Drones: Not Just in Star Wars Anymore

Amazon was recently put under the microscope for their new plan to use unmanned

drones for a delivery program called Prime Air. An alien concept to many, this announcement was met with a variety of reactions, mostly because people do not know that the use of drones is actually very common.

Drones can be used for many things, but what is most surprising is the rising use of these

devices in the agriculture industry. Take a look at the chart below:

By 2015, agriculture is expected to be the largest domestic market for drone purchases, generating around $2 billion in revenue. In fact, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International predicts the commercial market for drones will eventually reach 80 percent for agricultural uses. Why is this?  

There are many facts that suggest that drones are the next big thing in farming, many which have caught the attention of farmers all over the country.

The main selling point in support of using drones in agricultural production is the

extensive amount of data that drones can collect in a small amount of time. Drones can provide three different views for farmers who would otherwise be unable to collect data from these angles.

o   Aerial angles that can inspect crop patterns and discover irrigation issues, soil variation, pest and fungal infestations. This view can also be used to track cattle and other livestock herds to search for missing animals or analyze behavior to identify illness or aggression within a herd.

o   Multispectral infrared or visual views, which can indicate differences between healthy and distressed plants; data that would be unobtainable without this kind of technology.

o   Continual checks hourly, daily or weekly based on farmers’ needs. These are important because they can monitor changes and reveal trouble spots throughout the day at a much more efficient rate than any human.

Not only do drones save valuable time for farmers, they are also an investment that can

help farmers save money in the long run. Drones can be purchased at a cost as low as $1,000 per drone, compared to the $1,000/hour that crop imaging with a manned aircraft could cost. By purchasing a low-cost drone, farmers could see a return on investment in as little as a year, which could be huge for the agriculture and food

production industry.

Need another selling point? As the drone production market expands, so do American jobs. With more than 50 companies and organizations working to develop new drone models, the industry could create more than 100,000 jobs and nearly half a billion in tax revenue by 2025.

As the demand for agricultural resources increases, it will become increasingly important to make farming more efficient to produce higher crop yields in a lower amount of time. It will be interesting to see the percentage of farmers who jump on the drone bandwagon to stay on top of this demand. Do you believe national usage rates will reach the predicted level?

Want to know what farmers are saying? Check out this NPR exclusive interview with a farmer who has already integrated drones into his production process.

Photos courtesy of precisiondrone.com and farmingdrones.com

New Farming Trend: Crickets for Consumption?

A new farming trend has hit Ohio recently with a crop that may be a revolutionary answer to future farming sustainability: crickets.

Big Cricket Farms, which recently opened in Youngstown, Ohio, is the first farm to open in the U.S. that will breed insects for the sole purpose of human consumption. Cricket breeding is expected to increase in the coming years because of increasing demand for cricket flour by bakeries and companies making the switch from grain flour to the cricket-based product.

While Big Cricket Farms is breeding their crickets for a company that produces cricket flour chips (also known as “Chirps”), many companies use the cricket flour to make everyday baked goods and energy bars for those who are looking for a healthy protein alternative.

Crickets are cleaned, dried and milled into fine flour that can be used in any kind of baking as a substitute for regular flour.

All of these companies share the similar message that cricket farming is the way of the future, and they may be on to something.

Megan Miller, founder of Bitty, a San Francisco-based bakery startup that uses cricket flour in its baked goods and energy bars, approached this concept in a recent TEDx talk called “Are insects the future of food?” Miller presented many surprising facts about the benefits of introducing crickets into our diet, but also approached the stigma that many of us may share around “eating bugs.”

If you look at the facts, though, it is hard to ignore the idea that cricket consumption could change the agricultural industry in America forever. There are two surprising benefits that cannot be ignored when considering introducing the insect into your everyday life.

Nutritional Benefits

The health benefits are inarguably higher than most other protein sources that we currently consume, which can be seen in the diagram below, with high levels of iron, protein and vitamin B12.

In fact, the protein levels in crickets are higher than they are in most of our current food sources. Crickets are also very low in the fat and cholesterols that we already try to avoid in our diets.

Environmental Benefits

So how will cricket farming and consumption impact us environmentally? The statistics are staggering. With a population that continues to grow, agriculture will have to keep up, causing more stress on resources.  Luckily, crickets need six times less feed than cattle, four times less than sheep and two times less than pigs to produce the same amount of protein. They also produce much less methane than other food sources, emitting an average of 80% less gas than cattle.

More than 2 billion people worldwide already include insects in their diets, which makes me wonder why haven’t we jumped on the bandwagon yet. All we need to do is get past the psychological roadblock of “eating bugs.” Do you think you could?

Image courtesy of grapevinebros.com

Wet Weather Means Late Start for Planting Season

The month of May, an exciting transition of seasons for many, can be a stressful time for our local corn and soybean farmers. According to the USDA, soybean and corn crops are most actively planted between April 24 and May 30, meaning that now is the time that farmers should be planting the majority of these crops in the area known as the “Corn Belt.”


However, due to the frequent wet weather, cold/wet soil conditions are causing farmers to postpone their planting further into May, which could negatively affect crop yields all over the state. Later crops are often associated with lower yields, putting more pressure on farmers to get their crops in sooner rather than later.

A study by The Ohio State University reflects these concerns, pointing out the importance of planting date in correlation with crop yields, which is reflected in the chart below. 


Other reports about the current progress of these crops in Ohio are also a cause for concern among farmers in the area. The Columbus Dispatch reported that only 8 percent of corn had been planted as of Sunday, May 3, down from 17 percent from the five-year national average of 25 percent.  Soybean crops were down 9 percent, with only 3 percent of soybeans planted, down from the average of 12 percent. 

Luckily, farmers did not express much concern over the delay, pointing out that many of these set planting dates were based on times when the technology was not there to speed up the process. Still, according to the Agweb weekly crop report, on May 12 only 40 percent of Ohio’s corn crop and 13 percent of Ohio’s soybean crop had been planted, lower than the planting average of surrounding states. 

Corn:

Soybean:

It will be interesting to see crop progression in the coming months, with all eyes on crop yields after the delays in planting. What are your predictions? Will technology make up for lost time?

Images courtesy of usgs.gov, corn.osu.edu and agweb.com.