A grant from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development looks to open doors for Missourians to receive agricultural drone training through the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Research, Extension and Education Centers (REECs), Digital Agriculture Research and Extension Center (DAREC) and MU Extension.
“This will be a true workforce development project because it will help train people to have careers in agriculture,” said Jay Chism, director of the Southwest REEC, who is spearheading the program. “We have several researchers and faculty who can currently fly a drone, but we don’t offer licensing opportunities through the FAA to the public. This program will train people for that licensing as well as using drones in agricultural contexts.”
Missouri farmers can use drones in several applications, including spraying pesticides and herbicides on crops, locating missing or injured livestock, and for imaging that can translate into data that ultimately increases crop yields. Chism and the DAREC faculty expect those uses to expand over time, creating more opportunities for future drone operators and farmers alike.
“This technology is just going to keep advancing, and it’s going to keep getting better and better, and we want to make sure we are working to harness that to help people farm better,” Chism said.
He chose to focus on drone training specifically because drones are currently growing in popularity with little training opportunities available in Missouri. He said he will rely heavily on faculty within DAREC to develop curriculum as they not only know fly drones, but they also have been working in recent years to develop best practices for agricultural uses of the technology.
“One of my colleagues always says it’s the ‘wild west’ out here with the drones because everyone is buying them but no one knows how to use them,” Chism said.
The $3,696,000 MoExcel grant will cover the cost of “train the trainer” sessions for faculty, which allows them to provide licensing trainings, drones, software, building infrastructure and other technology that will be needed for course participants. CAFNR and MU Extension faculty involved in the program will undergo several, extensive training sessions that will provide them with expertise to deliver the program and develop the curriculum.
Chism designed the program with accessibility in mind, as he wanted the trainings to be offered throughout the state. To do this, he is leaning on the structure of the REECs, of which there are four across Missouri — the Southwest REEC, the Central Missouri REEC, the Northern Missouri REEC and the Fisher Delta REEC in southeast Missouri. By hosting drone trainings at each REEC, participants can stay close to home and eliminate travel expenses.
MoExcel funding aims to facilitate development and expansion of employer-driven education and training programs and initiatives to substantially increase educational attainment. Public colleges and universities were asked to submit proposals for funding in FY 2025 that further that goal, including entrepreneurship, to increase education attainment and career opportunities for populations historically underserved by higher education.