Birkey's Farm Store
Major IL/IN equipment dealer with 16 Illinois locations and 1 Indiana location (Williamsport). Carries full DJI Agras lineup with free on-field demos.
Birkey's Farm Store provides drone sales for row crops grown in the region across Illinois and Indiana. The team operates out of Champaign and serves farms throughout the Corn Belt region. Commercial drone applicators in Illinois need FAA Part 137 plus an aerial category endorsement on a state pesticide applicator license issued by Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA).
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Equipment used
States served (2)
Aerial pesticide licensing in states served
Every state requires a pesticide applicator license with the aerial category endorsement on top of FAA Part 137. The agencies that issue these licenses in Birkey's Farm Store's service area:
- Illinois: requires Aerial General Standards (replaces Core exam) + site categories for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA).
- Indiana: requires Category 11: Aerial Application for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC) at Purdue University.
Full agency, exam and renewal-cycle details by state are catalogued on the state pesticide licensing reference.
Verify and resources
Primary-source references for verifying credentials and looking up state-specific rules in Birkey's Farm Store's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Birkey's Farm Store should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Illinois: an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate for the pilot in command, an FAA Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate for the business and a state aerial-category pesticide applicator license. In Illinois the state credential is issued by Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA); you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. A current certificate of insurance with chemical drift coverage and the operator's Section 44807 exemption number are reasonable to request alongside the license itself.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $22 per acre in the region breaks into three lines. You pay for the flying. That covers calibration, GPS-guided flight planning, the labor to fly the field and the mixing and loading of your product. It also covers the Part 170 record the law requires. You supply the pesticide and any adjuvants. Then come the extras: long travel, after-hours work, hard terrain and a minimum charge on a small field. Ask which of those land on your invoice before the operator schedules.