Connect Segments

Drone Farming

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We visit Botanical Bites and Provisions, a family farming business since 1988. They talk to us about the changes in the farming industry over the years and how adopting drone technology has helped make their farm more efficient and less wasteful. Reporter: Faiza Elmasry, Camera | Editor: Adam Greenbaum

((PKG)) DRONE FARMING
((TRT: 04:56))
((Topic Banner: Drone Farming))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: Adam Greenbaum))
((Map: Fredericksburg, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 female; 1 male))
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
I'm Thomas Robertson and my wife is Anita Robertson. The name of our farm is Botanical Bites & Provisions. We started this farm before we left the military and it became a growing industry for us.
((NATS))
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
We had invested time and energy in attending new and beginning farmer courses. So, we knew what we were up against. We had made connections with other farmers.
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
And we use the drones in our facility now.
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
The drone came into picture probably about five years ago when they first became reasonably priced, you know, for the general public.
We are very conservative, at least I am, in my spending. Him not so much. Boys like to have their toys. And, you know, once he convinced me that this was something that had a useful value, you know, I kind of got on board.
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
The drones can show us that there may be a problem in one specific area. So now, we don't have to go out and do the whole perusing of the fields. We can go out and address that one area.
((NATS))
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
He’ll use the drone to find out if we find out that our crops are dying in a certain area. That usually means that the water line has been either chewed on by a ground hog or some other rodent. And, you know, he'll go out there and can quickly replace it before the whole row of crops dies.
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
I grew up on a farm and it was about a 20, about a 30-acre [12 hectares] farm in Amherst County, Virginia. And after I turned 17, I decided I am never, ever, ever going to farm again.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Robertson))
And I joined the military, thinking that this would be the last time that I would ever see a farm.
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
I happen to be a fourth-generation farmer. I can trace back to the 1800s.
((Photo Courtesy: Anita Robertson))
My great-grandfather, who lived in the [nearby] Lake Anna region, was a farmer.
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
And this portion is the portion that we're going to plant in. This portion back here, we'll save for next year.
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
Starting a farm after retirement had produced a lot of challenges for us. But we're big planners and I think that comes from our military experience, that you make sure you have a plan in place before you execute.
((NATS/SOT: Thomas))
Yeah, a lot of worms in the soil, which is a really good sign that the soil is healthy.
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
When I was farming as a young man at 15, 16, 17 years old, things were really different. And we farmed using very, very old techniques. And we didn't have a tractor. We had a horse.
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
But now, we have tractors. We have farm implements. Right now, we use everything from solar energy. We use advanced irrigation techniques. And as you can see, it's not spraying the water. It's just dripping it just one drop at a time. And by not spraying it, that means that we're not creating dust and dirt flying up and getting into the plants, which can usually cause problems after you eat it.
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
Yeah, they’re coming out through the bottom.
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
And we also raise honeybees. And then, I added to the honeybees value-added products. So, I use the beeswax and honey to develop lip balms, lotions, salves and soaps.
((NATS))
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions)
It has our little farm logo.
((NATS))
((Thomas Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
I think that the drones and other technology, they take nothing away from the human side of farming. I think it adds to it because it frees up your time, your labor to do more and better things on your farm.
((NATS))
((Anita Robertson
Co-owner, Botanical Bites & Provisions))
My great-grandfather would be proud of our use of the, embracing the new technologies because they couldn't afford that type of technology back then, even if it was present. I also think that he would be proud of us for just continuing the tradition of farming.
((NATS))