Adirondack Farms uses drones in seed planting
By John T Ryan
“What in the world is happening?” I asked myself this morning as I approached a pickup truck and a trailer equipped with a platform and grain bin. Then I saw the largest drone I’ve ever seen land on the platform. Drone operator Alex Menard stated, “I’m planning a cover crop.”
Adirondack Farms co-owner Jon Rulfs explained, “We bought two drones this year. We’re planting approximately 1,500 acres of winter rye, with drones planting many of those acres. If we plant after harvesting a crop, we use a seed drill.” Before drones, small airplanes dropped the seed.
Rulfs noted that cover crops, like winter rye, help reduce erosion, especially on sloped fields, while also assisting the soil in retaining fertilizer and capturing nutrients. He added that Adirondack Farms plants about 7,000 acres of corn in Peru and at its Moffitt Road farms in Plattsburgh.
Posted: September 22nd, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Agricultural News, Business News, General News, Northern NY News, Peru News, Peru/Regional History.