GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Once the bare apple trees start to bud at Jeff VanderWerff's orchard near Sparta, it will be time for takeoff.
"It says we're ready to fly on GPS," VanderWerff said Tuesday, showing 24 Hour News 8 the drone he uses in the fields. "This has got the real-time imagery coming back.”
The apple grower started using a drone at his family orchards and grain farm two years ago. VanderWerff said the aerial tool is a huge help in surveying crops and can be a major timesaver.
"Especially with our grain farming operations," VanderWerff said. "You think about having to go walk an 80-acre field and check for a drowned-out spot. If I can put the drone up in the air, I can find those areas in seconds versus hours."
VanderWerff is now looking into drones that offer more advanced imagery: cameras that can capture crucial data on what's happening in the fields.
Full story: WOOD TV