Black Leaf Wood Company, LLC · Beavercreek, Ohio
Agricultural drone knowledge from twenty years of military remote sensing. Portable sawmilling and wood craftsmanship. And the books that bridge both worlds.
New Release — Black Swamp Press
A straight-talking, practical guide for Midwest row crop farmers who want to know one thing: can a drone actually save me money and help me make better decisions on my operation? — 413 pages, softcover.
Learn More & OrderWhat We Do
Twenty years of USAF geospatial intelligence experience — multispectral, thermal, electro-optical — translated into plain language for the Midwest row crop farmer.
Explore the Hub →Mobile and portable sawmilling techniques, rough lumber production, tree species selection for home sawmilling, and turning timber into high-quality boards for crafts and builds.
Sawmill Resources →Our publishing imprint, based in Beavercreek, Ohio. Practical, honest books for people who work with their hands and their minds — starting with Drones Over the Back Forty.
Visit the Imprint →Featured Book
For most Midwest row crop operations above a couple hundred acres — yes. But not in the way the marketing brochures suggest, and not without understanding what you're looking at.
Drones Over the Back Forty is a straight-talking guide written by a 20-year USAF geospatial intelligence analyst who grew up in Ohio farm country. No hype. No sales pitch. Just the real-world knowledge you need to put drone remote sensing to work.
FAA Certification
The FAA Remote Pilot Certificate opens the door to commercial drone operations. The test costs $175, takes about two hours, and most people pass with one to two weeks of focused study.
Our Part 107 study guide breaks down every topic area — airspace classification, weather, regulations, and operations — in plain language built for people who already know how to work outdoors.
My recommendation: Get Part 107 anyway. $175 and a week of study buys you complete legal clarity, the ability to help neighbors, and the option to offer services down the road if you choose to. Think of it as cheap insurance.
The sectional chart questions trip up a lot of people, but you probably already know how to read a map better than most test-takers. Sectional charts are just aviation maps with their own symbols. The weather questions will feel familiar if you've ever watched a forecast and decided whether to cut hay.