Live Oak · Yuba City · Sutter · Meridian · Robbins
Aerial application in Yuba City and Sutter County.
Sutter Butte Dusters flies aerial application jobs around Yuba City, Live Oak, Sutter, Meridian and Robbins. Our home county. The airstrip is on Clark Road in Live Oak, in the shadow of the Sutter Buttes.
- Towns
- Live Oak, Yuba City, Sutter, Meridian, Robbins
- Base
- Live Oak, about 7 mi from Yuba City, about 5 min by air
- Crops
- Rice, Orchards, Row crops
- Call
- (530) 695-2294
Farming in Sutter County
Rice is the top crop in Sutter County. The county's 2025 crop report lists 112,000 harvested acres of rice and a total rice value of $220.2 million. Walnuts are second, on 36,700 bearing acres. Processing tomatoes are third, on 13,400 acres. Almonds (23,100 acres), prunes (12,200 bearing acres) and clingstone peaches (7,840) are the other big orchard crops.
Yuba City is about 7 miles from our strip on Clark Road in a straight line, so most Sutter County fields are a short ferry. Rice seeding comes first in spring. Spraying and fertilizer flights follow through the summer.
Rules for aerial work in Sutter County
Aerial application of a restricted material needs a permit and a notice of intent through the Sutter County Agricultural Commissioner. These are the main permit conditions and state rules that affect aerial spraying here.
Phenoxy herbicides on rice: no aerial work April 1 to October 15
DPR's suggested permit conditions for phenoxy herbicides on rice, such as 2,4-D and MCPA, cover all of Sutter County. They prohibit fixed-wing and helicopter applications from April 1 through October 15. At other times, aerial work needs wind of 2 to 7 mph and a release no higher than 10 feet above the crop. Sutter County's own phenoxy permit form (2009) sets the same April to October window.
Propanil north of Sankey Road
State rule 3 CCR 6462 covers propanil in Sutter County north of Sankey Road. No aerial application within 4 miles of commercial prunes, and no more than 720 acres treated by air in the county each day. Each nozzle must make droplets of at least 600 microns. Sutter County's aerial propanil permit conditions (2016 form) also stop aerial propanil when the wind at the field is over 7 mph.
Thiobencarb near the Feather River
DPR's recommended rice permit conditions name Sutter County. Within half a mile of the Feather or Sacramento River, aerial thiobencarb needs air moving steadily away from the river, and it stops when the wind there is over 7 mph. The Bolero 10G granule may not be used in Sutter County.
Schools and bees
State rule 3 CCR 6691 bans aerial application within a quarter mile of a school, Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., on days with classes. Before a product that is toxic to bees goes on a blooming crop, 3 CCR 6983 requires a check for beekeepers with hives within 1 mile who asked for notice. Those beekeepers get at least 48 hours' notice. The hive check runs through BeeWhere, California's hive registry.
Rules change each year. Your PCA and the county Ag Commissioner have the current conditions.
Sources: DPR recommended permit conditions for rice pesticides (Compendium Vol. 3, Appendix D); 3 CCR 6462, propanil (state regulation); 3 CCR 6691, pesticide applications near schoolsites (state regulation); 3 CCR 6983, notice to beekeepers (state regulation); BeeWhere, California hive registration and bee checks; Sutter County phenoxy permit conditions (2009 form); Sutter County aerial propanil permit conditions (2016 form).
Services in Sutter County
Questions
Yes. We fly aerial seeding, spraying and fertilizer across Sutter County, including near Live Oak, Yuba City, Sutter, Meridian and Robbins, from our base in Live Oak.
Not on rice. DPR's suggested permit conditions for phenoxy herbicides on rice cover all of Sutter County, and they prohibit aerial application from April 1 through October 15. Sutter County's own phenoxy permit form (2009) sets the same window. Ask the county Ag Commissioner for this year's conditions on your fields.
About 7 miles in a straight line. The strip is at 4080 Clark Rd in Live Oak, in Sutter County.
About 5 minutes one way to Yuba City. Yuba City is about 7 miles from our strip in a straight line, and our airplanes fly at up to about 95 mph.
The field location (address, APN or FSA farm and tract number), crop, approximate acres, product and rate, and timing.
Also serving Yuba County, Butte County, Glenn County, Colusa County, Placer County, Yolo County.
Field notes
Read before you fly in Sutter
- RicePlanting rice by airplane: soak, seed rate and timingPlanting rice by airplane in the Sacramento Valley: seed soak and drain times, seed rates per acre, planting dates, check prep, stand counts and 2021 UC costs.8 min read
- Cost and planningCrop dusting cost per acre: 2026 rates and what drives themCrop dusting cost per acre from university surveys: aerial spray, seed and fertilizer rates, season totals for rice, what moves the price, how to get a quote.8 min read
- Cost and planningHow do crop dusters know where to go? Field IDs, maps and GPSHow do crop dusters know where to go? A Sacramento Valley operator explains field IDs, the work order, GPS swath guidance and what growers send first.8 min read
Flying in Sutter?
Tell us the field and the job. In a hurry? Call (530) 695-2294, Mon–Fri, 8am–3pm.