North Dakota; hotspot for drones!

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/technology/a-silicon-valley-for-drones-in-north-dakota.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

"For years, entrepreneurs have come here to farm and to drill for oil and natural gas. Now a new, tech-savvy generation is grabbing a piece of the growing market for drone technology and officials want to help them do it here, where there is plenty of open space and — unlike in other sparsely populated states — lots of expertise already in place.

Silicon Valley has the big money and know-how, Mr. Muehler and others say, but North Dakota can take unmanned aerial vehicles, as they prefer to call drones, from a fast-growing hobby to a real industry. And just as Silicon Valley got its start with a combination of military contracts, entrepreneurs and cooperative universities, they believe they can do the same with drones."

I was vacationing in North Dakota a few months ago and heard a local talk show discussing the future of drones in the area. They were quite upbeat and excited about what all drones can do, including helping farmers map out their fields for water and fertilizer needs.  I don't know how much wind they have up there (it was nice when I was there), but they do have a lot of open range.