LEBANON,CT — Connecticut farmers could soon be using high-tech drones that the manufacturer says can help them increase crop yields while minimizing the risk of crop loss from unpredictable weather and disease.
Three years ago tech specialist and drone pilot Mike Quick partnered with Jim Smith, owner of Cushman Farms in Lebanon, CT, to found a startup company called Almanax.
“Jim was interested in working with drones and agriculture,” Quick said. “What we decided to do was go down the path of research. What’s the best resource that’s out there? What’s the best drones that we can get? Where can we get them from?”
Jim Smith, Mike Quick, and CT Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlbert talk about the use of drones by CT farmers. Credit: Brian Scott-Smith / CTNewsJunkie
What they found were the best drones for agriculture are built in China, Quick said.
That represents a problem now because of tariffs on Chinese imports that makes the drones cost prohibitive. Drones already in the country will need replacing in a few years, too. That is why they are looking into building drones for agriculture in Connecticut.
There are many advantages of using drones on farms, said Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt.
“Due to climate change, we’re not putting that crop down till later. The quality is down and we’re not getting the ultimate benefit that we want,” he said. “By applying the seed with drone technology while the corn is still standing, we’re able to maximize the benefit of that cover crop regardless of how mother nature impacts it.”
Hurlburt said he can also see a side industry starting up of larger farms buying the drones, which before tariffs cost between $40,000 and $60,000, and providing drone services to small operations and farms in the state. He said there is state money available that could help.
“We do have our farm transition grant program” he said, “And bringing in new technologies to drive down the cost of production are things that we look at and rank in the applications we get. Our grant programs would support it.”
An agricultural drone with pesticide and seed-spreading capabilities. Credit: Brian Scott-Smith / CTNewsJunkie
Quick said the drones could be used for a multitude of different tasks.
“You can identify relative plant health. So maybe they need more fertilizer, maybe they need more water, whatever it is that they might need you can get it to them earlier in the process instead of waiting for a visual sign to come up,” he said.
State Senator Cathy Osten said the use of drones has never been illegal in the state, but the legislature passed House Bill 6289 in 2025 authorizing licensed pesticide applicators to use drones for crop analysis and application. Drone pilots still need to get FAA approval for their drones use particularly for crop dusting.
Quick said drones are also great for mapping research, which they did on some smaller farms, 2-5 acres – recently.
“We were seeing seeds coming out of the ground before you could see them with your eyes using the multispectral data that we had available,” he said.
And by using the drones’ GPS systems, farmers will be able to do everything from laying down seed to specific pesticide targeting, reducing overlap that occurs with traditional land-based systems using tractors and other farm equipment. That means less chemical use, he said.
The drones also eliminate soil compaction, which occurs with land-based delivery systems, which can damage young crops or create areas where water cannot drain easily leading to crops rotting.
Smith said the drones do help to make farms more efficient and without them, undertaking things like mapping their fields and doing crop health analysis and creating climate resiliency maps for long-term soil and crop management would take much longer and be incredibly costly.
And as Quick points out Connecticut is struggling to find young people who want to become farmers, but using high-tech like the drones could open up new opportunities
“With tools like these I actually see an increase in agricultural jobs, making it more accessible to people with computer science degrees, agronomists, botanists who are interested in the crossover domains between these technologies,” he said.
Discover more from InnerCity News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
