For farmers who use drones for crop scouting, imagery, or spraying, this program marks an important shift in how drone rule violations are handled — and why staying compliant matters more than ever. Adam Gittins explains what the DETER program is, why it was created, and how it applies to ag drone operators.

I studied agronomy at Iowa State after growing up on a diverse farm, and while I was there, decided to double major in horticulture, which turned out to be the greatest thing I’ve accidentally done. 

While scrolling X (formerly known as Twitter) the other day, I came across an interesting discussion between a few longtime strip-tillers from different regions. 

In the past, the idea of transitioning to strip-till with baby steps was almost unheard of, Andy Thompson says, and the unwritten strip-till code was to buy a rather complicated and expensive tool that was meant to replace all other tools previously used to perform everything needed for the crop. That’s no longer the case in 2026.