In The News: Drones Take to the Air to Tend Crops on the Ground

Department of Aviation Technology faculty members Shawn Barstow and Shalyn Drake at USU Eastern demonstrate how unmanned aircraft — also known as drones — can be used to improve farming in this recent story on KSL News.

Barstow and Drake teach drone certification classes at USU Eastern in Price, which prepare students with the knowledge and skills to operate small unmanned aircraft safely and effectively. Drones can be used to assess plant and soil health, detect animals in heat and efficiently distribute fertilizers.

“Once somebody figures out they can do this, the sky is the limit,” Barstow said.

He tells of a farmer he knew who recorded his dog barking, linked the recording to his drone and now herds his livestock using a drone.