SweetWater Franchise (Bill Pirkl)
SweetWater Technologies franchise partner operating in Minnesota.
Founded in 2024, SweetWater Franchise (Bill Pirkl) has built a Minnesota drone pesticide and fungicide spraying practice covering Corn and Soybeans. From a Byron base, the crew covers Minnesota growers inside the Corn Belt region. Commercial drone applicators in Minnesota need FAA Part 137 plus an aerial category endorsement on a state pesticide applicator license issued by Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Pricing context for the crops SweetWater Franchise (Bill Pirkl) 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
Crops serviced
States served (1)
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 SweetWater Franchise (Bill Pirkl)'s service area:
- Minnesota — aerial pesticide work runs through Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) under Category B: General Aerial. Plus MnDOT aircraft registration and commercial operations license..
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 SweetWater Franchise (Bill Pirkl)'s service area.
Frequently asked questions
Verifying SweetWater Franchise (Bill Pirkl) runs through three independent checks: Part 107 via the FAA Airmen Inquiry, Part 137 via the issuing FAA Flight Standards office, and the state aerial-category pesticide applicator license via the receiving state's department of agriculture. In Minnesota the state credential is issued by Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA); you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. Pair that with a current chemical-drift COI and the Section 44807 exemption number for due diligence.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $18 per acre in the region is application-only — the chemical itself, surfactants and adjuvants are usually farmer-supplied. The rate covers calibration, RTK GPS flight planning, the labor to fly the field, mixing and loading from the supplied product, and the FIFRA Part 170 application record (date, time, product, EPA reg number, rate, weather, field ID). Watch for travel surcharges past a stated radius, weekend or emergency-turnaround premiums, terrain or obstruction add-ons, and any minimum-acreage floor on small fields. Confirm in writing.