The Taylor Moreland Podcast

Jnani Matson is the owner of Vortex Advantage AG, a spray drone application business in Texas focused on range, pasture and solar vegetation management. Known around the industry as "Drone Daddy," Jnani had several careers before drones. He served as an Army forward observer in the first Gulf War, ran a mortgage company and worked as a celebrity bodyguard. He also helped build a startup winery into a $15 million company. Over the past few years, he has turned his love of aviation into a fast-growing spray drone operation and dealership. In this episode, recorded at the 2026 Spray Drone End Users Conference, he and Taylor talk about his path into the industry, spraying thousands of acres of solar sites, and the real-world economics of pricing drone applications in Texas. Visit us at taylormorelandpod.com

HiTech Farmer is a content creator and educator in the precision agriculture space. A 5th generation farmer, Matthias has a deep knowledge of traditional farming practices and a hunger to innovate upon them. Over the past few years, he has been learning how spray drones can help his family's operation and provide him with a new business opportunity. In this episode, he and Taylor sit down and talk about growing up on the farm and embracing new technology to make farming more efficient.

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Our industry isn't just big in America – and Jamin Fleming is here to talk about it. An industry leader in Australia, Oztech Drones is at the forefront of their country's spray drone integration. Join as he and Taylor discuss similar stories of adopting a new technology and bringing it to their country.Visit us at taylormorelandpod.com and follow along on social media.

Sid and Cheryl VanDyne are retired dairy farmers turned drone pilots operating out of southeast Kansas and the Kansas City metro. After decades in agriculture, IT, and education, they found their way back to the industry they love through spray drones — and they're just getting started. In this episode, Sid and Cheryl join Taylor to talk about their journey from the dairy barn to the drone field, why they decided to start a new business in retirement, and what it means to work together toward something bigger than a paycheck.

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Alex Ryan ran the Regulations department at Agri Spray Drones before starting his company. Altus Ag Aviation Consulting is a one-stop-shop for spray drone legality. In this episode, Alex and Taylor discuss regulations, policy, and even space.

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Greg Thomas is a farmer, an applicator and drone dealer in Iowa. He's been in the spray drone industry for a while and has quickly and successfully scaled his business. In this episode, Greg and Taylor talk about his early days in the industry, how he found acres, and where they see the industry heading.

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Hylio is the original US-based spray drone manufacturer. From humble beginnings at the University of Texas, Arthur has evolved from a tinkering college student to a trailblazer of American industry. In this episode, he and Taylor discuss how Hylio came to be, how they've grown and changed, and how they are preparing for the future of our industry.

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Chad Gripp is a pioneer and power user of spray drones. Chad is a drone dealer and runs a large application operation in Illinois. In this episode, Chad and Taylor reminisce on the early days of the industry and discuss growth and scaling as business owners.

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Dr. Steve Li is arguably the authority in the agricultural drone industry. A respected scientist and professor at Auburn University and founder of the Spray Drone End User Conference, Dr. Li has conducted more research than anyone else in the space. In this episode, we'll discuss how he got started in the industry, what he's learned, and what the future looks like.

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Andrew and Sabrina have a big operation and a big family. Early adopters in the spray drone industry, they started as small applicators covering a few acres at a time. Now, they cover thousands of acres and sell and service drones for other business owners as an Agri Spray Drones dealer. In this episode, we'll discuss the progression of the industry, where we see it heading, and what it's like to farm as a family.

Visit us at taylormorelandpod.com and follow along on social media!