PFI: Oats and Drones

Joe Rowe returned to farming in 2008 after growing up on a row crop farm but stepping away for a decade of schooling and other pursuits. Since then, he has farmed with a dedication to being curious and continually improving. He started strip-tilling and cover cropping in 2015 and has since adapted his fertilizer program to include variable-rate and drone applications, biologicals in the furrow and Y-drop application to balance nitrogen needs.

As an investor in Green Acres Milling, Joe has added oats into his rotation with corn and soybeans. An active participant in PFI’s Cooperators’ Program, he is trialing two clover mixes interseeded with his oats. Joe is excited to show how he uses a drone for topdressing, fungicide and herbicide applications and share how extended rotation is building resiliency on his farm.