Keremeos gets a glimpse at the future with agricultural drone

Local farmers gathered for a demonstration of the new technology

Keremeos gets a glimpse at the future with agricultural drone Published 1:58 pm Friday, July 17, 2026 Aircraft buzzing over fields of crops isn’t unusual, but flying over the trees in Keremeos was something different; it didn’t have a pilot on board. Instead, pilot and Landrone co-founder Thomas Landon stood metres away, adjusting the speed and other parameters as it followed its programmed path down the rows of cherry trees.

Next to him were some of the farmers, directing changes here or there as they watched the drone do its work. “We look to work with farmers who best understand their land and their crop, to help them achieve efficiencies and save them time, or money, or a combination of both,” Landon said before beginning the demonstration. He added that one recent job in Kelowna, which would have normally taken 15 hours to spray the trees from the ground, was able to be done in just five hours with the drone.

Fully unfolded, the drone manufactured by DJI, stretched several metres across and kicked up a whirlwind of dust as it rose into the air. Despite its size, it was no louder than a lawnmower as it hovered just metres above the treetops, spraying them down with just water for the demonstration. The relative lack of noise, compared to traditional sprayers and especially helicopters, combined with the ability to run the drone on programmed routes, also has the benefit of allowing it to be run at night.

Thomas, and his father and fellow co-founder Eric Landon, brought the drone down to Keremeos to give a demonstration for Jagdeep Sumal, other local farmers and orchardists, and some members of the Keremeos Volunteer Fire Department. Firefighter Peter McLaren has joined the company as the Landons have sought to expand, adding new pilots for taking on not just selling the drones but running them for operations as far as Ashcroft. “Everywhere we fly, people stop with their phones out and recording,” said Eric.

The drone itself certainly gave a good impression, with the potential health benefits from doing remote spraying, to the savings by using fewer chemicals, just a few advantages the farmers saw. “I think this has a lot of potential for applications like frost protection early on in the spring, then just spraying and getting into the tops of the cherry trees where we get the most milkweed and where the ground sprayers have a hard time getting into,” said Sumal. “And just drying off cherries in the season when it starts raining, because helicopters are $1,500 to $2,200 an hour.”

While the potential savings are attractive, moving to the new technology wouldn’t come cheap. The drone the Landons showcased, the DJI T-100, costs around $40,000. That’s less than a new ground sprayer costs, which Sumal says runs upwards from $100,000, but it’s still a lot to ask when farms and orchards don’t have the money available.

“Its effectiveness is intriguing to the farmers here today, and if we could get help with some grants from the government or the BCFGA (Fruit Growers Association), it could be potentially something a lot of the farmers start to buy,” said Sumal. Businesses in the agricultural industry, and particularly fruit growers, have struggled over the last several years. Heat domes, deep freezes, and trade wars have left their market visible from the collapse of organizations like BC Tree Fruits and even large operations in Washington state like Gebbers Farms/ Brewster Heights Packing & Orchards.

Surinder Gill, one of the other farmers at the demonstration, echoed the sentiment over the tight strain many farmers are under. “I think there’s a market and place for it, but the way the ag-industry is right now, I don’t think there’s much attention for it because it is a really struggling industry,” said Gill. “If it starts to improve, I think more farms will acquire these.

Right now, everyone’s just shy with their money.” Beyond the financial situation of the current moment, though, the demonstration gave a look into the future for many of the farmers in Keremeos who came out to watch. “There’s lots of technology out there that’s really cool and growing, and I think we’re slow to follow what Washington does,” said Sumal.

“But everybody is realizing that technology is where everything needs to go, more or less, to bring down our costs.”