Acreage owners take spray plane firm to court
WINNIPEG — On Aug. 15, 2025, Peter Schemenauer was cutting grass on his acreage near Englefeld, Sask.
Then, he looked up and saw a spray plane, flying directly over the yard. It was spraying the cropland that surrounds his 14 acres of property, east of Humboldt.
Schemenauer and his wife, Cheryl, were surprised and upset because the same thing happened in August 2024.
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A plane from the same company, Sky Ag Services, flew over their property that year.
“We simply asked them to stop flying over the yard,” said Schemenauer, recalling the conversation with Sky Ag in 2024.
In 2024 and in 2025, pesticides from the plane damaged vegetables and other plants in their garden.
Photos of the plants show leaves covered in gray and brown spots following the incidents.
“Potato vines died off. (There were) spots on everything,” said Schemenauer, who grew up on a farm in Lake Lenore, Sask., and returned to the province a number of years ago, after living and working in British Columbia for decades.
In 2024, he called the local farmer in Englefeld and explained what happened. That led to a conversation with the aerial applicator — Sky Ag.
The pilot acknowledged his mistake and Sky Ag compensated the Schemenauers for the damage.
“They were really good about it, they offered us $10,000 … and we did accept it.”
The company also signed an agreement with Schemenauer, promising to not fly over his yard, he told The Western Producer.
Last August, following the flyover, he once again called the neighbouring farmer and told him about the spray damage.
This time, though, Schemenauer wasn’t going to accept a cheque or any sort of financial compensation.
He wants the spraying of his property to stop.
“We are never advised when application is to take place or what is being applied. In both of these incidents, me and my wife were in the yard … fully exposing us to the chemicals being applied,” he said.
“We’re (now) in a court battle over it.”
The Western Producer called the lawyer representing Sky Ag Services, Katie Newman of McKercher LLP of Saskatoon.
She provided no comment.
The next legal step in this process will be in June when the two parties meet for mediation.
The Schemenauers have already spent $15,000 on legal fees, but he’s determined to carry on with the fight.
He’s not against spraying crops with pesticides, but he does oppose applying chemicals to non-targets.
Schemenauer said he knows other property owners in the Englefeld region who have also had damage from spray planes.
“Our objective … is to enlighten people to the detrimental impact that aerial spraying is having on the environment, health and quality of life and perhaps stop the practice of flying directly over people, property and food sources,’ he said.
Most incidents go unreported
The off-target applications on the Schemenauers’ property happened in mid-August, suggesting the spray plane was applying a desiccant to the crop. In 2024, the product was diquat, Peter said.
Most incidents of spray drift and off-target spraying of pesticides are resolved by communicating with the applicator, says the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture website.
However, if the matter can’t be resolved, the ministry will investigate the incident and take enforcement action, if appropriate.
Schemenauer reported the 2025 incident to Agriculture Canada and Transport Canada. Agriculture Canada told him that less than 20 percent of incidents are reported.
Tom Wolf, a well-known expert in sprayers, spray drift and pesticide application, who runs Agrimetrix Research & Training in Saskatoon, made a similar comment in 2024.
“The vast majority of drift incidents is settled by the parties involved and there is no reporting required, I believe. The provincial government might hear about 10 to 20 percent of them, I’m guessing.”
Source: producer.com