Growing on the High Plains: Windbreaks for Energy Efficiency

High Plains Public Radio | By Skip Mancini
Published October 1, 2020 at 1:09 PM CDT
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Today’s Growing on the High Plains will line up some facts about the energy and environmental benefits of planting a windbreak on your landscape. If you’re not sure what a “windbreak” is, perhaps you know it as a “shelterbelt”—those tightly-spaced rows of trees or shrubs that you might notice up and down the High Plains region. They provide shade in the summer and reduce the blasts from our High Plains wind on your abode throughout the year. But they also offer a lot of energy benefits. They reduce wind erosion, protect native plants and crops, manage snow, and improve irrigation efficiency.  

HPPR EnvironmentwindbreaksshelterbeltsconservationenergyGrowing on the High Plains
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Skip Mancini
Years ago Skip Mancini left the rocky coast of Northern California to return to her roots in the heartland. Her San Francisco friends, concerned over her decision to live in a desolate flatland best known for a Hollywood tornado, were afraid she would wither and die on the vine. With pioneer spirit, Skip planted a garden. She began to learn about growing not only flowers and vegetables, but hearts and minds. If you agree that the prairie is a special place, we think you'll enjoy her weekly sojourns into Growing on the High Plains.
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