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 usually breaks down into three lines: (1) included — calibration, GPS-guided flight planning, machine and pilot labor to fly the field, mixing and loading farmer-supplied product, and a Part 170-compliant application record; (2) excluded — the pesticide and any adjuvants, which the farmer supplies; (3) surcharges — long travel, after-hours, difficult terrain or obstruction-heavy fields, and minimum-acreage charges below a stated threshold. Spell out which of those land on your invoice before the operator schedules.
Request a quote from Birkey's Farm Store
Tell Birkey's Farm Store about your fields. They reply within 24 hours, often faster during spray season. Free, no obligation, and you can also ask for 2 more quotes from verified operators in Illinois to compare.
- Goes directly to Birkey's Farm Store, not a call center.
- 3 quotes max if you broaden, never more. We never sell your info.