Much has been said about pesticides and crop dusting. We will endeavor to lift the residue of past stigma placed upon the Dust Pilot and show you a new way to think about dusting -
The Organic Way.
For those looking to make the jump to commercial organic farming, we will be of significant value to you. We know organic applications for pest control, fertilizing, weed management, disease management, etc. Feel free to send us your issue and we will do our best to provide answers.
Crop Dust pilots are the last holdout of the barnstorming era. The first known use of a heavier-than-air machine occurred on August 3, 1921 in a Curtiss JN4 (Jenny). The Jenny was piloted by John MacReady near Troy, Ohio in the United States. The first commercial operation was by Continental Dusters in 1924; a company that later became part of Delta Air Lines. (1) While aerial application is not a new idea, the use of aircraft for organic farming is. It seems to me that most of the organic farmers I know have a negative perception of dusters and certainly don't think of them as a first choice to fight insects or disease; or a choice at all for that matter. Most of these perceptions are due the traditions held by commercial farming - "Grow it fast, spray it down, pick it early, and ship it to market." This is the very antithesis of the organic paradigm. An unfortunate byproduct of this negativity is that aerial application is left out of the equation of good organic growing principles. Lack of interest in commercial organic farming on a larger scale is further exacerbated as smaller organic farms who lead the way do not consider aerial application a viable part of the organic growing community. So why this blog? Answer; because I want more fresh organically grown foods available to more people. Because I believe in U.S. farmers feeding American citizens and I believe that much of the experiments by the FDA with food over the last 30 years have served only to make us sick and fat! I also believe that dusters can play a vital role in making that all come to fruition.
So, organic farmer…what is holding you back from having larger farms and feeding more people? Is it the intense labor and high cost of material? I am interested in your feedback…Post your thoughts and ideas to this blog for the benefit of all who read it. Let’s work the problems together…
More in the coming weeks…
Until then – fly low, sell high!
JC
References:
(1) Wikipedia
