AeroFarming

AeroFarming

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Tom Mossman and his son Matt are North Idaho farmers with a slightly different approach. Yesterday we learned that Tom works on his land and this time of the year he is planting canola seed. This is dryland farming and Tom has a wish list. “Hopefully we’ll get a little moisture in June, not too hot, and that’s when it will start blooming, harvest will be toward the end of August.” And while father Tom does his farm work on the ground, his son Matt is spring farming from the air. While he is doing that his son Matt is up in the air “First part of the season and we have our spreaders on planting wheat and bluegrass. Pretty much anything the farmer needs done, we do. This plane behind me has the spray booms on. I am herbiciding his bluegrass right now.” Compared to spring last year, the view from above is… “A lot better than last year. Last year this time we were extremely wet. Everything was flooded out but right now things look really good.” One might think that a farmer with a crop dusting service as a part of the operation, would have an advantage over other farmers. Not necessarily say the Mossmans. “being a farmer and a crop duster, our crops tend to be last on the list. That doesn’t always fly well with dad but I guess we are good. We have a nice looking farm but sometimes I am the last on the list. He knows I’m a captive customer. He is going to get me no matter what. If he has a paying customer that is pushing him, he can put dad off.”
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