Phoenix teen embraces solar and “agrovoltaics” as key to sustainable farming in launch of organization

Sarah Bendok, a high school junior from Phoenix Country Day School, is making significant strides in sustainable agriculture with her nonprofit organization, Growing Green. The 501(c)(3) aims to improve agricultural practices while reducing environmental impact by integrating solar energy with innovative farming methods.

As a freshman, Sarah’s journey began two years ago after volunteering with the TigerMountain Foundation.

“I love the work they [TigerMountain Foundation] were doing to help the people around the community,” Sarah said.

Driven by her passion for engineering and STEM, Sarah founded Growing Green to merge her climate and community interests with her environmental goals.

“I knew that I wanted to give back to the community while using my passion for engineering and STEM to help the environment and [the] community itself,” she explained.

Education and Research

At the core of Growing Green’s initiatives is agrivoltaics. This technique involves placing solar panels above plants at a height that allows farmers and machinery to work underneath. Agrivoltaics has been shown to increase crop yield, improve working conditions, enhance soil quality, and reduce water consumption, particularly in the intense Arizona heat.

“The solar panels provide shade that cools the air underneath, creating a better environment for the plants,” Sarah said. “This shade also reduces soil evaporation, conserving water.”

According to UA Professor, Greg Barron-Gafford, a study he conducted demonstrated that when irrigating every other day on an agrivoltaics plot, soil moisture remained 15 percent higher than on a nearby plot without solar panels.

Growing Green’s goals include researching sustainable technologies, implementing these innovations on farms, promoting their use, educating the community about sustainable agriculture, and raising funds to support projects and collaborate with other organizations focused on agriculture and community improvement.

Building on this success, Sarah expanded her efforts to other community plots.

“At Space of Opportunity, we’ve set up a larger-scale project with 12 solar panels,” Sarah explained. “We’re growing peppers and studying how solar shading affects crop yield, plant health, and water usage.”

Looking ahead, Sarah plans to study environmental engineering to develop and implement technologies that address climate challenges and promote sustainable practices.

Her work with Growing Green demonstrates the profound impact that young innovators can have on sustainability and STEM education to move the needle further for the generations ahead.