Our Story
Co-founders Bill Chain and Molly Cheatum first started collaborating on agricultural conservation projects while working at a non-profit. Their focus was on climate smart practices that connected farmers to cost-share programs and built resiliency through planting trees and grasses. This work was needed but they also quickly realized that building soil health was the key to improving land and water while improving profits for a farmer. Was there a technology that could quickly build soil health?
In 2020, they decided that seeding cover crops with a drone would not only build soil health overtime by keeping soils in place with living roots, but also allow early seeding within cash crops. At the time, there were few drones on the market that had a hopper for seeding. With another partner, they built a seeding drone prototype that could carry 60 pounds and distribute seed in a 90-foot radius. Although they had proven their concept, they quickly learned that serving the region's farmers meant finding an existing manufacturer who could supply drones at scale. In 2024, they bought their first 3 drones from Leading Edge Aerial Technologies, a Florida company building a reputation for aerial deployment of pellet-based mosquito control. These drones matched their seeding hopper capabilities, except for weight, carrying 40 pounds. Molly and Bill continue to work with LEAT to test and adapt for agricultural seeding.
Today, Swift Aeroseed is working with farmers and landowners to be stewards of our lands, not only building soil health on farms, but also on pastures and wildlife habitat. Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and plant life combined. It is one piece of building a healthier world and we are proud to be creating an innovative trustworthy company that is focused on restoring soils and fields to improve food production and farmer profits.
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15+
Years of Experience
100M+
Revenue Yearly
200+
Clients Worldwide
2.5X
Growth Rate
About Our Founders
Molly Cheatum has worked in the agriculture and conservation fields for 20 years in Malawi, Africa and the United States. In Malawi she led a local non-profit, Kusamala, dedicated to demonstrating and teaching permaculture. Most recently, she worked at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Pennsylvania managing a $1.2M program focused on creating ecological and economically viable farming systems like silvopasture, riparian forested buffer plantings, and payments for ecosystem services. Molly provides strategic vision, oversees operations, and manages the finances. She lives in Centreville, MD with her partner Erik and their daughter Lyra.
Bill Chain has been a farmer for over 20 years and worked as an agricultural educator, school administrator and most recently, former Senior Agriculture Program Manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. His position required building mutually beneficial relationships within the conservation and agricultural sector. He works with the PA No-Till Alliance, multiple State agriculture committees, and local farming groups. Bill’s forte is networking with farmers, understanding their production needs, and identifying how to develop our company’s service model to match farmers’ interests. Bill lives in Carlisle, PA with his wife Jane. His daughter Julia and husband Chuck own their own farm right down the road.
