News Update
August 20, 2014
Drones on the Farm:
What Are the Laws?
While the appeal of using unmanned aerial systems (UASs) by farmers and growers to aid in farm operations is growing in popularity, before you launch a drone over your crops to gauge field conditions, be aware that doing so could result in a hefty fine from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
So says Peggy Hall, assistant professor and Ohio State University (OSU) Extension field specialist in agricultural and resource law. Hall said that while the technology is available for farmers and growers to utilize drones for their farm operations, the rules of who can use it and how aren’t as clear.
“In this case, the technology is clearly ahead of the law,” she said. “While there are unmanned aerial systems available for purchase by consumers, the regulatory system on their usage is still developing.
“While landowners, farmers and growers need to know if it is legal to use UASs on their own land to monitor crops or for other uses on their farm; at this point it’s still a gray area in the law.”
The FAA is expected to propose rules by the end of the year for drones weighing less than 55 pounds, which would typically be what most farmers would use for their farm operations, she said, noting that regulations for larger UASs will come later.
Until such regulations are set, some farmers assume that they can fly UASs on their farms for personal use, Hall said.
“At this point, the FAA doesn’t allow UAS usage for personal commercial operations, even on private land, without an FAA-approved certificate or waiver,” Hall said. “Hobbyists can operate drones for recreation without a certificate, while universities and other governmental agencies can operate UASs for research and development with approved certificates from the FAA that include where they can be flown.
“But the FAA considers all other drone activities as ‘commercial’ activities that are regulated, or will be regulated once FAA develops the regulations.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Wheat, Stocker Cattle Lease Decisions
Impacted by Corn Prices
With all the rain in July, things are looking a little more optimistic for wheat and stocker cattle operators than in the past four years in the Rolling Plains of Texas and southern Oklahoma, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.
“It looks like we will have some pasture once we get our wheat crop in; at least we have some moisture to plant our wheat on,” said Stan Bevers, AgriLife Extension economist in Vernon, Texas.
That leaves wheat and stocker cattle operators with some decisions to make in the next few months.
“What we are looking at now is, ‘Should I try to harvest for a wheat crop next spring, or should I run cattle through the entire season?’ ” Bevers said.
Read the full article on the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA here.
Beckham Completes Successful Tenure TVMDL Director
For the last six years, Tammy Beckham, has served as the director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL). Since 2010, she has served in dual roles, also working as the director of the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases (IIAD). On Sept. 4, 2014, Beckham will leave the diagnostic lab to become the full-time director of IIAD. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents is scheduled to consider appointment of an interim director of TVMDL at their September meeting.
“As director of an agency like TVMDL, the goal has always been to find new, innovative ways for our diagnostic work to assist veterinarians and animal owners in protecting livestock and companion animals,” said Beckham. “It was a hard decision, but I leave TVMDL knowing I’ve been able to help our diagnosticians and professional staff meet the challenges of ensuring animal health in the coming years.”
In the six years Beckham led TVMDL, she had numerous successes, most notably securing funding for a new, $50 million, state-of-the-art facility to be built in College Station.
Additional major accomplishments include significant advancements in biosafety and biosecurity, fulfillment of international training programs, implementation of new testing services, accreditation initiatives for all laboratory locations, and the development of a training program with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
“Tammy Beckham’s expert leadership at TVMDL has not only improved the laboratory system as a whole, but also set it up as a first-line defender in the event of an animal-disease outbreak,” said William “Bill” Dugas, acting vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We were fortunate to have Tammy as director, and the agency is in a better position than ever to serve the citizens of Texas and beyond ensuring the health of our livestock population and animal food supply. We look forward to her continued outstanding contributions at IIAD.”
TVMDL serves as the state diagnostic laboratory, and coordinates one of the highest volumes of animal diagnostic specimens in the country. More than 160,000 submissions are received and approximately 800,000 tests are performed each year at the lab’s four locations. TVMDL protects the health of livestock, poultry, companion animals, exotic animals, racing animals, livestock show animals and wildlife. For more information on the agency, visit www.tvmdl.tamu.edu.
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