Vertical Ag
Small ag drone spraying business born from generational family farm in Wauseon OH. Emphasizes better product penetration via downwash versus airplane application.
Vertical Ag provides drone pesticide and fungicide spraying, aerial cover crop seeding and dry granular spreading for Corn, Soybeans and Wheat across Ohio. The team operates out of Wauseon and serves farms throughout the Corn Belt region. Ohio requires both a federal Part 137 ag aircraft operator certificate and an Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA)-issued aerial-category pesticide applicator license for any commercial spray.
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Pricing context for the crops Vertical Ag 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
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 Vertical Ag's service area:
- Ohio — Any commercial drone spray over Ohio fields needs Category C-1 (commercial license required even for private applicators), issued by Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).
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 Vertical Ag's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Vertical Ag should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Ohio: 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 Ohio the state credential is issued by Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA); 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 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.