Knox County Farmers Cooperative, Drone Services
Verified OperatorEast Tennessee cooperative drone application program
Knox County Farmers Cooperative offers drone spraying services to cooperative members across east Tennessee, covering corn, soybean and tobacco fungicide and herbicide applications. The coop uses its existing agronomic and input relationships to bundle drone application scheduling, scouting and product supply for member farms.
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Pricing context for the crops Knox Farmers Coop services
Typical 2026 per-acre rates for drone spraying by crop, based on US ag drone industry data. Contact the operator for a quote on your specific fields.
- Drone spraying for corn$12 to $18 per acre
- Drone spraying for soybeans$12 to $18 per acre
- Drone spraying for wheat$12 to $16 per acre
Crops serviced
Equipment used
Certifications & compliance
States served (3)
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 Knox Farmers Coop's service area:
- Tennessee — aerial pesticide work runs through Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) under AER (Aerial) licensing exam + category certification.
- Virginia — Any commercial drone spray over Virginia fields needs Category 11: Aerial Pesticide Application, issued by Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).
- North Carolina — aerial pesticide work runs through NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Aerial Methods category + specialty category. Aircraft inspection $25/aircraft..
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 Knox Farmers Coop's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Knox County Farmers Cooperative, Drone Services should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Tennessee: 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 Tennessee the state credential is issued by Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA); 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 $18 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 Knox Farmers Coop
Tell Knox Farmers Coop 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 Tennessee to compare.
- Goes directly to Knox Farmers Coop, not a call center.
- 3 quotes max if you broaden, never more. We never sell your info.