Jim Porter, Regional Sales Agronomist Nebraska & South Dakota
“We don’t fly high!” is the catchy slogan of Mid-State Aviation II, Inc., located in Cozad, NE, which promotes their aerial application business. Co-owner and President Allison Johnson, along with her husband Luke Johnson, co-owner and current Vice President, are both licensed pilots with extensive experience across various aviation sectors. The Johnsons are strong advocates not only for the aviation industry but also for agriculture.
Founded in 1975 by Allison’s parents, the business transitioned to Allison in 2006, renamed Mid-State Aviation II, Inc., marking the second generation of ownership. They operate across Cozad, Columbus, and North Platte, servicing over 100,000 acres annually. Services include aerial application of pesticides and fertilizers, cover crop seeding, aerial imaging, and custom grid point sampling.
One of the recent additions to their business portfolio was becoming dealers for QLF Agronomy in 2022. Prior to joining as dealers, themselves, Mid-State Aviation II gained several years of experience handling and spraying QLF Agronomy products such as L-CBF BOOST and L-CBF Amino 15 while flying for other dealers. President Allison Donner emphasized, “…we saw the potential to help our local growers increase their yields and revenue, while diversifying our portfolio of products and services.” Allison highlighted that, comparisons with other products showed QLF Agronomy’s advantages in compatibility, efficacy, crop safety, plant health, and competitive pricing, influencing their decision to partner with QLF Agronomy. This move has proven beneficial for both Mid-State Aviation II and QLF, with QLF gaining insights into the aerial application business and enhancing education efforts among aerial applicators nationwide about the benefits of QLF Agronomy products and partnership opportunities.
Many of the advantages of aerially spraying L-CBF BOOST extend beyond improved drift control and providing crops with a balanced, carbon-based nutritional package. Co-owner Luke Johnson noted, “Becoming dealers for QLF Agronomy allowed us to streamline our operations by establishing our own tank farm at the airport, ensuring product availability whenever needed by us or our customers.” These efficiencies translate directly to the bottom line, reducing time spent on ground operations and increasing airborne spraying time.
Luke, who served as the primary application pilot for many years, has transitioned to a new role in aviation as a private jet pilot for a national company. The role of main applicator has now been passed to second-year pilot Schuyler Wegener. 
Despite being relatively new to aerial application, Schuyler has gained significant experience in applying QLF Agronomy products, covering over 10,000 acres in 2023 with an average of 1 gallon of L-CBF BOOST per acre. Schuyler remarked, “I really appreciate the ease of loading and handling BOOST, and its effective drift control. We achieve excellent coverage, ensuring the spray lands precisely where needed, which significantly reduces the stress of pesticide application.”
In many respects, Mid-State Aviation II, LLC., mirrors QLF. It’s a small, family-owned, second-generation business dedicated to customer service and delivering products and services that enhance customer success. QLF Agronomy takes pride in its partnership with Mid-State Aviation II and anticipates nurturing this collaboration for many years ahead.