POTOSI, Mo. – Ozark area farmers and ranchers can explore how they can use drones in their operations at a free event July 25 in Potosi.

“Drones are transforming the way that farmers manage their ground,” says University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist Rachel Hopkins. “While drones are not commonly used in the Ozarks, there are still uses that Ozark farmers can take advantage of.”

Hopkins said the event includes demonstrations on how producers can use drones and the latest technology for spraying herbicide and seeding. There also will be discussion on costs of using drones vs. traditional farming and ranching methods.

Enthusiasm for drone use in agriculture is growing, she says. According to the American Spray Drone Coalition, acres sprayed in the United States increased from 4 million to 10.3 million from 2023 to 2024.

The free event is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, at 18570 State Highway F, Potosi. Register at muext.us/dronesozarkfarm.

For more information, contact Hopkins at 573-438-2671 or hopkinsrm@umsystem.edu.

Photo

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MU Extension agricultural business specialist Rachel Hopkins says a July 25 evening workshop in Potosi offers a look at how Ozark farmers and ranchers can use drones to change the way they manage their ground. Photo by Linda Geist.