Green Scarecrow is a farmer-developed, eco-friendly ag-tech company helping small farms keep more of what they grow. We build Green Scarecrow 3.0—a solar-powered, patent-pending bird-deterrent system that uses rotating green lasers and bird distress calls to deter crop-pest species (e.g., red-winged blackbirds) from entering fields and feeding on high-value sweet-corn plantings—without harming non-target wildlife.

Mission: Practical, non-chemical bird deterrence that’s affordable for small farms—no cannons, no pesticides, no complicated installs.

How it’s used: Mounted on a 10-foot tripod at field edges or laneways; the head sweeps 360° and tilts vertically to mimic a patrolling predator. Portable, solar-powered, built for everyday farm use.

This work is supported by the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant FNE25-110.

We’re farmers and engineers solving a farmer problem. Green Scarecrow was created on a working vegetable farm and refined in real fields to do what small farms need most: keep ears on the stalk.

Team

• Ken Elliot — Co-founder & Farmer. Crop production lead at Elliot Farm (Lakeville, MA). Started Green Scarecrow after years of bird losses and led on-farm testing toward a practical, non-chemical fix.

• Carlton Brule — Co-founder & Engineer. Mechanical engineer/fabricator who designs and builds the units for durability, portability, and serviceability.

• Deanna “Dee” Elliot — Outreach & Partnerships. Connects the technology with growers, partners, and funders across the region.
  
  

Where we’re testing
Multi-season evaluation (2025–2027) at Elliot Farm (Lakeville, MA) and Volante Farms (Needham, MA). First-season results (2025): ~140,283 ears protected (≈ $143,425 in farm-stand value).

Why it matters

• More corn, better margins. More ears for farm stands, CSAs, and wholesale customers.

• Eco-friendly. Light + sound; no pesticides or explosives; non-lethal and neighbor-aware.

• Built for small farms. Fast placement, solar power, and no expensive infrastructure.

In year one of the trial, Green Scarecrow 3.0 helped two Massachusetts farms keep more sweet corn on the stalk and on the stand.

Elliot Farm (Lakeville, MA)
Month-by-month analysis shows ~32% more of July and ~65% more of August corn protected vs. a typical year.
Impact: ~127,710 ears protected (≈ $127,710 at $1/ear).

Volante Farms (Needham, MA)
Consistent gains across the season: ~28% (July), ~6% (Aug), ~15% (Sept) protected vs. a typical year.
Impact: 12,573 ears protected (≈ $15,715 at $1.25/ear).

Combined 2025 impact: ~140,283 ears (≈ $143,425).

“Bird damage can turn a beautiful field into a financial sinkhole—fast,” says Ken Elliot, crop production lead at Elliot Farm and co-founder of Green Scarecrow. “Green Scarecrow was straightforward to deploy, and the results helped us keep the farm stand stocked with this highly popular—and highly profitable—item when demand was high.”

What’s next
The SARE-funded evaluation continues through 2027 to validate performance across weather, varieties, and planting windows. A public field day is planned for 2026—follow @greenscarecrow for details.

Read more: Press Release • 2025 Final Report (PDF)

Funding acknowledgement: Supported by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program, Farmer Grant FNE25-110.

Farm Show Magazine

Edible Southeastern Massachusetts

Email: admin@greenscarecrow.com