Courtney Walsh is partnered with her brother, Calob Crumbaugh, and the rest of her family with C&W Farm Services. The farm operation raises corn, soybeans, and wheat. They formed the LLC with the long-term goal of expanding their services, like incorporating drone application technology into their farming practices. Their focus is improving efficiency and crop yields through innovation, while continuing to build on the foundation of their family farm.

As their operations grew, they started thinking more seriously about expanding into drone services. Initially, the certification process felt overwhelming because of all the required paperwork and licensing. However, in 2025 they committed to completing all the necessary certifications and legal requirements so they could move forward confidently and legally with drone applications.

Working with GreenStone since 2019, it wasn’t until Walsh attended GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth conference where she was encouraged to apply for the CultivateGrowth grant. She found it to be a straightforward application process. “The first time I submitted it, there was a technical issue and it didn’t go through, but the team was incredibly helpful and forgiving. Courtney Ross [CultivateGrowth program manager] assisted me through the process, and it ended up being very smooth.”

Building skills to fly forward

She used the grant money towards commercial pesticide licensing, including study materials and books, drone certification coursework, and other remote pilot licensing requirements. To legally operate the drone for agricultural spraying, you must complete both pesticide certification and drone pilot certification. The funding helped them make that process financially manageable.

Some portions of the training were in-person, while others were self-paced. “I learned a lot of self-motivation and discipline with the online courses because there were no harsh deadlines so it was up to me to keep myself accountable if I wanted to complete it the best I could,” Walsh added.

She gained a much deeper understanding of the drone industry from doing these courses. The certifications were essential for them to begin applying fungicide to their wheat using a drone. Traditionally, when using a ground sprayer, the tires run over portions of the wheat crop, which can reduce yields. With a drone, there is no crop damage from equipment running through the field, which promotes higher yields. “The drone also allows us to spray fields that are harder to navigate with traditional equipment,” she noted.

Their goal is to eventually complete all their fungicide applications using the drone. They are still in the early stages, but they expect to see more measurable yield improvements over the next growing seasons as they fully integrate the technology.

Walsh says she wants to encourage others to attend the conferences and seminars and put themselves out there.

“This grant came from a simple networking opportunity, and it has been incredibly valuable to us. We truly appreciate GreenStone and their continued support for our farm and business growth,” Walsh said.

If you are interested in seeing what growth opportunities are available to you, click here to learn more about the CultivateGrowth grant.