(AP) — In this Sept. 6, 2013 photo provided by Austin Ridgley, workers erect some of the 90 solar panels at Timothy Ridgely's 2,700-acre southeastern Illinois farm in Parkersburg, Ill.
Thousands of farms and other small businesses across America have begun embracing renewable energy to cut costs and boost their often uncertain bottom lines, often with the help of a federal program. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Austin Ridgely)