An 18-year-old Iowa farmer who bought his first spray drone in 2024 now runs a custom application business targeting 10,000 to 15,000 acres a year at roughly $14 per acre. Braxton Brand, a third-generation corn, soybean and alfalfa grower from Grinnell, initially priced out a helicopter. The capital cost pushed him toward drones instead, and a wet 2024 season turned a farm tool into a business.

That first year, Brand's drone covered more of the family's acres than the ground rig, because field conditions kept wheels out of the crop. Neighbours noticed.

"The phone kept ringing, and I had free time, and I just went out and started doing it," Brand said. "At the end of the year, we looked around and thought, 'Man, we can build a business out of this.' It has really taken off since then."

What does the fleet look like?

Brand Aerial now operates three machines: an EAVision J100, an EA Vision J150 and a DJI T100. Brand also sells EA Vision drones alongside the application service.

The core work is fungicide on corn and soybeans. But the drones also treat alfalfa, Conservation Reserve Program acres (land idled under the USDA's conservation scheme), timber, ditches, ponds and pastures. Brand plans to expand into cover crop applications and is exploring specialty crops, including vineyards.

Field sizes range from half an acre to 600 acres, with an area average near 80 acres. With one drone, Brand treats about 400 acres a day, depending on conditions.

Why do drones beat wings in tight fields?

Brand is blunt that drones will not replace every method. His family still uses a ground rig for herbicides, with drones taking over after crop emergence.

"I would say I think all application methods have their place," Brand said. "I'm not going to say one is better than the other, but it's very situational."

The situational advantage is obstacles. Helicopters and airplanes must keep 80 to 100 feet from trees, power lines and hills, while drones work far closer.

"We fly at 13 feet above the crop across the field," Brand said. "I do not know what the helicopter is flying at, but I know it's not as consistent or low as the drone."

Low-altitude flight also dictates the schedule. Brand starts at 4 or 5 a.m., after checking fields for organic crops, bees and other conflicts. He stops around 11 a.m. because the drone's low spray volumes evaporate faster as temperatures climb, then may resume at 4 p.m. and work into the night.

How do the costs stack up?

Brand's local pricing this year, pushed up by fuel costs:

• Helicopter application: about $14 per acre
• Airplane application: about $13 per acre
• Ground application: $10 to $12 per acre
• Brand's drone service: about $14 per acre, which he expects to drop to $13 next year

More farmers in his area are buying their own drones. Brand sees two drivers: cost savings from self-application and control over timing. But the labour is real.

"Depending on your acreage, you're adding an extra two weeks of work," Brand said. "It's not easy work, so it definitely takes more manpower and time. But in the long run, I do feel it is worth it."

What should would-be operators do first?

Brand's advice is to talk before spending. "Before you go buy the drone, before you start licensing, talk to other drone owners first," he said. "Don't go out and get the latest and greatest and have all this money invested." A first year reveals what equipment is actually needed. "If you can't keep it busy, you're losing money."

He is also diversifying. Fungicide demand swings with disease pressure and grain prices, and a business built on fungicide alone can stall in a low-pressure year. Brand plans to add another trailer and grow pasture work.

The business serves a longer plan: Brand wants to triple the size of the family farm. The spraying income pays him a living while farm income stays invested in land and equipment. "Technology, precision ag and maximizing our return on investment per acre are what's going to scale this thing," he said. Farmers watching the drone segment should track whether his $13-per-acre target for next year holds as more owner-operators enter the market.