The Water Table: Recent Episodes
Jamie Duininck
A place to learn about agricultural water management topics that impact our industry. Jamie Duininck hosts thought-provoking discussions with a wide variety of experts on topics such as drainage best practices, product standards, conservation efforts, land values, crop health, economic impact, system design, and safety issues.
Most drainage contractors grow up in the business. Nate Ludvigson and Dustin Nelson didn't. With a borrowed plow and a cousin's backhoe, Nate started Ludvigson Tiling near Madison, Minnesota almost 20 years ago. Dustin launched 605 Tile & Drain in 2021 near Summit, South Dakota, jumping in with both feet after years of farming and seeing the difference tiling made on his own farm.
Host Jamie Duininck and Prinsco's Karl Guetter sit down with Nate and Dustin to have a tailgate talk about the sacrifices of starting a business from nothing, balancing farming with contracting, the hardest jobs left in the industry, and what they hope the next 10 years look like. Near the end of the conversation, Dustin turns the tables by asking Jamie and Karl a question– wondering how AI might change the relationship between contractors and manufacturers.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Meet Nate and Dustin
01:24 How Nate got started
03:23 Dustin's path into drainage
05:38 Early sacrifices and challenges
07:48 Growing the farm and the business together
09:42 What Dustin would do differently
10:44 Why rural America is different
11:50 The hardest jobs left in the industry
12:47 Working in high water table conditions
13:24 Looking ahead 10 years
15:00 Turning the questions back on Karl and Jamie
15:53 How AI might change the industry
19:42 Closing thoughts
Related Content:
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118: Accidental advocate for the drainage industry
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100: On the road at ISU! Talking past, present, and future of ag water management
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Visit our website to explore more episodes and water management education.
As the chief agricultural economist and senior vice president at Wells Fargo's Agri-Food Institute, Dr. Michael Swanson has a big-picture understanding of energy markets and the economy of agribusiness. He stops by The Water Table to help us make sense of the impacts of the war in Iran and how the markets might continue to react.
What can we expect crude oil prices to do? What about commodity prices? How does this situation compare with the Russia-Ukraine war? Michael shares his wisdom on these topics—and an old adage or two—to keep the current situation in perspective and offer encouragement for farmers to seize the right opportunities for success.
Note: This episode was recorded on June 5, 2026.
Chapters
00:00 - Introductions
02:10 - Systems thinking and never-ending stories
05:28 - Challenging the popular narrative
11:02 - An opportunity to make money in this market
12:04 - Crude oil costs and stockpiling resources
16:10 - Global feedstock and energy markets
17:05 - A closer look at the numbers
19:10 - Fixing the cash rent problem
25:09 - Looking back and ahead
30:12 - Final thoughts
Related Content
144: The Iran war and pipe prices
52: An Ag Economist Tells All: Critical Topics Impacting the Future of Agriculture
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Visit our website to explore more episodes and water management education.
Kyle Whitcomb was nine years old when his grandpa started teaching him about the family business. He now runs that business, Whitcomb Farm Drainage, out of Lake Lillian, Minnesota. He’s focused on meeting his customers’ needs, and one way he does that is by using a v-plow to install pattern tiling. This approach minimizes disturbance to the soil, reducing ruts and erosion while preserving topsoil and nutrients.
Kyle shares what he’s learned from years of using this trenchless installation method, talks through its pros and cons, what beet farmers especially love about it, and why it’s more commonly used in Europe. On a more personal note, Kyle shares a little about being the third generation in his family to run the business, the paths his siblings have taken, and what the future might look like for his family and business.
Chapters:00:00 Introduction
01:30 Why a v-plow?
03:54 Comparing field heal times
04:40 Pattern tiling in no-till systems
06:00 Why beet farmers love v-plow installation
07:25 V-plow vs straight shank plow
09:30 The future of v-plowing in ag drainage
12:24 Variations and popularity in Europe
14:17 Kyle’s custom intake boxes
19:00 The legacy of the Whitcomb family business
Related Content:
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127: Cover Crops and No-Till: A Conservationist’s Perspective
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97: Stay Curious– Life Lessons from One Contractor to Another
- V-Plow for Victory in Rut Reduction
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Visit our website to explore more episodes and water management education.
Two months into the Iran war, Jamie welcomes back Sleiman Bassila, founder and president of BIC Advisory Group, and Tom Hughes, founder, president, and CEO of Quantum Polymers. These two polyethylene industry experts have been closely watching the events in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and share their insights into the wide-ranging market effects of the ongoing war.
Sleiman and Tom summarize what’s happened since their last visit to The Water Table. The conversation touches on supply shortages, damaged petrochemical plants, unprecedented daily pricing increases, impacts on domestic pipe prices, and what it all means to the fertilizer supply chain. They also talk through the possibilities for recovery and how long it might take for stability to return once the war is over.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:36 A recap of recent history
05:35 Re-exporters enter the market
08:58 Impacts of petrochemical plant damage
12:00 Recovery possibilities, challenges, and timelines
18:30 Material availability, competition, and prioritization
22:32 The unprecedented pace of price increases
27:13 How lags in resin prices impact domestic pipe costs
31:09 Expectations of inflation
32:47 What about the fertilizer supply chain?
36:28 How oil prices impact resin re-exports
38:54 Closing
Related Content:
-
144: The Iran war and pipe prices
-
124: Who pays? The impact of tariffs on U.S. and Canadian ag
-
8: Cause and effect: Plastic resin supply
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Visit our website to explore more episodes and water management education.
Can controlled drainage make that big of a difference in drainage flow, nitrogen loss, and overall yields? A research project in the Midwest has been studying that question since 2017, and the findings might surprise you.
Guest host Trey Allis sits down with Jeppe Kjaersgaard, a research scientist studying drainage, nitrogen management, and irrigation. Jeppe traces his journey from the family farm in Denmark to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, shares results from his controlled drainage field study, and makes a compelling case for collaborating with people across the ag industry.
Jeppe and Trey talk through the methods and findings of a controlled drainage comparison study in Wilkin County, Minnesota. The project includes two sites: a 160-acre field used to gather data on controlled drainage and a 65-acre plot used to explore the impacts of a saturated buffer. Jeppe shares what he’s learning about how different water management methods impact drainage flow, nitrogen loss, and overall yields.
Trey and Jeppe also discuss the Conservation Drainage Network, an organization made up of researchers, drainage professionals, and interest organizations, as well as federal, state, and local conservation district staff. Jeppe talks about the benefits of such a network and how it can help increase adoption of different conservation drainage practices.
Learn more about the Red River Drainage Water Management Project: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/cleanwaterfund/onfarmprojects/rrvdwmproject
Check out the Conservation Drainage Network: https://conservationdrainage.net/
Chapters:
00:00 - Introductions
01:42 - From Denmark to Minnesota
04:50 - Local differences and global similarities
06:45 - Minnesota Department of Agriculture work
08:27 - Controlled drainage comparison project
13:20 - Highlights and learnings of project
17:38 - Measuring drainage flow, nitrogen loss, and yields
20:00 - Cost analysis and planning for the future
21:58 - Saturated buffer impacts on nitrogen and water flow
26:19 - Using project data to set standards
27:47 - The Conservation Drainage Network
35:47 - Drainage is a key piece of the whole ag picture
41:40 - Closing
Related Content:
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142: Minnesota's coolest drainage plots
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98: Exploring Discovery Farms: A lesson in doing the homework
-
110: Bridging the gap between water management research and application
- Jeppe Kjaersgaard on the 2026 Discovery Farms Minnesota Controlled Drainage Webinar
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Visit our website to explore more episodes and water management education.
Just 11 days into the Iran war, Jamie hosts an in-depth discussion with two experts in the polyethylene market. Joining the conversation are Sleiman Bassila, founder and president of BIC Advisory Group, and Tom Hughes, founder, president, and CEO of Quantum Polymers.
With a combined 45 years in the industry, Sleiman and Tom contextualize current events with a brief history of the polyethylene resin market. They discuss the current situation, compare it with the 2021 freeze caused by Winter Storm Uri, cover the significance of the shipping shutdown at the Strait of Hormuz, and share their thoughts on potential short- and long-term challenges ahead for producers and consumers.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
02:45 - Defining terms
03:43 - A brief history of the polyethylene market
11:04 - Winter Storm Uri and the 2021 freeze
15:05 - A chokepoint on global energy
19:02 - Cascading implications
22:44 - A dangerous situation
24:49 - Global events and impacts at home
28:13 - The importance of shipping routes
29:23 - Seeing the big economic picture
31:46 - Ongoing market volatility
33:44 - Understanding the scope of the crisis
35:00 - Higher prices, large volume buyers
38:45 - Short- and long-term effects
41:44 - Potential outcomes for the global economy
44:32 - Final thoughts
Related Content:
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124: Who pays? The impact of tariffs on U.S. and Canadian ag
-
115: How will the 2024 election results impact ag?
-
8: Cause and effect: Plastic Resin Supply
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Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
After a near-fatal battle with depression, Mark Meier got the help he needed to recover. That experience inspired him to co-found the Face It Foundation and help other men find connection, understanding, and healing through peer support groups.
Mark and Jamie talk about the challenges men face when it comes to addressing mental health issues, as well as the negative impacts of avoiding those struggles. They also discuss how these challenges can show up for farmers, how rural communities may have some unique benefits when it comes to making connections, and the role of faith in recovery.
This episode contains content about depression, suicide, and mental health conditions that may be distressing. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the National 988 Crisis Line. Or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
For more information on the Face It Foundation visit:
https://www.faceitfoundation.org/
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Coping with the ups and downs of ag
02:54 - Mark Meier and the Face It Foundation
03:30 - Mental health crisis leads to new understanding
04:15 - Identifying a connection gap and launching Face It
05:22 - Group support, deep connections, and big impacts
07:02 - Reflecting on generational differences and similarities
09:31 - Isolation, social media, and self-esteem
11:05 - Making connections in rural America
12:30 - Getting support through the Face It Foundation
15:12 - Healing through connection with others
16:16 - How peer support works
17:30 - Partnering with the Masons
18:30 - The role of faith in recovery
19:40 - The costs of disconnection and depression
22:10 - Supporting each other through life’s uncertainties
25:29 - Unique opportunities to connect in rural communities
27:22 - The power of relationships and vulnerability
28:20 - The future of the Face It Foundation
Related Content:
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131: Schwartz Farms: A Business Built On Shared Purpose & Embracing Change
-
121: Navigating the Challenges & Opportunities of Being a Farmer
-
130: Community-Driven Conservation: Bridging Gaps, Building Resilience
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Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
In this episode, guest host Trey Allis chats with Dr. Lindsay Pease of the University of Minnesota Crookston. An Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Nutrient and Water Management, Dr. Pease shares insights into her research on drainage, nutrient management, and soil health in northwestern Minnesota.
Tracing her roots in the western Lake Erie basin in Ohio to her current work in the Red River Valley, Dr. Pease reflects on the similarities and differences between these two flat glacial landscapes. She shares her experience of getting “deeper and deeper into drainage” and how this interest brought her to her position in Crookston, MN.
Since 2019, Dr. Pease has conducted a 60-acre field experiment, studying crop outcomes in alternating drained and undrained sections. Through extreme weather conditions, she’s gathered valuable information about how tile drainage impacts water quality and crop performance. She shares the outcomes of this research and talks about what she’s learned about tile drainage and its impacts on the health of soil, water, and different types of crops.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:48 - From one glacial lake bed to another
02:14 - Focus on drainage and soil health
03:39 - Unique challenges in northwestern Minnesota
05:31 - Crop rotation and nutrient cycling
08:33 - A 60-acre field experiment
10:53 - Drainage and extreme weather patterns
12:16 - Wet seasons and nitrogen loss
13:37 - Testing in drought conditions
16:00 - Sugar beet drainage comparisons
19:36 - Phosphorus runoff and water quality
22:34 - Conservation practices for runoff control
26:06 - Controlled drainage and lift stations
30:40 - Future research directions
33:18 - Upcoming learning opportunities
36:03 - Closing thoughts
Related Content:
- The Water Table Episode #69: A City Kid’s Impact on Water Management Education with Dr. Lindsay Pease
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Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
As we close out another year, The Water Table looks back on the conversations that shaped 2025. In this special "2025 Wrapped" episode, we’ve curated highlights from our most impactful discussions—from Ducks Unlimited to the high-tech future of drainage modeling.
Host Jamie Duininck and guest host Trey Allis revisit stories of multi-generational family businesses, the critical role of recycled plastics in pipe manufacturing, and the evolving mindset around water as a resource to be managed rather than a problem to be solved. Whether discussing the effects of tariffs on agriculture or the rigorous licensing of contractors in Ontario, this year has been a testament to the growth and professionalism of our industry.
Join us for this retrospective as we celebrate another year in Ag water management.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to 2025 Wrapped
00:14 - John Schwartz: Vision and Teamwork in the Swine Industry
01:19 - Samantha Ewald: Wetlands as the Kidneys of the Earth
03:03 - Jamie Duininck: The Minnesota State Fair Experience
03:50 - Lauren Lewandowski Hamer: Recycling and Local Manufacturing in Minnesota
04:32 - Jamie Duininck: The Backbone of the Drainage Industry
04:50 - Tim & Pattie Krengel: Multi-Generational Legacies
06:01 - Toban Dyck: Agriculture Across the Great Plains
07:41 - Chad Klotzbach: Managing Water Quality and Quantity
08:43 - Jamie Duininck: The First Ever Water Table Live
10:59 - Mel Luymes: Legislation and Licensing in Ontario
12:24 - Karl Guetter: Insights on the 2024 and 2025 Seasons
13:14 - Chuck Brandel: LiDAR Drones and Cost-Effective Modeling
Episodes Featured in 2025 Wrapped:
- 118: Accidental Advocate for the Drainage Industry
- 119: Revolutionizing Drainage: Improving Infrastructure with Technology
- 121: Navigating the Challenges & Opportunities of Being a Farmer
- 122: Drainage in Ontario: Balancing Agriculture & the Environment.
- 123: Drainage Contractors' Questions Answered - Live!
- 124: Who Pays? The Impact of Tariffs on U.S. and Canadian Ag
- 126: From the Ground Up: A Legacy of Breaking Barriers & Land Stewardship
- 131: Schwartz Farms: A Business Built On Shared Purpose & Embracing Change
- 132: Ducks Unlimited: Balancing Wetland Conservation & Agricultural Production
- 135: A Fair Deal: Recycling & Giving Plastics New Life
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In the quest for better water quality, farmers and city residents share a vital common goal: protecting our shared water resources by managing runoff. Host Jamie Duininck speaks with Ann Zawistoski and Sophie Wicklund of the Adopt-a-Drain program to draw a direct line between agricultural and urban water management practices. Just as farmers use practices like buffer strips, bioreactors, and controlled drainage to minimize nutrient loss, our “city cousins" clean their local storm drains to prevent urban pollutants like leaves and debris from entering waterways.
Adopt-a-Drain empowers the public to take responsibility for stormwater management, recognizing that urban stormwater runoff is a major source of water pollution. The program encourages residents to adopt a storm drain near their home and clean it just twice a month. This simple, hands-on approach transforms the public's understanding of their impact on the watershed, leading to broader behavioral changes. The collective results prove the power of individual action, with over 30,000 adopted drains and nearly one million pounds of debris removed across the country. Tune in to discover the powerful parallels between urban and agricultural water quality practices and how community engagement is successfully working toward clean water for everyone.
Chapters:00:00 Introduction
00:36 Adopt-a-Drain Guest Introductions
01:57 The Urban Stormwater Challenge
04:00 How the Adopt-a-Drain Program Works
05:40 Nearly 1 Million Pounds of Debris Removed
06:35 Behavior Change
07:50 Adopt-a-Drain's Origins and Inspiration
10:52 Why Small, Frequent Cleanings Make a Big Difference
13:56 Engaging Participants Year-Round
15:53 Funding and Partnerships
19:42 The Parallels to Ag Water Management
25:39 Expanding the Movement
Related Content:
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138 | Set It & Forget It... Making Controlled Water Management Accessible with Agri Drain
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56 | A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality: Batch and Build
-
14 | Opportunities in Water Quality
- Adopt-a-Drain
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Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
Who can help with funding water quality practices on your land? Guest Host Trey Allis sits down with Rita Weaver, Chief Engineer at the Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources (BWSR), to discuss soil health, water management practices, and water-quality programs happening throughout the state. They break down specific projects, funding, and tools helping producers take on water and soil challenges. Learn how opportunities with conservation — adding practices in the right place at the right time — are making an impact.
Chapters:00:00 - Intro
00:33 - Welcome to The Water Table podcast
00:40 - Introducing Rita Weaver
01:57 - Chief Engineer Role at BWSR
03:05 - Agency Impact on Water Quality
03:52 - Major Projects and Funding (Where’s The Money Going)
05:05 - Opportunities With Improvement Projects
08:15 - Larger Scale Conservation Practices and Improvements
08:51 - BWSR Water Quality and Storage Program
09:46 - Funding: Grant Application Process
10:52 - Future Funding: How Far Will Funding Go
13:35 - Storage Practice End Goal
14:45 - What Does Soil Health Mean To You
17:02 - The Effect of Too Much Water, Too Little Water
18:00 - Water Quality Issues and Solutions
22:20 - How Flooding Affects High Benefitting Areas
24:09 - Did You Always Want To Work For BWSR
27:07 - Thank You Rita
27:30 - How To Contact BWSR
27:50 - Wrap-up
Related content:
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132 | Ducks Unlimited: Balancing Wetland Conservation & Agricultural Production
-
114 | Crumbling Ag Drainage Infrastructure = Unique Upgrade Opportunities
-
87 | Who Supports the Boots on the Ground!?! (Hint: it’s LICA)… On the Road
-
77 | How 5 Million Dollars, 39 Test Sites & 29 Bright Minds are Transforming Drainage
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- YouTube Music
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Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
Control structures— Can you really set ‘em and forget ‘em? Guest Host Trey Allis is joined by Scott Lukan, Agri Drain President, and Josh Shuler, Agri Drain Product & Business Manager, to dig into controlled water management. They break down the scalable solutions available to the industry and the role of Agri Drain in making them more approachable. Learn how these “levers” are helping farmers and landowners reduce nutrient loss and gain greater control over their water and pocketbooks.
Chapters:00:00 Welcome to The Water Table podcast
00:42 Introducing Scott and Josh
01:52 About Agri Drain
03:00 Water Level Control Structures
06:30 Precipitation and Crop Needs
08:30 Set It & Forget It: Setting A Schedule
10:15 Benefits of Controlled Drainage
14:37 Dry Years Versus Wet Years
17:07 Innovative Product Lines
19:05 Inside View of Structures and Valves
23:06 Phones, Cameras, and Monitoring
25:15 Practices That Maximize Effectiveness
31:38 Performance Reports
33:01 Retrofitting Existing Tile Systems
42:15 Weather Patterns and Adaptability
44:10 Innovation and the Future of Controlled Water Management
47:02 Wrap-up
Related content:
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119 | Revolutionizing Drainage - Improving Infrastructure with Technology
-
114 | Crumbling Ag Drainage Infrastructure = Unique Upgrade Opportunities
-
110 | Bridging the Gap Between Water Management Research & Application
-
46 | How the Next Generation is Using Technology to Take Ag to the Next Level
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- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- YouTube
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
How’s this year’s harvest? Jamie is checking in with farmers across the Midwest for an update on the harvest season — what’s going well, what’s been challenging, and how weather patterns, market shifts, and community efforts are shaping the season. From early planting to the impact of heavy rainfall on yield projections, you’ll hear an honest, down-to-earth conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture in our region.
Chapters:00:00 - Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
01:54 - Introducing Al Giese
02:48 - Commodity prices and current down cycle
03:32 - Ethanol’s strong demand
05:24 - The impact of weather and disease on crop yields
09:20 - How was this year’s harvest?
11:57 - Checking in with Dylan Erickson
13:57 - Harvest update from Western Minnesota
18:52 - Chippewa County and soybean expectations
22:25 - Effect of changing weather patterns
22:42 - Touching base with Karl Guetter
25:48 - Dry fall weather and early finish
33:22 - Update wrap-up
Related Content:
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134 | Beyond the Squeeze Test: How Unseen Variables Cost Farmers
-
121 | Navigation the Challenges & Opportunities of Being a Farmer
-
55 | How Changing Weather Patterns Impact the Stability of Your Farm
-
52 | An Ag Economist Tells All: Critical Topics Impacting the Future of Ag
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- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- YouTube
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
When it comes to water quality, what do people really think? Host Jamie Duininck took The Water Table podcast on the road to the Minnesota State Fair to interview fairgoers and hear their concerns. You'll hear genuine, on-the-spot answers, covering everything from local lake health to field runoff to worries about nitrates and other materials reaching the water table.
Jamie and Prinsco Application Engineer, Trey Allis, unpack these conversations to address concerns and discuss how water management practices, such as control structures, offer solutions for improved water quality.
Chapters:00:00 - Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:28 - Today’s guest Trey Allis
01:40 - Discussing water quality at the State Fair
03:00 - Importance of water quality
03:35 - The effect of runoff, impervious soils and algae
04:46 - Concerns about the impact of agriculture
07:35 - Water management practices and implementation
12:16 - Sub-irrigation, drainage recycling and other opportunities
17:55 - Let’s talk about research
18:45 - Nitrate issues and control drainage
22:42 - New contractors and the use of technology
25:49 - Adopt a storm drain
29:10 - Wrap-up
Related Content
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129: The Tipping Point: Accelerating Agricultural Water Quality & Soil Retention
-
116: A Unified Voice & Vision for Ag Water Management
-
103: Rapping About Drainage– A Water Table First!
- Best Practice: Controlled Drainage
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- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- YouTube
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
Jamie takes a trip to the Great Minnesota Get-Together to talk with people and hear their thoughts on recycling, water quality, and products made from post-consumer plastics. He had some great conversations, including a chat with Lauren from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. They discussed how HDPE plastics can be recycled to make products like picnic tables and birdhouses--as well as drainage pipe, which uses a large volume of post-consumer plastic.
Jamie also talked with Ann and Jennifer from the University of Minnesota Extension about the opportunities that exist to educate young people about local water quality, the role that plastic pipe manufacturing plays in recycling efforts, and potential careers in the water management industry.
The last conversation in this episode is with Jacob from By the Yard, a Minnesota-based company that manufactures and sells lawn furniture made from recycled plastic. He and Jamie discuss their shared goal of keeping plastic out of landfills and how rewarding it is to do something good with recycled plastics.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:35 - Visiting the Minnesota State Fair
01:47 - Recycling plastics into new products
03:07 - From milk jugs to drainage pipe
06:30 - Why water matters locally
08:20 - Opportunities for educating young people
09:45 - Doing something good with recycled plastics
13:16 - Closing remarks
Related content:
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67 | Sustainability and Resilience - How the Plastic Pipe Industry is on the Forefront
-
05.1 | The Science Behind Making Pipe: Part 01
-
05.2 | The Science Behind Making Pipe: Part 02
- Water Quality resources from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- University of Minnesota Extension
- By the Yard Outdoor Furniture
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- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- YouTube
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
Some of the biggest risks in quality are the ones you can’t see. Pipe might look fine or feel strong in your hands, but hidden issues like uneven wall thickness, poor resin blends, or the wrong corrugation profile could cause pipe to fail in the field years after installation.
In part two of our Perspectives on Pipe Quality series, Jamie Duininck sits down with Paul Schrupp, Director of Quality and Continuous Improvement at Prinsco, to unpack these unseen factors and explain why quality depends on science, testing, and design. They talk about resin properties, thickness distribution, cold-weather brittleness, UV protection using carbon black, and the role of ASTM standards in protecting farmers.
True quality is not obvious at first glance. It is built into every step of the process so that pipe in the ground will perform for decades and create long-term value for farm families and communities.
Chapters:00:00 - Welcome Back
01:00 - Paul’s Role in Quality
02:20 - What Quality Really Means
04:10 - Beyond ASTM Minimums
05:45 - The Squeeze Test Problem
07:30 - Corrugation Profiles & Temperature
09:10 - The Plastic Chair Example
10:30 - Longevity and Service Life
12:00 - Carbon Black and Sun Exposure
14:00 - Industry Standards
16:00 - Longevity Builds Wealth
17:30 - Risks of Cutting Corners
19:30 - Final Thoughts
Related content:
-
133 | Perspectives on Pipe Quality: Delivering Generations of Yield with Tony Kime
-
129 | The Tipping Point: Accelerating Agricultural Water Quality & Soil Retention
-
07 | Engineering Water Quality: Bioreactors, Saturated Buffers & More
- “Perspectives on Pipe Quality” Playlist on YouTube
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- Spotify
- YouTube Music
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Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.
This first episode of Perspectives on Pipe Quality opens a critical conversation about building drainage systems that truly last. Host Jamie Duininck sits down with industry veteran Tony Kime, Senior Advisor to Soleno, whose 40+ years in the corrugated pipe business have shown him what it takes to deliver a 50-year service life and what happens when quality falls short.
Tony draws on a lifetime in the industry, including a story of pipe installed in 1971 that is still performing today. He explains how resin selection, manufacturing practices, and rigorous testing protect farmers’ long-term investments and the reputation of the entire industry. From the “Wild West” days of untested products to the importance of third-party certification, this episode dives beneath the surface to show why getting it right the first time matters for generations.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome & Series Introduction
02:07 - Tony’s Background & Industry Experience
04:02 - How the Industry Expands, Contracts & Learns
07:10 - Why Testing Matters in Pipe Manufacturing
14:22 - The Cost of Cutting Corners
20:30 - Standards & Third-Party Certification
28:06 - A 1971 Pipe Still Performing Today
32:05 - Drainage as a Conservation Practice
35:00 - What’s Ahead in the Series
Related content:
-
132 | Ducks Unlimited: Balancing Wetland Conservation & Agricultural Production
-
122 | Drainage in Ontario: Balancing Ag & the Environment
-
54 | Building Wealth Through Tiling: Insights from Canada’s OG Installer
- Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario (LICO)
Find us on social media!
Listen on these podcast platforms
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- YouTube
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And the winner of the Polaris 570 Sportsman Edition ATV is... Prinsco Ag Segment Lead Karl Guetter joins us on The Water Table podcast to reveal the highly anticipated winner of the Prinsco "Save & Ride" Summer Sale! This program was a massive success thanks to our incredible partners, with 364 customers participating and an impressive 642 loads of pipe shipped in June. We'll also cover a mid-summer ag update, from commodity prices and crop conditions to the outlook for fall tiling.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:46 Prinsco Ag Summer Sale - Buy & Ride
01:36 Contest Success & Customer Partnerships
03:32 How Many Customers Participated??
05:32 Announcing the ATV Winner!
06:02 Spotlight on Basin Construction
09:48 Mid-Summer Crop Report
14:24 Outlook for the Rest of the Season
18:28 Thank You to Our Customers
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How do we find the balance between productive agriculture and wetland conservation? Guest host Trey Allis sits down with Samantha Ewald of Ducks Unlimited to learn how their engineering expertise goes beyond conservation to actively restoring wetlands to filter water, capture sediment, and remove nutrients. From tackling failing drain tile systems to transforming farmland into thriving wetlands, learn how they’re finding solutions and why wetlands are considered the kidneys of the Earth.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Wetlands
00:29 Welcome Sam Ewald
01:33 About Ducks Unlimited
02:23 Regional Engineer Role
03:29 Project Discovery
05:01 Wetland Restoration Process
07:49 Wetlands & Water Quality
09:11 Balance in Landscapes
11:46 Where to Restore?
13:24 Ducks Like Friends
14:11 Favorite Duck Hunt
15:42 DU's Impact: 1 Million Acres
17:16 More Than Digging Holes
17:35 Favorite Projects: Tile
19:46 Shallow Lake Restoration
21:29 Make Wet Spots Wetter
22:59 Career Advice & Learnings
27:37 Wish I Knew Earlier
29:45 DU's Broader Reach
31:28 More Duck Talk
33:05 Wrap Up
Related content:
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15 | A Look at Watershed Districts - Balancing Water Quality and Water Quantity
-
18 | The Intersection of Pheasants Forever and Conservation on the Farm
-
125 | A 30-year Career in Conservation & Innovation: From NRCS to Family Farms
- Ducks Unlimited - Conservation Projects
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John Schwartz of Schwartz Farms shares his remarkable journey from a dairy farm upbringing to building a highly successful agricultural enterprise with 500 employees across multiple states.
John discusses how they've navigated the industry's volatile cycles. From the "Go-Go days" of the 1970s inflation to current biosecurity challenges like the PRRS virus to the future potential of gene-edited pigs. He offers invaluable lessons on leadership, embracing change, and the profound impact a business can have on rural communities.
Chapters:00:00 Intro
00:14 1970s Inflation & Early Days
00:30 Welcome John Schwartz, Schwartz Farm
01:05 Farm Origins & Growth
02:03 Pig Business Evolution
03:10 Company Expansion
03:44 Biosecurity Challenges
05:47 Gene-Edited Pigs & Future
07:03 Airborne Viruses & Industry Hubs
08:44 Minnesota's Agri-Powerhouse
10:20 Weathering Cycles & Culture
11:36 The Power of Culture
12:30 Leadership, Humility & Appreciation
14:40 Growth & Culture Preservation
17:07 Employee Investment: 401K
18:28 Rural Impact
19:12 Legacy & Community
21:14 Valuing Relationships
23:53 Humility & Connection
25:09 Family Farm History
26:37 Ag Interdependence & Drainage
28:37 Rewarding Rural Impact
31:16 Sustaining Culture Amid Change
34:19 Embracing Industry Uncertainty
37:53 Final Thoughts: Opportunity & Attitude
Related content:
-
40 | Family Business Series: Insight and Advice From a Family Business Coach
-
39 | Family Business Series: Relationships and the General Transfer of Knowledge
-
38 | Building a Strong Business Culture
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We're diving deeper with Ruth McCabe, Heartland Co-Op Conservation Manager, to explore how Heartland Co-Op is tackling gaps in federal funding for ag conservation. Learn about their sustainability-linked loans and a new non-profit fund designed to empower tenant farmers and fund local conservation projects. We'll also discuss the growing demand for state-led alternatives to programs like CRP, and which practices are making farms more resilient to extreme weather.
Chapters:00:00 Introducing the Heartland Conservation Fund
00:22 Resilient Soil: A Conservation Benefit
01:04 Heartland Co-op's Expanding Team & New Loan
02:08 Funding Tenant Farmers Through the Non-Profit
03:32 Partnership-Based Funding Model
04:26 Private Solutions Amidst Federal Shifts
05:22 Alternative to CRP: A Local Approach
06:42 The Power of Local Community & Engagement
08:19 Farmer Perspectives: Seeing Conservation Results
09:26 Weather Patterns and Insurance Impact
11:18 Conservation for Resilience, Not Just Yield
14:13 Tailored Solutions for Every Farm
15:17 Heartland's Micro-Level Innovations
16:33 Iowa's Macro-Level Conservation Leadership
18:19 Collaborative Federal Agency Support
19:06 Iowa's Unexpected Conservation Success
20:32 Overcoming Obstacles: Pushing Past "No"
22:10 Public Land Access vs. Private Land Opportunity
23:51 Hunting Leases and Landowner Benefits
25:19 Building Relationships Through Access
26:06 The Nuance of Conservation and Dialogue
Related content:
-
129 | The Tipping Point: Accelerating Agricultural Water Quality and Soil Retention
-
128 | Bridging the Divide: Tenant Farmers, Landowners and Conservation Decisions
-
127 | Cover Crops and No-Till: A Conservationist’s Perspective
- Heartland Co-op
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Why is there an urgent need to address soil loss and explore solutions like saturated buffers, bioreactors, and advanced wetlands? Ruth McCabe, Conservation Expert, shares her optimism about reaching a tipping point in water quality and soil retention thanks to batch and build and edge-of-field practices. Hear why farmers are experiencing the positive impact firsthand, and why a new wave of passionate individuals is poised to transform agricultural landscapes for cleaner water and richer soil.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:35 Welcome
00:43 Getting excited about water quality
01:30 The tipping point
02:20 Unsustainable soil loss
03:40 Developing infrastructure
05:20 Give us another ten years…
06:20 Is it making a difference?
07:00 Getting the farmers excited
07:26 Small impact to production acres
08:20 Batch and build
09:20 Spreading the model beyond Iowa
10:27 Thanks for joining us!
Related content:
-
128 | Bridging the Divide: Tenant Owners, Landowners & Conservation Decisions
-
127 | Cover Crops and No-Till: A Conservationist’s Perspective
- Ag Drainage Management Coalition
- Heartland Co-op
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Episode Description
Who makes the decisions when it comes to implementing conservation practices on rented farmland? Ruth McCabe, Heartland Co-op Conservation Manager, discusses the pivotal role of non-operating landowners in conservation decisions on rented farmland. Listen in as Jamie and Ruth discuss the spectrum of landowner engagement and how to encourage land stewardship across the board.
Chapters:
00:00Welcome to The Water Table
01:01Working with tenant farmers
01:25The perspective of landowners
02:30Letting landowners off the hook?
03:30Generations removed from farming
04:45Preventing soil loss, and cleaning water
05:38In-field conservation vs. edge-of-field conservation
08:18What trips their trigger?
09:04Erosion and incentivizing conservation practices
Related content:
-
127 | Cover Crops and No-Till: A Conservationist’s Perspective
-
56 | A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality: Batch and Build
-
52 | An Ag Economist Tells All: Critical Topics Impacting the Future of Agriculture
- Heartland Co-op
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Cover crops and no-till… How will they impact your bottom line? We’re joined by fan-favorite and Conservation Manager, Ruth McCabe, to dig into the benefits and drawbacks of these increasingly popular conservation practices. We're tackling the tough questions: Do cover crops boost yields? How do they affect soil health? Why are these practices being adopted from Iowa to Minnesota and beyond? This is the first of several insightful conversations with Ruth you won't want to miss!
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome Ruth McCabe
01:00 What is going on at Heartland Co-op and Beyond?
04:41 Cover Crops
05:51 Ruth's Experience and a Balanced View of Cover Crops
08:33 Regional Differences in Cover Crop Adoption
11:29 Benefits and Considerations for Cover Crop Use
14:00 The Leaky Root
16:26 Warming up the Soil
18:52 No-till + Cover Crops = So Many Bonuses
20:43 The Learning Curve and Potential Yield Impact of New Practices
22:00 Short-Term Yield Hits, Long-Term Benefits
23:52 Guidance is Key
Related content:
- Episode 82: Getting #%@$ Done in Iowa With Batch and Build…On the Road
- Episode 104: Worldwide Conservation, Water Quality and Woody Harrelson
- Subsurface Drainage and Soil Temps
- Heartland Co-Op
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What does it mean to build a legacy that honors both family and the land? Mother-son duo Pattie and Tim Krengel of Krengel Brothers Tiling came from humble beginnings in Mapleton, Minnesota. Their story is one of breaking barriers, serving the community, and teaching the next generation to be good stewards of the land. Uncover the deep roots of their family business in rural America in this episode.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:38 Starting Krengel Brothers Tiling
04:30 Pattie’s role
07:08 Samson the dog
10:18 Expanding the business
14:13 Tim's Early Involvement
16:10 Pattie's morning routine
19:26 Pattie's Place
24:53 Tim joins the business
30:46 Remembering Harold
34:39 A love for the outdoors
41:04 Pattie's achievements
44:44 LICA trips & friendships
50:09 What drives Pattie
52:16 Importance of community
1:00:46 Advice from Pattie
1:02:37 Growing up in Mapleton
1:04:45 Pattie and Harold
1:06:01 Appreciation
1:13:31 Closing remarks
Related Content:
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118 | Accidental Advocate for the Drainage Industry
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22 | The Evolution of Drainage: A Journalist’s Perspective
-
13 | Advocacy & Water Management Practices
-
9 | Behind the LICA Creed: “All Wealth is Generated By the Land”
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What happens when decades of conservation experience meets cutting-edge technology? Kent Bohnhoff, retired Illinois grain farmer and former NRCS district conservationist, recently received a grant from One Good Idea to implement automated drainage water management systems on his land. Hear Kent’s unique perspective gained from over 30 years in agricultural conservation, and why he believes the system will benefit both crop yields and water quality.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:36 A Long History in Farming and Conservation
01:59 Connecting Farming Passion with a Career at the NRCS
05:03 Satisfaction from Helping Farmers Implement Conservation
08:15 Technological Advancements in Agriculture and Drainage Over 30 Years
11:19 Family Farming Legacy and Future Involvement
12:36One Good Idea Grant
13:51 Initial Observations and Benefits of the Automated System
15:53 The Importance of Water Storage and Slowing Down Runoff
16:46 Landscape Changes and the Role of Conservation Practices
17:47 Looking to the Future and Benefits for the Next Generation
18:42 Staying in Touch and the Impact of Drought
19:38 Closing Remarks
Related content:
- Best Practices: Drainage Water Recycling
-
120 | One Good Idea: An Educational Clearinghouse for Farmers
-
113 | Drainage Water Recycling: Creating Resiliency Amidst Dwindling Resources
-
71 | Is Drainage Infrastructure More Valuable Than Underground Transit?
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What do tariffs mean for relations between the U.S. and Canada? Toban Dyck, an Ag Journalist and fifth-generation grain farmer from Winkler, Manitoba, joins us for a conversation about the ripple effect of tariffs on agriculture. Toban breaks down the importance of strong relationships, communication amidst uncertainty, and how Canadian producers and U.S. importers may be impacted.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Toban Dyck & Tariffs
03:04 Understanding Tariffs: A Basic Explanation
04:36 The Devastating Effects on Canadian Markets
07:46 Potash and Manufacturing: Key Trade Factors
11:10 Seeking New Markets: Canada's Response
14:04 The Great Plains: A Borderless Agricultural Region
16:24 Maintaining Strong Relationships
17:35 Government Changes and Responses
19:58 Finding the Silver Lining: Wake-Up Call for Markets
21:44 Toban's Family History: Fifth-Generation Farmer
24:12 Farm Evolution: From Livestock to Grain
26:13 Returning to the Family Farm
27:24 Family and Farm Life
28:53 The Uncertainty of Tariffs: How Long Will They Last?
30:35 Hopeful Connections and DC Lobbying
31:27 Seeking Resolution: Value of U.S. and Canadian Relations
32:19 Closing Remarks
Related Content:
-
122 | Drainage in Ontario: Balancing Agriculture & the Environment
-
34 | The Birth of an Industry, Eh?
-
54 | Building Wealth Through Tiling; Insights from Canada’s Original Installer
-
8 | Cause & Effect: Plastic Resin Supply
- Burr Forest Group
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Jamie and Karl are in the hot seat on this live episode of The Water Table Podcast. From questions about the future of water management and drainage water recycling to what they would ask President Trump about agriculture, Jamie and Karl tackle it all in front of an audience of drainage contractors. Live, unedited, and unpredictable... What’s on the minds of folks in our industry?
Chapters:00:00 Intro
04:56 Welcome!
05:20Prinsco Drainage School
06:45How to explain the environmental impact of drainage?
08:45The point of The Water Table
10:10A rural economic engine
12:26How are companies handling uncertainty amidst policy change?
14:10Tariffs on Canadian Imports
15:58The future of drainage water recycling
18:50Drainage water recycling in Canada - 23 years ago!
20:25Tree roots in pipe
22:15Locking bell and gasket for dual wall?
23:30Share your ideas!
24:00The evolution of drainage over 50 years
26:00Pattern tiling moving around the country
29:50What do the next 10 years look like?
31:15Ask President Trump
34:15It’s all about relationships!
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We’re catching up with our Northern neighbor in this episode, where we discuss the complex intersection of agriculture, drainage, and the environment in Canada and the United States. Guest host Trey Allis chats with Mel Luymes, Executive Director of the Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario (LICO) about the evolution of pipe standards in Canada, the rigorous certification process for both operators and equipment, and Mel’s insights from her Midwest drainage tour.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro and Mel's Background
04:25 The History of Drainage in Ontario
06:48 Ontario Operator and Equipment Licensing
08:59 Drainage Legislation and Regulation in Ontario
11:30 ON-CA Drainage Guide (Publication 29)
12:35 Evolving Pipe Standards and Certification
17:58 Mel's Midwest Drainage Tour
20:45 Impressions from the Midwest: Bioreactors, Wetlands, and Treatment Trains
24:39 Applying Midwest Innovations in Canada
25:53 Drainage Research and Innovation
27:36 Contour Drainage and Subsurface Irrigation
31:05 Precision Drainage and Soil Analysis
34:55 The Intersection of Agriculture and the Environment
37:32 The Future of Drainage
Related Content:
- Loren Benz Wetland Restoration
- Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario
-
119: Revolutionizing Drainage: Improving Infrastructure with Technology
-
54: Building Wealth Through Tiling: Insights from Canada’s Original Installer
-
34: The Birth of an Industry. Eh?
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From extreme weather and its impact on crop yields to the importance of timely drainage installations, Karl Guetter, farmer and Prinsco Ag Segment Lead, discusses the results of 2024 and offers valuable insights for navigating the challenges and opportunities of today's agricultural landscape. Learn what’s ahead for commodity prices, how timely installations could mean leaning on drainage contractors, and the potential influence of the new administration on the industry.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro - 2024 Ag Review & 2025 Preview
00:45 2024's Wild Ride: Weather Extremes
01:25 Wet Spring, Dry Summer: Farmer Challenges
03:45 The Drainage Difference in 2024
04:45 Karl's Farming Perspective: 2024 Struggles
07:45 When to DIY Drainage & When to Hire
11:30 Weighing the Costs
14:00 Commodity Market Update
16:30 Resin & Pipe Pricing: What to Expect in 2025
20:35 Weather & the Ag Economy: Regional Differences
22:15 The New Administration
23:00 Predictions & Priorities for 2025
25:30 Final Thoughts: Adapting to Change
Related Content:
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115: How Will the 2024 Election Results Impact Ag?
-
111: Drainage Contractors – Water Management MVPs
-
53: 4 Factors Driving the Continued Demand for Tile
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What began as a collaboration between several land-grant universities in the Mississippi River Basin has now grown to include farmers, non-profit organizations and businesses in the ag industry. Jenny Seifert, Watershed Outreach Specialist, joins us on this episode of The Water Table podcast to explain why One Good Idea is so important, and how farmer-to-farmer learning is crucial to agricultural water management.
Related Content:
- One Good Idea Website
- Episode #112: A Five Generation Farm: One Woman’s Journey Home
- Episode #65: Outsmarting Mother Nature with Drainage Recycling
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From televising underground drainage systems to using LIDAR drones and hydraulic modeling, one engineering and design firm in the Twin Cities is using cutting-edge tech to transform watersheds and drainage systems in the upper Midwest. Guest host Trey Allis sits down with ISG Vice President and National Drainage Expert Chuck Brandel to learn how this technology is providing solutions for drainage contractors and professionals and the water management industry.
Chapter & Episode Topics:
00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:23 On the road at ISG
01:15 How do you look at 100-year old pipe
02:45 Catastrophic failures
03:20 No meetings during harvest…
04:30 Serving its purpose
05:40 Making sure it’s cost-effective
06:17 After installation…is it up to standards?
07:30 Courtesy run
08:06 The advantage of avoidance
10:00 Making sure it’s done right
12:20 Building relationships with contractors
13:20 Any other tools?
14:00 The cost effectiveness of LIDAR
15:50 Thank God for GPS
17:25 Hydraulic modeling
19:25 Giving farmers the confidence
Related Content:
- ISG
- Episode 107: Drainage Summit and Crumbling Infrastructure: Why Collaboration is Key
- Episode 21: Ellingson Companies: A Passion For Ag Water Management
- Episode 13: Advocacy and Water Management Practices
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From introducing GPS for grid tiling in New York to sharing best practices in agricultural water management, Chad Klotzbach of Alleghany Services has become an advocate for the drainage industry. Learn why he feels education is so important and how applying research from the Midwest is benefitting his East Coast business.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:26 Welcome Chad Klotzbach
01:00 All the way from New York
01:30 Farm drainage up and down the East Coast
02:07 Second generation and GPS
03:10 More opportunity = More challenges
04:35 Average project is 35 acres, Boston, Maryland, Delaware… it’s diverse!
05:55 The benefits of education
07:20 Bringing the Midwest research to the Northeast
08:24 Non-traditional drainage states
09:46 Selling snake-oil or advocate?
11:25 Shameless drainage promotion
12:40 The first bioreactor in Massachusetts
14:14 Controlled drainage
15:00 Precision agriculture – including drainage.
16:30 Three feet of rain in the spring
17:15 Learning from the conferences
18:53 Still a lot of work to do
19:20 Personal achievements
20:50 Big thanks to our guest!
Related Content:
- Alleghany Services
- ADMC
- Episode #62: A Water Management Industry Insider Shares How Management Practices are Improving and How You Can Benefit
- Episode #116: A Unified Voice and Vision for Agricultural Water Management
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We're looking back on our top episodes of 2024! From the life lessons of seasoned drainage contractors to how the next generation is shaking up the ag industry, our conversations on The Water Table podcast explored a wide range of topics. What ties them all together? They highlight the unsung heroes of our industry and the crucial role water management plays in agriculture and our world.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Welcome to our year-end wrap up!
01:00 It Takes Passion & A Willingness to Improve
01:03 Bob Lepper and Jacob Handsaker
03:56 Legacy Improvements– Creating Resiliency
04:38 Matt Helmers, Kellie Blair and Jacob Handsaker
07:07 Batch & Build Explained
07:31 Ruth McCabe
10:02 When Drainage, Farming & Water Quality Come Together
10:22 Guest host Trey Allis and Chuck Brandel
12:15 Educating Farmers; It’s hard to care about what you can’t see!
12:34 Alex Buseman
14:54 The Crux of the Argument– Behind the Lawsuit Against the USDA Over the Swampbuster Statute
15:20 Loren Seehase
17:09 Is Tile Drainage Decreasing, or Do Numbers Sometimes Lie?
17:27 Dr. Ehsan Ghane
19:02 9,000+ Miles of Building Relationships and Hands-On Learning
19:25 Harris Duininck and Griffin Duininck
22:52 Rapping About Drainage – A Water Table First!
23:10 Dr. John McMaine
25:09 Impact of Drainage in Rural Communities
25:29 Ross Wetherell
27:39 The Possibilities to Create Change in Ag Are Endless
27:57 Dr. Amy Kaleita
Top Episodes of 2024:
- Episode 97
- Episode 100
- Episode 104
- Episode 107
- Episode 95
- Episode 106
- Episode 105
- Episode 96
- Episode 103
- Episode 109
- Episode 99
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- Spotify
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The Agriculture Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) is giving a voice to folks in the industry. From farmers to drainage contractors and researchers to engineers, the ADMC’s success in offering solutions and implementing best practices like batch & build is making a difference for those shaping the future of water management. Trey Allis steps into the host seat to talk with Keegan Kult, Executive Director of the ADMC, on this episode of The Water Table podcast.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:18 Welcome to Keegan Kult
01:00 What is the ADMC?
03:32 Current ADMC Projects
04:40 Batch and Build
06:20 It’s all about efficiency
08:00 Taking the pressure off the landowner
09:30 Batch and Build hotspots in Iowa
10:05 A few hundred sites in Cedar Rapids
11:30 Walking to running
12:50 Applying batch and build to drainage water management
14:20 It’s not 50 years ago…
15:20 The more control the better
16:08 ADMC Contractor Survey
17:55 A Website redesign
20:00 Trey volunteers for a job…
21:00 Climate Smart Funding
26:00 Saturated buffers and the funding
28:25 Educational opportunities
29:15 NACADE
Related Content:
- Episode #56: A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality: Batch and Build
- Episode #82: Getting #%@$ Done in Iowa with Batch and Build
- North American Conservation and Drainage Expo (NACADE) 2025
- Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition
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- Spotify
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Now that the votes are counted, what do the 2024 election results mean for the future of agriculture? In this timely episode of The Water Table podcast, Jamie sits down with former Congressman Collin Peterson for a conversation about how the next four years may impact farmers, drainage contractors, and other folks in the industry.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on The Water Table podcast
01:20 Votes are in– now what?
02:10 Will there be a farm bill?
03:00 Hurricanes, disaster relief and more
04:00 It will be an extension…
05:30 The old farm bill covers it.
06:20 Why is CRP closed?
08:00 What about the turnover on the Senate Ag Committee?
10:22 New Secretary of Agriculture
11:18 A mandate
12:00 What about RFK Jr.?
12:45 The DOGE Committee
13:15 The farm vote
14:00 Who will chair Ag in the house?
15:05 It’s all speculation
16:15 The election didn’t surprise…
17:30 The script has flipped in rural America
18:46 Are taxes the bigger issue?
20:10 Get ahold of the deficit
22:00 Making a difference
22:30 Changes are coming on the Ag committee
23:29 Next governor of Minnesota?
25:00 The politics of it all
26:50 Hoping for changes in water rules…
Related Content:
- Episode #28: The Midwest Council On Agriculture
- Episode #42: How the War in Ukraine Could Impact Agriculture
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- Spotify
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Trey Allis takes over hosting duties to talk with Iowa State PhD student researcher, Eric Henning about the work he’s doing to assess Iowa’s opportunities as the state replaces its outdated water mains. From reducing ponding, increasing yields and addressing water quality issues, the benefits could be significant to agriculture in the Midwest.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:25 Welcome Eric Henning
01:00 Drainage District improvements in Iowa
03:00 Crop production impact
04:00 Thinking differently
05:29 Keeping yields private…
06:00 Utilizing satellite images
07:30 Comparing sister districts
09:00 Upgrading the main
10:30 Isolating the corn and soybean fields
13:10 Seeing the damage firsthand
14:19 ET – evaporation and transpiration
16:30 How do you measure that?
18:30 Drainage water recycling
20:30 Digging the storage ponds
23:30 A lot of moving parts
25:00 Where’d you matriculate from?
26:45 Nebraska to ISU
27:40 What’s next?
Related Content:
- Best Practice: Drainage Water Recycling
- Episode 71: Is Drainage Infrastructure More Valuable Than Underground Transit?
- Episode 107: Drainage Summit and a Crumbling Infrastructure; Why Collaboration is Key
- Episode 110: Bridging the Gap Between Water Management Research and Application
- Episode 113: Drainage Water Recycling: Creating Resiliency Amidst Dwindling Resources
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As water resources are being stretched and pulled away from the ag sector, learn why creating resiliency in agricultural water management is more critical than ever. Guest host & Prinsco Application Engineer, Trey Allis, sits down with water management expert, Dr. Chris Hay, to get the details on his research into drainage water recycling. Can it boost yields? Yes. Is it worth the cost? This episode explores how drainage water recycling could be a solution.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00
00:18 Welcome to the Water Table!
00:40 Welcome Dr. Chris Hay
01:20 Go Rams!
01:50 On to Nebraska…
02:10 Becoming tri-lingual in engineering, statistics and hydrology
03:00 Interaction between ground water and surface water
04:44 Recharge!
06:00 Into the world of drainage
07:49 Onward to Iowa
08:45 Transforming Drainage
11:07 Hanging his own shingle…
11:50 Drainage Water Recycling
13:15 Seeing the benefits – doubling corn production
13:44 Looking at the economics
14:40 Irrigation vs. non-irrigation
17:10 Closing the loop on nutrient loss
18:00 The environmental benefit looks promising
19:45 What are the size requirements?
21:33 Who’s paying for what?
23:00 More engineers and dirt workers
24:20 The opportunities with replacing infrastructure
26:00 Irrigated acres vs. drained acres
29:00 Opportunities for crop diversity
32:20 The hydro illogic cycle
33:20 Wrapping it up
Related Content:
- Episode 68: A Rain Barrel on Steroids; How Drainage Water Recycling Can Maximize Productivity
- Episode 77: How 5 Million Dollars, 39 Test Sites & 29 Bright Minds are Transforming Drainage
- Episode 80: The Real Price of Drainage: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Cost?
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One woman has taken over the family farm her great-great grandfather started in 1883 with $500 and a team of horses... What led her to leave the city life behind and return to work the land in her rural community?
Host Jamie Duininck sits down with Rachel Arneson, a fifth generation farmer from the Red River Valley in Minnesota. Learn how succession planning can be helpful and why getting involved in producer organizations can contribute to little changes that have a big impact.
It’s an episode of the Water Table podcast you don’t want to miss!
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:50 Welcome Rachel Arneson
01:11 Where in the world is Halstad, MN?
01:47 All the crops: Sugar beets, wheat, corn, soybeans…
02:30 Sugarbeets carry the farm
04:00 The best wheat crop
05:00 Sugarbeet reports
06:00 Sole proprietor and how it all started
07:30 The importance of education
08:30 Getting back to the farm
10:03 Succession planning
11:40 Working in the dirt
14:09 Appreciating life on the farm
14:45 The long process of succession planning
16:06 The trickle-down effect
19:40 Taking smaller bites
21:44 On the board
23:54 What have you learned from the exposure?
26:40 The importance of mentors
28:00 The challenges of finding employees
31:13 They’re not making any more land
32:00 What is your impact?
About the Guest:Rachel Arneson is a fifth generation farmer from Halstad, Minnesota. She earned a Master’s degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Minnesota before returning to the family farm in 2012. Rachel is currently raising a two-year-old daughter, as well as growing corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugarbeets.
Related Content:
- Episode 46: How the Next Generation is Using Technology to Take Agriculture to the Next Level
- Episode 102: Grand Farm: Regional Solutions; Global Impact
- American Sugarbeet Growers Association
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Host Jamie Duininck shares his thought on the past year, our changing weather patterns, and answers the question, “When is the best time to install a drainage system and water management practices on your land?” He also explains why using a drainage contractor for solutions is always a good bet.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:23 Deep thoughts with Jamie
01:00 What’s changed?
01:26 A unique way to get wet
02:30 What can I afford to do?
04:00 What is the best timing?
05:00 A moving target
06:00 When theories are wrong
06:32 We do need to focus on drainage
07:57 Think about the long-term
08:46 The evolution of contractors
09:12 Continue to pursue learning
10:46 Adding to the portfolio
11:20 Here to make your life easier
11:40 In conclusion…
About the Host:Jamie Duininck has spent over twenty years working in the water management industry and building relationships with business owners, industry professionals and thought leaders.
“I grew up in the water management industry, which gives me a deep sense of appreciation for its rich history, the hard-working people who make it happen every day, and the important role we play in our communities and world. I am proud to be the CEO of Prinsco, a third-generation family business, as well as a husband, father and avid outdoorsman.
This podcast gives me the opportunity to have some great, thought-provoking conversations with smart, passionate people in the water management industry and beyond. Thanks for joining me– I hope you enjoy listening to these episodes as much as I’ve enjoyed making them.”
Related Content:
- Episode #35: The Best of 2021
- Episode #45: The Spring Waiting Game
- Episode #94: On the Road and In The Studio– Highlights From our Most Popular Podcast Episodes
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Jamie sits down with Prinsco Application Engineer and frequent Water Table guest host, Trey Allis to talk how the Water Table website and podcast are helping to bridge the gap between research in water management and actually putting that research into practice. From sub-surface irrigation to saturated buffers and bioreactors, drainage water recycling, and terrace tiling, TWT website is a go-to for education.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:30 Welcome to Trey Allis
02:00 Out of the office and into the field
04:10 The puzzle pieces are falling into place
04:50 Creating opportunities
05:30 Batch and build
06:20 Early adopters
07:00 Coming full-circle at scale
08:05 The playbook is written
09:20 TWT Website
10:30 A resource for education
12:15 Combing through the research
13:30 Bridging the communication gap
Guest Info:Trey graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He joined the Prinsco team as an Application Engineer in 2017 and primarily focuses on Agricultural engineering. Growing up on a farm and in the Ag community, Allis has spent a lot of his career focusing on the Flexible Dual Wall product and the value it adds to the industry. He is also passionate about education and bridging the gap between research and application.
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We’re on the road at a contractor round-table for this episode of The Water Table podcast. Jamie sits down with Ross Wetherell, a drainage contractor from Northwest Iowa, who came to the family business in a round-about way. From horse training in North Carolina and Ohio and doing horse shows in Las Vegas and Arizona, learn why Ross Wetherell thinks Northwest Iowa is the place to be; and how he’s using technology to help farmers increase yields, causing a ripple effect in the overall economy in rural America.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:12 Welcome Ross Wetherell
00:56 The history of business
01:44 Horse training
03:35 The hotbed of horses
04:54 The passion of family business
05:31 Drainage is cool
06:59 The ripple effect
07:43 The business plan
08:35 Rural Iowa is awesome
10:29 What’s exciting?
10:48 All the technology
12:05 I need pipe right away!
12:30 Education in the industry
14:00 Iowa is leading the pack
Guest Info:Ross Wetherell is a 3rd generation drainage contractor in Peterson, Iowa. He owns Wetherell Sand and Gravel, a family business specializing in GPS farm drainage.
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Jamie sits down with water quality expert and agricultural real estate guru, Chuck Wingert in this episode of the Water Table Podcast. Their wide-ranging conversation covers system tiling, drainage coefficients, optimum spacings, a holistic approach to watersheds and more. Chuck’s vast knowledge of the ag industry and land sales in the Midwest gives him a unique perspective to speak on a wide range of topics. Listen in and enjoy!
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:23 Welcome to Chuck Wingert
01:00 The right guest
02:00 An expert in the water quality arena
03:40 7 million feet of drainage
04:40 Mankato has to have drainage
05:30 All about the soils
06:30 Pancake flat
07:30 Optimum spacings
09:58 System tiling and the sponge effect
13:10 Hungry Dobermans
13:40 Knowledge is king
15:00 Minnesota River
17:00 Drainage, explained – it’s a positive
18:30 An opportunity to make it better
20:30 Making a difference with knowledge
22:20 The Fargo Diversion
24:50 Educating landowners and agencies
25:30 It takes compensation
28:00 A holistic approach to watersheds
30:45 A lot of progress since swampbusters
33:00 Where will we be in 100 years?
36:30 Land values and drainage
39:00 A PHD Thesis on drainage
41:00 Look at both sides and don’t feed the predators
44:00 Thank you for the advocacy
45:30 How many kids grew up on the farm?
Guest Info:Chuck Wingert is with Wingert Land Services, Inc.; a full-service agricultural real estate firm specializing in the brokerage, appraisal, and management of farmland in southern Minnesota. Starting in 1976, Wingert Land Services has assisted more than 18,000 landowners in Minnesota and Northern Iowa with the evaluation of soils, layout, and engineering of agricultural drainage systems and erosion control practices, restoration of wetlands and use of governmental programs to retire marginal land. Since 1985, they have represented sales and purchases including farmland, hobby farms, livestock facilities, recreational land, and rural developments.
Related Content:
- Wingert Land Services, Inc.
- Episode #51: Why Farmland Values Have Never Been Higher
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Guest host Trey Allis sits down with National Drainage Expert, Chuck Brandel, to talk about an upcoming drainage summit happening in Minnesota at the end of August. The summit is bringing together land owners, private industry, the University of Minnesota and state agencies to talk about drainage infrastructure, water quality and see edge-of-field practices in action at a farm in Rothsay, Minnesota. Chuck and Trey also touch on public infrastructure that needs to be replaced, and how collaboration is key in an opportunity to improve water quality for everyone.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table.
00:32 Welcome to Chuck Brandel
01:00 Why are you in Myrtle Beach?
02:33 We all need to work together.
03:52 Collaboration
04:50 Recap of I-90 Corridor Field Day
06:00 World’s largest bioreactor?
08:00 Always a salesman…
09:15 Drainage summit
12:19 Getting the landowners’ perspective
13:45 Who is the summit for?
15:00 Why are field days so important?
18:00 ISG – What do they do?
20:00 A different design
20:48 How is the infrastructure failing?
22:30 100 years old
28:00 Planning for the future
29:50 How to work with ALL the groups…
33:00 Last word.
Related Content:
- ISG
- Episode #07: Engineering Water Quality
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An Iowa landowner is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture claiming the federal government’s “swampbuster law,” which requires farmers to either leave wetlands untouched or forfeit certain federal benefits, is unconstitutional. Jamie sits down with James Conlan and his attorney, Loren Seehase, to hash it all out. Is it government overreach or not? And what would it mean for farmers if the statute was overturned?
The “swampbuster” statute was introduced in the 1985 Farm Bill as part of the Wetland Conservation Compliance Provisions. Learn more here.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00
00:30 Welcome Loren Seehase and James Conlan
01:08 Swampbuster
01:30 The lawsuit explained
02:20 Where in Iowa?
03:00 The back story
05:00 The 5 claims
08:30 Woody vegetation
10:00 Just compensation
11:00 A really big stick
13:00 Sodbusters
14:40 Small farm support?
16:20 What if you’re successful?
17:30 Why Swampbusters in the first place?
18:30 New policy
19:30 The last word.
Related Content:
- Swampbusters Case Page
- Farm Journal Article
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On this episode of The Water Table podcast, Jamie sits down with Dr. Ehsan Ghane of Michigan State University to talk about the recent US Census which is reporting a decrease in acreage with tile drainage across the Midwest. Are the numbers accurate, or is there more at play? And while we’re on the subject of numbers, learn why long term is better for agricultural research.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on TWT
00:14 Welcome Dr. Ehsan Ghane
01:07 Pipe perforations, an update
02:40 When will we see results?
03:30 Census numbers – are they crazy?
05:12 Data gathering
06:00 Very surprising numbers
07:20 An educated guess
08:20 Huge uncertainty in the data
09:15 A drop in responses
11:00 Conservation drainage and phosphorus
12:20 It’s so variable
13:40 Saturated buffers
14:40 Lowering blooms in Lake Erie
15:15 Long-term is key
16:17 Seven years and counting
16:45 What has changed?
18:00 To the extremes
19:15 The last word – tools for specific farms
About the Guest:Dr. Ehsan Ghane teaches Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University, along with performing extensive research into drainage pipe pattern and style, and how those things play into increased water quality and crop yield. He holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University and spent time at the University of Minnesota in the department of Soil, Water and Climate.
Related Content:
- 2022 Ag Census Reveals Surprising Trend in Acreage of Tile Drainage in the Midwest
- Michigan State University Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering - Drainage
- Episode #78: Put A Sock On It?
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From batch and build to cover crops, a certain Woody Harrelson movie, and conservation farming around the world, this episode covers it all. Jamie sits down with one of our favorite guests– Ruth McCabe from Heartland Co-Op in Iowa. Learn what gets our guest up every morning and what boils her blood when it comes to conservation and water quality practices.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:20 Welcome to Ruth McCabe
01:40 Dead cats and great guests
02:45 What is Heartland Co-op
04:25 Partnering with everyone
05:20 It’s a growing field (pun intended)
05:50 Batch and Build, cover crops and wetlands
07:20 Who pays the bills?
08:00 Jamie didn’t read the manuscript
08:15 Cover crops, yes or no?
12:12 Saturated buffers and bioreactors – of course!
13:30 What about Minnesota?
14:50 Winter camelina – what the heck is it?
16:40 Kiss the Ground – Have you seen it?
18:30 The problem with movies…
19:30 She was an urban girl
20:30 Talk to farmers
21:30 Be on both sides of the aisle
22:20 No till – should it be revisited?
24:24 60% tenant-farmed
26:00 Saturated buffers and bioreactors explained
27:45 Batch and build explained
31:24 You need the customer service
32:55 Angry bloggers & divisive rhetoric
34:30 Boil down the passion
35:00 Conservation farming around the world
36:00 The scaffolding is built, now let us paint the house
37:34 The naysayers are ramping up
39:30 A mix of countries and one really big surprise
42:20 A financial no-brainer
43:30 Ruth’s harvest– meat and veggies
44:15 Saturated buffers and pheasant hunting
Related Content:
- Heartland Co-op
- Episode #82: Getting #%@$ Done in Iowa with Batch & Build… On the Road
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Jamie sits down with Dr. John McMaine with South Dakota State University Extension to talk about the importance of listening when solving problems in water management. Learn how both urban and rural water management issues are intertwined, why it really is all about relationships, and don’t miss the Water Table’s first rap about agricultural water management. This episode has it all!
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:24 Welcome Dr. John McMaine
01:12 All about the journey
01:50 Applying knowledge through extension
03:30 Back to Kentucky
04:20 Urban practices to an agricultural setting
05:41 Wood chip bioreactor vs. bioretention cell
07:00 It’s all about community
08:50 The takeaways
10:35 The perceived issue vs. the actual issue
12:00 Another podcast – Streamlines
16:00 Kentucky basketball
17:30 Let’s collaborate
19:00 Maladaptive vs. adaptive
20:30 Opportunities for solutions
21:40 Fun fact: Dr. McMaine raps
Related Content:
- Episode #77: Transforming Drainage with Dr. Jane Frankenberger
- SDSU Extension
- Streamlines Podcast
- Transforming Drainage Project
- Conservation Drainage Network
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Jamie sits down with Grand Farm Executive Director, Dr. William Aderholdt, to talk about a problem-solving venture in North Dakota’s Red River Valley. Learn how Grand Farm started, how they were able to purchase nearly 600 acres of farmland, and why startups, corporations, researchers, government agencies, universities and growers are working together to solve challenges in agriculture through technology and innovation.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:23 Welcome to Dr. William Aderholdt
01:15 The progress at Grand Farm
01:39 How it all began
02:15 Major progress in 5 years
03:00 Engaging the ecosystem of agriculture
04:00 What is Grand Farm?
05:45 We need more land
06:45 Location, location, location
08:30 Regional solutions = Worldwide impact
10:15 What drives the passion?
13:10 Education is so important
15:00 Succession – where does it all go?
16:10 Show me the money…and the partners.
19:00 Innovation Shop, land purchases, new hires and more
20:00 590 acres and counting
20:45 Come to Grand Farm June 10!
22:20 How to get from here to there
23:30 3 biggest challenges
26:00 It’s all about the attitude…
Related Content:
- Grand Farm
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What does this spring look like from an agricultural perspective? Wet? Dry? A little bit of both? Jamie sits down with a USDA Climatologist based in Ames, Iowa to talk weather. Are we in a drought or not? You might be surprised at the answer. Listen in and find out what kind of weather might be coming your way.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:29 Welcome to Dr. Todey
01:20 An unusual winter
02:00 Pluses and minuses for ag…
02:53 A chicken and egg situation
03:15 A rainy Christmas
04:26 We got warm again
04:43 WHY??? (Hint: It’s El Niño)
05:33 Climate changes
06:35 What’s your definition of Fall?
07:20 Lengthening the frost-free season
08:00 In-and-out ice on the lake
09:30 Big swings
11:00 Way out of whack
12:20 Are we still in a drought?
13:30 Groundwater deficits
14:38 Early field work
16:00 Why is precipitation the way it is?
17:10 How many weeks of drought?!?
18:40 La Niña + summer = Not good
20:25 Flip-flopping
22:15 The last word
Related Content:
- USDA Midwest Climate Hub
- Episode #55: How Changing Weather Patterns Impact the Stability of Your Farm
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It’s a milestone episode for the Water Table Podcast! Episode 100!! We are on the road at Iowa State University with a panel of expert guests to talk past, present and future of agricultural water management. Jamie is joined by a professor, a farmer and a drainage contractor to talk shop. Learn why they believe the future of ag water management is so exciting and what new technologies are on the horizon. It’s a special episode you won’t want to miss!
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:31 Meet our guests
02:06 The future of water quality
03:55 Drainage water recycling
06:00 City cousins – what technology?
07:00 How to explain it all…
08:45 The biggest hurdles
09:30 3 ½ years for approval
10:45 Frustrations…
11:45 Leaps in technologies
12:45 It’s a young industry
14:00 A right to manage your water
16:30 What’s new?
17:00 Micro wetlands
19:53 Resiliency in water management
22:00 Seeing results
24:43 Slowing down the water
26:00 Progression from introduction to implementation
27:00 ACPF
28:20 We’re not plugging the tile lines…
30:28 A huge network
34:00 Adding to existing systems…(Jacob’s soapbox)
37:20 Audience questions…
39:00 Not a cookie-cutter process
41:12 Batch and build
43:30 Efficiencies
46:20 The next decade???
48:00 A long time to get dry…
50:56 Capturing the opportunities
52:10 The last word.
Related Content:
- Hands-On Tiling & Excavating
- Blair Farm, LLC
- Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework
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What kind of students are seeking out careers in ag? It isn’t just kids on the farm anymore... Jamie catches up with Dr. Amy Kaleita, Department Chair of the Ag and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University. They discuss how education is furthering the world of agriculture, why students are choosing career paths in ag, and how the opportunities to create change in the industry are endless.
Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:10 Dr. Amy Kaleita
00:45 NOT from Iowa
01:10 NOT from a farm
01:30 Engineers make cars?
02:30 Really important problems
03:40 Making a difference through Ag
04:40 I don’t know enough
06:00 Talk to a lot of people
07:00 Water quality education
08:00 Science vs. social science
09:00 Today’s student
11:00 The world is their oyster
12:30 The importance of a good question
13:30 Hope for the future
15:00 The second half
16:30 Sharing the expertise
18:00 A non-traditional education
19:40 Not an ag background
21:25 A national trend
22:40 A passion for connection
Related Content:
- Dr. Amy Kaleita's Selected Works & Publications
- Iowa State University Department of Agricultural Biosystems and Engineering
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Jamie sits down with Tim Radatz for a conversation about Discovery Farms, a public-private partnership that is advancing research into water quality and agricultural drainage practices. Learn why getting real-time data from private farms across Minnesota is providing farmers with the information they need to implement the best practices for their area to not only increase yields, but improve water quality on their land.
Chapters:00:00 Intro
00:21 Welcome Tim Radatz
00:40 The story of Discovery Farms
01:00 Private farms
01:19 Water quantity
02:41 Water quality
04:31 Drainage water management
05:40 Putting it into practice
06:30 Let’s use the data
07:15 Discovery Farms funding
09:00 Who gets to participate
11:10 Project lifespan
13:02 Cover crops
14:00 Establishment issues
17:00 A dry pocket
18:20 Continuous improvement
19:45 It’s going to get wet
21:46 20 years from now…
24:00 Managing drainage is essential
25:00 Politics
25:45 Long-suffering Vikings fan
Discovery Farms:
https://discoveryfarmsmn.org
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Jamie sits down for a conversation with Jacob Handsaker and Bob Lepper on this episode of the Water Table Podcast. Learn how a used excavator launched Jacob’s career, and how Bob’s expertise has been integral in passing on knowledge to the next generation – in excavating, show business and beyond. It’s a story about constant curiosity you won’t want to miss.
Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:30 Jacob Handsaker and Bob Lepper
00:40 Skipping school and still learning
01:41 Before Jacob
02:15 1981– Bob’s in business
03:10 Off to Branson
03:40 Back to dirt work
04:40 Just add a plow
05:45 Growing the 1st business
07:11 From Iowa to Idaho and lumberyards
09:49 Best employee ever
10:30 The hog boom
11:40 Into showbiz
13:50 Life lessons for the kids
16:00 After Jacob
17:40 A big “thank you” to Bob
19:26 You have to have passion
19:50 Long days, short nights
21:30 Continuous Improvement
23:00 Stay curious
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Jamie catches up with some special guests on this episode of The Water Table Podcast. College students Harris and Griffin Duininck sit down to talk about their summer road trip and video series about the water management industry that now has nearly 4 million impressions on social media. The guys traveled across the US and learned some valuable lessons about why their generation should care about plastic pipe. Find out how the trip has impacted them and why it might mean a job for one of the guys in the very near future.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Welcome to the Water Table Podcast
00:26 Road Trip Update
01:30 All the stats – nearly 4 million and counting!
02:45 A surprising impact
04:30 What about your friends?
05:51 Exceeding expectations
07:00 Relationships and the off-camera stuff
09:15 The A-Ha moment
12:25 Doing better
15:00 A valuable resource
Watch the full Resiliency Road Trip series here.
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In this episode of the Water Table Podcast, Jamie sits down with Alex Buseman, a graduate assistant at Iowa State University who is currently working on three research projects dealing with water quality in agriculture. Does the type of wood in a bioreactor matter? How does the only dual-chamber bioreactor in the world function? What is the Forest to Farm program? How long do bioreactors last? Listen and learn how the next generation is carrying the research torch to ensure farmers can implement cutting-edge water management practices.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Today on the Water Table Podcast
00:20 Welcome Alex Buseman
01:00 Why water quality?
03:15 What does the next generation think?
04:00 The only dual-chamber bioreactor in the world…
07:25 Forest to Farm
12:30 Decades old bioreactors – do they last?
14:30 Doing all of the testing
16:15 Site 1 – Story County, Iowa
18:57 Site 2 – Dyersville, Iowa
23:15 Site 3 – Washington, Iowa
25:20 Encouraging landowners going forward
30:20 Carrying the torch
Related Content:
- Forest to Farm: Using Woodchips from Crowded Forests in Sustainable Water Quality Practices
- Dual-Chamber Bioreactor: Evaluation of Nitrate Removal Dynamics and Unintended Byproducts
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And that’s a wrap on 2023! It was a great year on The Water Table podcast. We took our mobile studio on the road and caught up with people all over the Midwest, including Iowa LICA Field Days to Minnesota Farm Fest. We also had some great guests in the studio, including a few who kicked Jamie out of the host chair to do their own interviews. Listen in to hear the highlights from some fan-favorite episodes, from the International Drainage Hall of Fame to the Transforming Drainage Project to Married to Drainage, and a lot of topics in between.
Find all the highlighted episodes:
-
70: The International Drainage Hall of Fame– It's a Thing!
-
71: Is Drainage Infrastructure More Valuable Than Underground Transit?
-
73: How Much is Your Water Worth? More Than You Think…
-
77: How 5 Million Dollars, 39 Test Sites & 29 Bright Minds are Transforming Drainage
-
81: Married to Drainage with Kitty Rodelius and Kristine Fladeboe Duininck
-
82: Getting #%@$ done in Iowa with Batch and Build... On the Road
-
88: A Road Trip to Resiliency– What’s Buried Beneath? with Harris & Griffin Duininck
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Jamie sits down with Prinsco Ag Application Engineer, Trey Allis, for a conversation about a recent study on pipe perforation and sock fabric. They talk through how small-scale studies might contribute to misconceptions in agricultural water management, and why talking to a contractor in your area is the best bet for farmers who have questions about which drainage products will serve your farm best.
"Talk to a drainage contractor. To the people you trust in your area... They have decades of experience, and they're not going to steer you wrong." - Jamie DuininckChapters & Topics:00:00 On this episode…
00:15 Welcome to Trey Allis
01:25 How was harvest?
02:15 The technical side of ag
02:40 Socks or no socks?
03:30 Michigan State Study
05:00 Standard perf, narrow perf, sock…
06:15 Accurate or not?
07:33 Take it with a grain of sand
08:27 What do I do now?
10:00 Contractors know
11:32 Soil type matters
13:15 Narrow slot – all the rage
14:15 Use some scrutiny
16:30 Do it right the first time
17:30 Laterals and spacing
19:30 Don’t spend the money
22:00 What about old pipe?
Related Content:
- FAQs From the Field: Applications, Materials & More
- Saturated Buffers: Stepping Up to the Plate… On the Road
- Contractor Conversations at Farmfest: Part 1 with Mike Litzau, Drainage Contractor (he knows what he's talking about!)
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- Google Podcasts
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From preparing for an early harvest to waiting out the rain… how did harvest actually go in Minnesota? In the rest of the Midwest? In the Dakotas? Jamie sits with Karl Guetter to get a harvest update and touch on a wide range of other topics, including land values, how interest rates might affect agriculture and whether more tile will get buried after Thanksgiving this year.
Chapters:
00:00 Today on the Water Table
00:33 Welcome to Karl Guetter
01:30 A wide-ranging career
02:20 What a crazy fall!
04:00 It’s going to be early…or late…
05:00 Such a variable crop
07:30 So, what about the Dakotas?
09:50 Sugar beet lifting
11:20 Hustle and bustle
12:40 Moving on to tile
14:00 The busy season
16:30 I think we’ll get warm again…
17:30 On the horizon – 2024
20:00 Land values
Related Content:
- 4 Factors Driving the Continued Demand for Tile
- Harvest Check-in 2022 with Karl Guetter
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
It’s East meets West in this episode of The Water Table Podcast... On the Road. Eastern and Western Minnesota Prinsco Sales reps, Justin Sander and Tim Erickson reflect on Farmfest– what they’ve learned, conversations they’ve had, and why it pays to be a lifelong learner, especially in the world of agriculture and water management. Hear their perspectives on technology, tiling, and why visiting the Prinsco booth at Farmfest is all about relationships, not a sales pitch.
Chapters & Topics:00:00 Today on The Water Table…
00:09 Intro
00:39 Live from Farmfest
00:44 East vs. West – Justin Sander and Tim Erickson
01:34 All the different roles
01:46 The fun at Farmfest
02:20 Back to basics
03:12 Farming is innovative
03:27 Drones and technology…everywhere!!
04:11 But why? It’s dry…
04:40 I wish I would have done it sooner…
05:30 Farmers collaborating – lifelong learners
06:33 New farm? But first, tile.
07:33 The turnkey farm
07:50 It’s all tiled, right?
08:54 Relationships and education – zero pressure
09:20 The number one question
10:00 3-inch or 4-inch?
11:05 Helping customers get there
11:37 Listen on all our platforms!
More episodes of The Water Table On the Road.
Related Content:
- Contractor Conversations at Farmfest: Part 1 w/ Mike Litzau
- Contractor Conversations at Farmfest: Part 2 w/ Andy Stevens
- Prinsco Sales– find a sales rep!
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
In this episode of The Water Table on the road, we’re at Minnesota Farmfest. Guest host, Justin Sander, caught up with a couple of drainage contractors to find out where they think the industry is headed, the challenges they think lie ahead, and what keeps them going.
This conversation is with Mike Litzau of Litzau Farm Drainage in Atwater, Minnesota. He’s been working in the industry since he was 10 years old, so he knows what he’s talking about!
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:39 Live from Farmfest
00:50 Litzau Farm Drainage
01:57 What’s new in equipment
02:28 It’s a challenge…
03:33 A crystal ball
04:50 Watersheds
05:43 Be proactive
06:50 It’s so rewarding
10:20 Education, education, education
11:42 Permits and easements…oh my
13:30 I can’t tile…or can I?
15:37 Justin on the spot
More episodes of The Water Table On the Road.
Related Content:
- Litzau Farm Drainage and Directional Boring
- Agricultural Water Quality Best Practices on YouTube
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
In this episode of The Water Table on the Road, we’re at Minnesota Farmfest. Guest host, Justin Sander, caught up with a couple of drainage contractors to find out where they think the industry is headed and what keeps them going.
This conversation is with Andy Stevens, a farmer and tiling contractor from Vernon Center, Minnesota. Get his take on the outlook for farming and drainage for the next few years, and find out why consistency is so important.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:39 Live from Farmfest
00:50 Welcome Andy Stevens
02:00 What’s new?
03:00 Business outlook
04:00 Any rewards?
04:48 It’s the consistency
06:00 All the misconceptions
07:00 Feed the world
07:45 What’s new at Farmfest?
More episodes of The Water Table On the Road.
Related Content:
- Stevens Bobcat and Backhoe
- Agricultural Water Quality Best Practices on YouTube
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
It’s a conversation with a legend in this episode of The Water Table Podcast. Jamie is joined by Merv Hilpipre, who reminisces about his long career in auctioneering, his sled-dog racing days, why he always wore a tux to an auction, and more. You don’t want to miss this episode of The Water Table... On the Road at the Iowa LICA Farm.
Chapters & Topics:00:00 Intro
00:32 On the road at the Iowa LICA Farm
00:51 Welcome Merv Hilpipre
01:50 110 years of family auctioneering
02:18 A career at five years old
03:50 Lazy French people
04:50 German prisoners of war
05:30 All in the family
06:30 50th time’s a charm
07:15 The biggest auctions
08:32 Selling on horseback
09:00 Nothing runs like a Deere…
09:45 A sharp-dressed man
10:15 A thousand caterpillars, the queen’s car and more
11:30 St. Jude
12:40 And then there were sled dogs
14:30 Hall of Famer and World Record Holder
15:45 All the Memories
More episodes of The Water Table On the Road.
Related Content:
- Hilpipre Auction Company
- Iowa LICA Farm
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
Jamie has some special guests joining him on this episode of The Water Table Podcast. College students Harris and Griffin Duininck sit down to talk about their summer job – a road trip to find out about resiliency in the water management industry. The guys were all over the map and learned some valuable lessons about why their generation should care about plastic pipe and what it might mean for the future – in agriculture and beyond.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Coming up today
01:15 Road Trip to Resiliency
01:45 A bunch of driving and one flight
02:39 There IS good plastic…
04:00 A second life
05:40 A new appreciation for the “why”
07:00 All of the applications
09:00 What is proform?
10:28 Dealing with septic
11:15 Resiliency?
12:30 Joining systems
13:40 What about ag?
15:50 Growing a better crop
16:50 Water can be destructive, but it feeds the world
18:00 All the way to Kansas City
22:00 Name dropping
23:40 Why should young people care?
26:00 All the new stuff
Follow the boys' journey!
- YouTube Playlist
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
The Water Table Podcast is on the road at the Iowa LICA Farm, chatting with two people who work for the National LICA organization. What exactly does LICA do and why is it important for contractors to be members? We cover all the benefits (there are a lot…) and talk about how LICA is key for the future of land improvement in this episode with Allison Hack, Director of Communications at the LICA National Office, and Caroline Krug, Assistant to the CEO and Editor of LICA Contractor Magazine.
Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Coming up today…
00:52 On the road at the Iowa LICA Farm
01:00 Assistant CEO or Assistant to the CEO? Meet Allison and Caroline
04:00 LICA – What the heck is it?
04:45 Working with legislators
05:45 A cross section of contractors
06:42 Why be a member?
07:25 Benefits…
09:00 Helping the little guys…and the big guys
09:23 The LICA Contractor magazine
11:15 How do you boost for the next generation?
12:50 Get a new machine!
13:30 Get some training!
15:00 Give us the pitch…
18:00 Networking!
19:00 Discounts!
20:00 Travel!
21:30 Everybody loves what they do
22:00 The last word…
On the Road with The Water Table Podcast:
https://www.watertable.ag/ontheroad/
Other Episodes recorded LIVE from Iowa LICA:
https://youtu.be/JuylKhcHWz0
https://youtu.be/L4YGTLekd9g
https://youtu.be/k8P7F0cTMOE
https://youtu.be/fjbh3JtTKPg
https://youtu.be/KtRup7_qNko
LICA National:
https://www.licanational.com/
Iowa LICA:
https://www.ialica.com/
Follow us on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrinscoInc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/prinscoinc
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
We’re On the Road at the Iowa LICA Farm Field Days. In this episode, Jamie sits down with safety expert, Josh Snyder, to get the dirt on digging in the dirt, and why safety is such serious business. What should you do in a trench collapse? What are best practices for working in confined spaces? It’s an episode that could save your life.
Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Welcome to the Iowa LICA Farm
00:52 Meet Josh Snyder, Safety Expert
01:27 Contractor Solutions
02:30 What is shoring?
04:20 Avoiding a tragedy
06:15 Dirt is heavy, man!
07:30 Regulations for a reason
08:40 Trench box
10:35 Confined spaces – how to handle
11:30 Walking through a ladder
12:30 Getting schooled
15:40 A punch in the gut
16:30 What should you do in a collapse?
17:20 Don’t move the hard hat
17:40 What happens when something bad happens?
19:00 What if you’re in the trench?
20:00 All of the Midwest…
More episodes recorded LIVE from Iowa LICA:
-
85: On the Road... Setting the Next Generation Up for Success: One Man’s Quest to Train Equipment Operators
-
84: On the Road... Moving Earth– Getting All the Dirt at the Iowa LICA Farm!
-
83: On the Road... Saturated Buffers– Stepping up to the Plate
-
82: On the Road... Getting #%@$ done in Iowa with Batch and Build
Related Content:
- Contractor Solutions
- Iowa LICA
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
This episode of The Water Table Podcast is On the Road at the Iowa LICA Farm Field Days where we caught up with Roger Solberg, who's using a heavy equipment simulator to train the next generation of operators. It’s a stimulating conversation about simulation… learn why it’s key to the agricultural water management industry and related fields.
Chapters & Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:32 Welcome to Iowa LICA Field Days
00:52 Hello to Roger Solberg
01:00 It’s just simulating
02:20 Appreciate the equipment
03:00 Working with students
04:00 Preparation is key
05:00 It all costs money
05:40 The why behind the guy
07:45 How do we get kids on board
08:42 You’ll use it and never lose it
09:48 A happy medium
11:00 Living with uncertainty
12:30 What it’s all about
14:20 Who will fill our shoes?
Related Content:
- Equipment Operator Training, LLC
- On the Road with The Water Table Podcast
- Iowa LICA
More episodes recorded LIVE from Iowa LICA:
-
84: On the Road... Moving Earth– Getting All the Dirt at the Iowa LICA Farm!
-
83: Saturated Buffers– Stepping up to the Plate
-
82: Getting #%@$ done in Iowa with Batch and Build
Find us on social media!
Listen on these Podcast Platforms :
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education
The farm crisis literally moved the earth for one Iowa man. We're getting all the dirt, literally, on this episode recorded live from the Iowa LICA Farm for Farm Field Days. Hear the farm's backstory, contractor Bruce Kleven's connection to LICA, and why we’re at the beginning of the bell curve for changing conservation practices in agricultural water management.
Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:32 On the road at the Iowa LICA Field Days
00:51 Welcome to Bruce Barnhart
01:29 Why Bruce moves the earth
03:46 Diversified with a passion
05:00 A family affair
06:30 Iowa LICA – Why?
07:20 Delegate and elevate
08:30 How it all started
10:00 That’s quite a list
11:45 Current and future
12:50 For the greater good
13:30 The beginning of the bell curve
15:00 What’s next?
17:20 From 2003 to today
20:30 Our city cousins
22:05 Water quality: a hot topic
24:00 Climate change and technology
On the Road with The Water Table Podcast– learn more:
https://www.watertable.ag/ontheroad/
Other Episodes recorded LIVE from Iowa LICA:
83: Saturated Buffers– Stepping up to the Plate
82: Getting #%@$ done in Iowa with Batch and Build
Iowa LICA:
https://www.ialica.com/
Follow us on social media!
Facebook
Twitter
Find us on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to our Spotify
Listen on Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Saturated buffers– do they really work!? How are researchers working with the boots on the ground to figure things out? Or is it all just a big guessing game? Guest host Trey Allis catches up with Dr. Matt Helmers and Charlie Schafer to answer these questions and more in this episode of the The Water Table Podcast on the road at the Iowa LICA Farm.
Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:32 Coming up on The Water Table…
00:52 Welcome Matt and Charlie
04:00 Saturated buffers – what the heck are they?
06:00 What led to the invention…
07:30 It’s about economics and weather
08:30 Partnerships; they’re the jam.
10:15 Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t
11:30 Rural economic development
14:20 Going down the drain
15:00 Growing interest from contractors
15:40 Saturated buffers explained
16:50 Show me the money
17:50 Let’s get ‘er done
19:00 Don’t be stupid; make a plan!
22:00 But is it effective?
23:30 Transforming drainage
26:30 What’s next
30:00 We’re here to help
31:00 The last word
Related content:Iowa Learning Farms
Conservation Drainage Network
Industry Best Practice: Saturated Buffer
How 5 Million Dollars, 39 Test Sites and 29 Bright Minds are Transforming Drainage
More episodes with Charlie Schafer & Dr. Matt Helmers:#1: A Case for Water Management
13: Advocacy and Water Management Practices
About the guests:Charlie Schafer is the president and owner of Agri Drain Corporation, which he founded with his brothers in 1976. He has served on multiple boards associated with water management and is currently the Vice Chair for the National Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA) Board and the Chairman of the Board for the Agriculture Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC). Charlie is also the founder and CEO of Ecosystem Services Exchange (ESE). He was inducted into the International Drainage Hall of Fame in 2022.
Dr. Matt Helmers is the Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, the Dean’s Professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, where he has been on the faculty since 2003. Dr. Helmers’ research areas include studies on the impact of nutrient management, cropping practices, drainage design and management, and strategic placement of buffer systems on nutrient export from agricultural landscapes.
Follow us on social media:Facebook
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Explore more episodes & water management education here.
We are on the road in this episode of The Water Table Podcast. We stopped in at the Iowa LICA Farm Field Days to catch up on all the latest and greatest in water management. Iowa leads the country in production of corn, eggs, pork, ethanol and red meat. Find out why they also lead in building saturated buffers and bioreactors. It’s all about partnerships and their push for Batch and Build projects.
00:00 Intro
00:32 Welcome to the LICA Farm
00:51 On location…
01:35 Batch and Build
02:40 Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Strategy
03:45 Why does Iowa lead?
05:50 Who says Iowa is flat?
06:15 A tale of two rivers
09:27 Batch and Build 2.0
12:40 There are really cool people in conservation
14:17 What is a saturated buffer?
16:20 What is a bioreactor?
17:40 Plastic-yes or no?
20:00 Show me the results.
23:30 Spiders, raccoons and snakes, oh my!
24:30 Let’s get the word out and partner!
26:00 Getting #%@$ done.
28:00 Anyone can lead a batch
31:40 Partner, partner, partner
32:44 Everybody needs to do something.
37:40 There’s a different flavor for everyone.
38:30 The last word
Related content:
Episode #56: A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality– Batch & Build
About Iowa LICA
Explore more episodes & water management education
Follow us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
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Subscribe to our Spotify
Listen on Google Podcasts
It’s a Water Table takeover on this week’s episode of The Water Table Podcast. Kristine Fladeboe Duininck kicked her husband, Jamie, out of the host’s chair and invited Kitty Rodelius to join her. Kitty just happens to be married to Kent Rodelius, a water management expert who has worked for Prinsco for more than 40 years. Find out what it’s been like for these ladies to be married to people who are passionate about drainage…let’s just say it has made for some interesting vacations.
About the Guests:
Kristine Fladeboe Duininck is a world-class auctioneer and farmland specialist. With 20+ years of broker experience, Kristine is owner of Fladeboe Land. Fladeboe Land is a second-generation family owned business specializing in farmland. She is married to The Water Table Podcast Host, Jamie Duininck.
Kitty Rodelius has been the Chief Operating Officer for the Rodelius household for 46 years. She taught high school before staying home to raise her two daughters and has been an active volunteer in both her church and her community. Kitty is married to Kent Rodelius, Prinsco’s Ag Market Relationship Manager.
Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
01:00 Welcome to Kristine and Kitty
02:15 Deep in the water
03:00 Off the top
04:20 Driving Mr. Duininck
05:45 From customers to friends
08:37 A rhubarb cake to save the day
09:45 Married to drainage
14:27 “Dad’s on the phone” song
16:20 Three blind mice
17:51 Driving Mr. Rodelius
21:00 Kitty’s theatrical career
24:00 Closing down the store
26:30 It’s the friendship
28:50 Why so much passion?
30:25 Family businesses – generations and generations
32:45 The ripple effect
35:40 Tile in the ground to water management
37:45 Advice from Kitty to Kristine
Follow us on social media!
Facebook
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Find us on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to our Spotify
Listen on Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
In this episode of The Water Table, Jamie and Tom Christensen discuss the importance of public and private partnerships in agricultural water management and the importance of investing in drainage management practices. From cost-sharing to education to removing barriers, it’s a wealth of information that every crop producer should hear!
About the Guest:
Tom Christensen is the chair of the Conservation Drainage Network’s Growth Committee. He also works with Ecosystem Services Exchange and spent 40 years with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) before retiring from the USDA in 2020. Tom spent 24 years in Washington, DC in a variety of positions in policy, program development and implementation, agency and mission area operations and partnership building. He also served as NRCS’s Regional Conservationist for the Central U.S. and prior to that was the NRCS State Conservationist for the state of Illinois.
Suggested Links:
USDA NRCS
Conservation Drainage Network
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Coming up on today’s episode…
01:00 Welcome to Tom Christensen
02:00 What is conservation drainage?
03:00 CDN – how it all works
04:00 A public-private partnership that really works
05:30 A Growth Committee??
06:30 Adoption barriers
08:30 Cost sharing – yes or no?
10:30 Why is it so cumbersome?
11:30 Out of sight, out of mind
12:15 Oh, the innovation of automation
13:40 The role of the government
14:30 The Turnkey Project
16:00 Future opportunities
18:30 We need education and awareness
21:30 Proper drainage – the benefits are significant
22:50 The last word…
Follow us on social media!
Facebook
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Listen on Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Kelby Kiefer and Dave Flewelling join Jamie to talk about the Iowa LICA Field Days coming up on July 26 & 27 in Melbourne, Iowa. The Water Table Podcast will be there with our mobile recording studio to get in on all the action. Find out why Iowa LICA chapter is one of the biggest and best in the country and hear about the farm they’ve owned for 20 years. They’ve used 80 acres to clean up a 1000 acre watershed and want to share their practices with you!
The LICA Farm:
https://ialica-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/p/director/EdUXGtODslhKun8n3oByicMBnlQpOaAWJVbO6s68qWOmig
Attend LICA on July 26th and 27th:
https://www.facebook.com/IALICA/
Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:32 This week on The Water Table…
00:57 Welcome Kelby and Dave
02:00 What’s so different about Iowa?
03:30 It’s all about loyalty…
04:45 …and passion
06:10 A fraternity of relationships
07:20 The Iowa LICA Farm
08:30 See conservation practices first-hand
09:15 Terraces, wetlands and buffers, oh my!
10:25 All the testing and all the results
12:00 80 acres cleaning up 1000 acres
13:10 Field day! July 26 & 27
14:10 Come play in the dirt…
15:30 This year – tiling, saturated buffers, grading…demos galore!
17:40 Schedule info
19:00 EVERYONE is invited
20:20 Three goals
21:00 The Water Table on the road!
Follow us on social media!
Facebook
Twitter
Find us on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to our Spotify
Listen on Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
About the Guests:
Kelby Kiefer has been the Iowa LICA Executive Director since May of 2022. She grew up in Southeastern Iowa in the Wellman/Kalona area where she still resides. She has been employed by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for the past 16 years and has been in the Department of Emergency Medicine as part of the Education Leadership Team for the past 7.5 years. She is a Program Coordinator for their Physician Assistant Residency and six departmental Fellowships (Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Ultrasound, Medical Education, Medical Toxicology, Research, and Social Medicine). She also serves as Division Coordinator for their Divisions of Emergency Medical Services and Medical Toxicology.
Dave Flewelling has served on the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association board for the past 10 years and currently serves as the state president. Dave developed a true passion for building conservation structures while growing up in a small family-run multi-generational earthmoving company from Northwest Iowa. After taking over the business in 2007 and joining the Iowa LICA Association shortly afterwards, he realized how important it is to belong to a group that has a strong impact on the industry and has made it his goal to help educate the next generation of contractors how to conserve the earth for future use.
Jamie is joined by Dr. Ehsan Ghane from Michigan State University, a professor and researcher, for a conversation about which type of pipe is best for specific types of soil. Should the pipe have narrow slots? Should it be wrapped in a sock? What is drainage intensity? Does water-main size matter? Dr. Ghane answers all of these questions and more. Don’t miss this episode!
Michigan State University Drainage:
https://www.egr.msu.edu/bae/water/drainage/
About the Guest:
Dr. Ehsan Ghane teaches Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University, along with performing extensive research into drainage pipe pattern and style, and how those things play into increased water quality and crop yield. He holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University and spent time at the University of Minnesota in the department of Soil, Water and Climate.
Episode Topics:00:00 Intro
00:32 Today on The Water Table…
01:13 Welcome to Dr. Ehsan Ghane
02:07 Pipe style – all the innovations
03:30 It’s different in Michigan
04:18 Perforation patterns and pipes
05:45 Socks = speed
07:50 Drainage intensity – what is it?
09:29 What about a heavier soil?
11:30 A soil bridge
12:00 Drainage sedimentation tool
13:00 More money or not?
15:00 How to find the information
15:20 Water quality and controlled drainage
17:27 The “Main” thing
20:00 Saving money could cost you later
25:00 Just watch the video!
28:00 Thanks for joining!
Follow us on social media!
Facebook
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Find us on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to our Spotify
Listen on Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
We are joined by Dr. Jane Frankenberger of Purdue University to talk about the Transforming Drainage Project, which took five years and covered dozens of test sites across the Midwest. The project delivered invaluable data to propel agricultural water management into the future. Join Jamie and Dr. Frankenberger as they discuss drainage and how water storage and controlled drainage could change the future of agriculture.
About the Guest:
Dr. Jane Frankenberger is a professor at Purdue University and a pioneer in the research of drainage design and management, watershed modeling of agricultural systems and soil and water conservation strategies. She spearheaded the $5 million Transforming Drainage Project that advances water storage in the landscape to increase the resilience of drained agricultural land.
The Transforming Drainage Project:
https://transformingdrainage.org/
Dr. Jane Frankenberger:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/~frankenb/
DrainMod:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/tech-tools/drainmod-version-61-build-103
Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:32 On today’s episode…
01:08 Welcome to Dr. Jane Frankenberger
02:39 Transforming Drainage Project
04:43 The offshoots…
06:24 All the data
08:00 How is it used?
10:43 When the transformation happens
11:30 What does it mean for the future?
13:20 The transfer of information
15:00 Shifting incentives
15:30 Climate change and changing practices
18:00 Enhancing water storage
19:00 Before Purdue
20:00 Africa and beyond
22:00 DrainMod
23:50 The most gratifying project…
26:00 The last word
Follow us on social media!
Facebook
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Subscribe to our Spotify
Listen on Google Podcasts
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
It’s a wide range of topics on today’s episode of The Water Table Podcast. Duane Bonnema joins host Jamie Duininck to talk agriculture water management and has some go-to advice for any farmer who has tiled fields. Plus, how he uses the latest technology to help farmers maintain their drainage systems and why every inch of tile should be mapped.
About the Guest:
Duane Bonnema founded Bonnema Surveys (Now Bonnema Runke Stern Inc.) in 1981. He has been working with tile contractors for more than 40 years and is wealth of knowledge in the industry. His current endeavor is Ag Water Management, a company out of Raymond, MN that specializes in farm drainage planning.
Ag Water Management, Raymond, MN
https://www.facebook.com/AgWaterManagement/
Bonnema Runke Stern, Inc
https://www.brssurveys.com/
Episode Topics & Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Coming up today…
01:00 Welcome to Duane Bonnema
01:43 How it all began
03:40 Plastic pipe changes the work
04:55 Minnesota to Michigan to Minnesota
07:00 Bonnema Surveys
08:52 Drones and cameras
11:00 Surprises in the pipes
12:40 All the surface inlets
14:50 The simplest solution
16:40 Just a coupler
19:00 The value of mapping
21:00 The advent of GPS
24:30 A lifetime investment
26:00 Increasing the tax base
28:30 Really old lines – and still working
30:00 Pattern tiling
34:00 Water storage is available
37:00 So misunderstood
40:00 Swamp buster bill
42:00 It’s detention…
43:40 Outlets, inlets, outlets
46:30 Every investment takes maintenance
49:30 Ag Water Management
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https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
In this episode of The Water Table, Jamie is joined by Minnesota Lawyer & Lobbyist, Bruce Kleven, to discuss a petition that could regulate agriculture in a state where most farmers feel it’s already over-regulated. Find out why this petition filed by an environmental group is being called a “lawsuit against Mother Nature.”
About the Guest:Bruce Kleven has extensive skills and experience as a lobbyist, attorney and mediator, political strategist, speaker and parliamentarian. His areas of focus include agriculture, the environment, energy and transportation. He works with clients ranging from individuals to multi-national corporations. Mr. Kleven is a native of west-central Minnesota where his family of fifth-generation farmers emigrated from Norway in the 1870s. He grew up working on the family farm, which produces sugar beets, soybeans, and corn. He currently lives in the Twin Cities with his family.
Episode Topics & Chapters:00:00 Intro
00:32 On today’s episode…
00:56 Welcome to Bruce Kleven
02:01 The state of the state of agriculture
02:50 Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) – Who are they?
03:44 All the lawsuits
04:05 Limbo Creek and public waterways
05:30 Initial intel…
06:00 A tale of three laws
07:38 Regulating agriculture
08:00 It’s apparently not fast enough
09:30 Minnesota’s Ground Water Protection Act
11:20 Why industries are saying goodbye…
12:45 Are we over-regulated?
13:35 A larger war on agriculture
16:00 They don’t want to hear the positive
17:15 A lawsuit against Mother Nature
18:45 Where does this go?
20:15 DFL?
20:47 Monitor the situation
22:21 How will the changes affect rural areas?
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Listen on Google Podcasts Want more? Explore related content:Connect with Bruce
Episode #65: Outsmarting Mother Nature with Drainage Recycling
Episode #52: An Ag Economist Tells All– Critical Topics Impacting the Future of Ag
Visit our website to explore more episodes & water management education:https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Jamie’s latest guest has a long history in agriculture. Kim Larson started out buying farmland in high school, serving in leadership positions in the ag industry and local government, and teaching ag classes at the college level. He and Jamie discuss leadership, problem-solving, watersheds, ditch assessments, grassroots government, the future of agriculture and more.
About the Guest:
Kim Larson started farming in Kandiyohi County with his father, and currently farms with his son, Joshua. He has taught in the agriculture program at Ridgewater College and has been active on township boards and in local, state and national associations related to the agriculture industry.
Want more? Explore related content:
Episode #16: Modern Water Management Requires Modern Data
Discovery Farms Minnesota - a Farmer Led-Effort
Episode Topics & Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:34 Welcome
02:47 How does leadership start?
04:27 Just ask all the right questions…
05:32 As time goes by, leadership changes
06:22 On the defensive
08:02 Let’s make things work
09:32 Problem-solving
10:02 Electing a balanced board
11:47 Long-term ramifications
13:17 Get yourself ready to serve
15:17 Cooperation is key
17:28 Keeping it local
19:22 We need to speak up
20:52 Watershed authority
22:32 Ditch it
23:38 Redetermination
25:56 Successful farming with tile
32:27 Farmers get a bad rap
34:17 Discovery Farms
37:32 The last word
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Facebook | Twitter
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Visit our website to explore more Episodes & Water Management Education:
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Charlie Schafer, President of Agri Drain Corporation and recent inductee into the International Drainage Hall of Fame, joins Jamie for a discussion about the future of water management, putting research into practice, and how we’re really beginning to understand the value of water.
About the Guest:
Charlie is the president and owner of Agri Drain Corporation, which he founded with his brothers in 1976. He has served on multiple boards associated with water management and is currently the Vice Chair for the National Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA) Board and the Chairman of the Board for the Agriculture Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC). Charlie is also the founder and CEO of Ecosystem Services Exchange (ESE). He was inducted into the International Drainage Hall of Fame in 2022.
Want more? Explore related content:
Episode #70: The International Drainage Hall of Fame – It’s a Thing!
Eco Services Exchange
www.ecoexch.com
Agri Drain Corporation
https://www.agridrain.com/
Agriculture Drainage Management Coalition
https://admcoalition.com/
Episode Topics & Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Welcome to Charlie Schafer
01:20 International Drainage Hall of Fame
03:49 All the acronyms…
05:10 A call to action
06:30 Putting research into practice
07:45 A profession becomes a passion
09:17 CTIC
12:20 How it all started
16:20 Boy, times have changed
17:48 Let’s invest in drainage
19:23 Now is the time to upgrade
22:20 Storage and release of water
23:34 Two-stage wetlands
27:25 Let’s continue to educate
29:20 Don’t overlook infrastructure
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Visit our website to explore more Episodes & Water Management Education:
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Jamie and Dr. Soupir discuss the benefits of spring manure applications, the impacts of studying at a land-grant university and how corn cobs might be the wave of the future for bioreactors.
About the Guest:
Dr. Michelle Soupir joined the faculty at Iowa State University in 2008. She was appointed as an Interim Associate Dean in the Graduate College in 2022 and is a Professor in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department (ABE) with a research and teaching appointment. Dr. Soupir received her B.S. degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Follow the ISU Water Chicks on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ISUWaterChicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Escreen-name%3AISUWaterChicks%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c11
Water Quality Research Lab – Iowa State University:
https://www.abe.iastate.edu/soupir/
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome to Dr. Michelle Soupir
01:39 ISU Water Chicks
02:12 All the land grant universities
05:30 Water quality and manure
06:30 Prairie grass and muddy creeks
08:20 Current research – Blackhawk Lake watershed monitoring
10:13 All about manure
11:27 Antibiotics in watersheds
14:10 Spring manure application
16:40 Cover Crops
17:33 27 plots = A lot of research
18:20 So many students, so many opportunities
21:57 Wood chip bioreactors – more than a decade of research
24:20 Forest management + water quality management
25:30 Students – not just academics in the future
26:20 Wood chips vs. corn cobs, pumping and more
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A kid who grew up in the suburbs of New York City to become a researcher on the forefront of carbon, nitrogen and water research joins Jamie on this episode to talk about the value of drainage, the carbon footprint and how research is making precision agriculture much more attainable in the Midwest.
About the Guest:
A kid who grew up in the suburbs of New York City to become a researcher on the forefront of carbon, nitrogen and water research joins Jamie on this episode to talk about the value of drainage, the carbon footprint and how research is making precision agriculture much more attainable in the Midwest.
FACTS website:
https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/facts/
Iowa Nitrogen Initiative:
https://www.agron.iastate.edu/portfolio/iowa-nitrogen-initiative/
Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Welcome to Dr. Castellano
01:35 What do you do?
02:45 Nitrous oxide – no laughing matter
03:45 Newark, NJ to the Midwest
04:34 More valuable than mass transit
07:00 You can’t understand what you don’t see
08:32 Reducing nitrate loss downstream
10:45 The carbon footprint
12:51 Electric cars and nitrous oxide
15:35 Drainage is good for nitrogen use efficiency
17:42 Cover crops and carbon footprints
23:54 Organic matter by the numbers
28:52 Making the system more resilient
30:00 Rapid cycling=healthy soil
30:30 Just the FACTS
32:12 Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, scaling up research
35:00 Precision agriculture
38:00 You’re now a landowner – what would you do?
39:00 The benefits of edge-of-field-practices
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From India to the Heartland, Dr. Vinayak Shedekar joins us from the NACADE convention in Des Moines, Iowa, to have a conversation about water quality, soil health and the International Drainage Hall of Fame. Listen in as guest host Trey Allis and Dr. Shedekar discuss smart drainage systems and how information is power when it comes to agriculture water management on this episode of The Water Table.
About the Guest:
Dr. Vinayak Shedekar is a Research Scientist in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He is currently assessing field-to-watershed-scale impacts of implementing BMPs such as cover crops, denitrifying bioreactors, and drainage water management on hydrology and water quality. He is also co-leading a statewide Extension signature program focused on soil health, and currently oversees the International Drainage Hall of Fame.
International Drainage Hall of Fame:
https://u.osu.edu/hshw/drainage/drainage-hall-of-fame/#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9CDrainage%20Hall%20of%20Fame,and%20research%20on%20agricultural%20drainage.
Overholt Drainage School:
https://u.osu.edu/hshw/drainage/overholt-drainage-education-and-research-program/overholt-drainage-school/
Healthy Soil, Healthy Water:
https://u.osu.edu/hshw/
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome from Jamie Duininck
02:15 Welcome to Dr. Vinayak Shedekar
03:00 From India to the Heartland
04:25 What’s it like in Ohio?
06:00 Looking at drainage for cover crops
06:46 20-plus benefits for drainage
07:42 Drainage tools in the toolbox
08:55 Controlled drainage vs. smart drainage
10:30 Water quality issues
13:00 Scaling it up
13:45 Adopting practices and the hurdles
15:15 Information is power
15:45 International Drainage Hall of Fame
19:40 Automated control structures
22:30 Erratic weather events
23:30 Bringing water management into the technological revolution
25:45 Overholt Drainage School
27:35 Ag students = hard workers
29:04 It’s all about a system
30:30 Know where to go for the information
32:30 The future of ag water management
36:00 Final thoughts
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We’re on location at the NACADE conference in Des Moines, Iowa with guest host, Karl Guetter and Dr. Lindsay Pease with the University of Minnesota Extension out of the Red River Valley in Crookston, Minnesota. How did a city kid end up in agriculture water management in Northern Minnesota? Listen to Dr. Pease’s story and find out why collaboration is key for growers, educators and the drainage industry.
About the Guest:
Dr. Lindsay Pease is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Nutrient and Water Management with the University of Minnesota in the Red River Valley in Northern Minnesota. Her work focuses primarily on nitrogen and phosphorus management in row crop systems with an emphasis on nutrient loss in agricultural runoff. She works with Minnesota farmers to build resilient, sustainable agricultural production systems.
NACADE
https://nacadexpo.com/
University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water and Climate
https://swac.umn.edu/
Conservation Drainage Network
https://conservationdrainage.net/
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome from Host, Jamie Duininck
01:20 On the road at NACADE
01:55 All about Dr. Pease
03:00 Red River Valley
04:45 Collaborations with growers
05:25 Test projects
05:50 The coolest plots in the country – literally
06:40 What do you need from the drainage industry?
07:44 The process of Extension
09:00 Coming up in Research
10:50 Getting the ball rolling on large-scale projects
11:50 Cover crops in the Red River Valley
13:36 Extension to extension – let’s share!
15:30 Let’s get students on board…
18:15 Good stewardship
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It’s another edition of The Water Table on the road. In this episode, guest host Karl Guetter catches up with Dr. Matt Helmers from Iowa State University at the NACADE convention in Des Moines, Iowa, to talk drainage recycling, rain barrels on steroids and how hanging out with Grandpa launched a career.
About the Guest:
Dr. Matt Helmers is Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, the Dean’s Professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and a Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, where he has been on the faculty since 2003. Dr. Helmers’s research areas include studies on the impact of nutrient management, cropping practices, drainage design and management, and strategic placement of buffer systems on nutrient export from agricultural landscapes.
Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table:
01: A Case for Water Management
Iowa State University Ag Water Management:
https://agwatermgmt.ae.iastate.edu/
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome
02:25 NACADE Convention
03:05 Why nutrient research?
03:50 Hanging out with Grandpa.
05:00 Memorable research
05:30 The timing of manure application – a huge benefit
06:45 Working with agronomy on split application
07:30 Switching to drainage research
09:00 Current projects
09:50 Drainage water recycling – a rain barrel on steroids
12:00 Land prices, you can’t afford a dry year
13:20 Saturated buffer projects
14:25 A huge size and scope
15:56 Batch and build
16:55 Looking into the crystal ball
18:40 Contractor education
22:00 The weirdos in the industry
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Dan Currence with the Plastic Pipe Institute joins guest host, Trey Allis from Prinsco to talk about the sustainability and resiliency of plastic pipe. From research to testing and quality standards, the industry has made immense strides in the last few decades, now using more than 600 million pounds of recycled plastic to make products that last a century.
The two caught up at the North American Conservation and Drainage Expo in Des Moines in January for an on-location podcast.
About the Guest:
Dan Currence has been in the plastic pipe industry for more than 25 years and holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri. He has been with the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) for ten years, and is the current Director of Engineering for the Drainage Division. Dan has a passion to promote the sustainability and resiliency of plastic pipe.
Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table:
5.1: The Science Behind Making Pipe Part 01
5.2: The Science Behind Making Pipe Part 02
North American Drainage & Conservation Expo (NACADE)
https://nacadexpo.com/
The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI)
https://www.plasticpipe.org/
PPI Industry Handbook
https://www.plasticpipe.org/Drainage/Resources/Drainage-Handbook.aspx
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome
02:13 All about Dan
03:36 What is PPI?
05:14 The Drainage Division
07:01 Standards and sustainability
07:31 Recycled resins
08:01 Decades of learning
09:11 Over 600 million pounds per year
09:41 The public dilemma
10:26 Solving recycling and infrastructure issues
12:11 Testing to ensure quality
15:06 National product standards
16:01 Post-industrial vs. post-consumer
19:01 Working with the DOT
21:01 Resiliency – the new buzz word
23:21 Being able to recover quickly
24:41 Watertight joints
26:06 Making your system last
29:11 Polypropylene vs. polyethylene
31:41 An industry handbook
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In this episode of The Water Table, Jamie looks back on several episodes of 2022’s podcasts and highlights some of his favorites. From applications in the field to changing weather patterns, a banker’s perspective on water management and an economist’s view on critical topics affecting agriculture; this episode has it all. Listen in for a little bit of everything.
Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel!
Episode guests include an application engineer, a safety committee steering member, an ag market relationship manager, an agricultural economist, a farmer, an atmospheric scientist, the executive director of the ADMC, a long-time industry expert and a banker.
Enjoyed the highlights? Check out the full episodes!
44: FAQS from the Field– Applications, Materials & More
47: Call Before You Dig
49: A Five-Buckle-Boot Career Serving Drainage Contractors
52: An Ag Economist Tells All– Critical Topics Impacting the Future of Ag
53: 4 Factors Driving the Continued Demand for Tile
55: How Changing Weather Patterns Impact the Stability of Your Farm
56: A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality– Batch and Build
63: A Banker's Perspective on Water Management
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Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
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https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
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https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome to our Year-in-review!
01:24 Engineering and field applications; Episode 44
04:15 It’s all about safety; Episode 47
09:36 A 40-year career; Episode 49
13:40 Agriculture and the economy; Episode 52
18:35 The current state of the ag water management industry; Episode 53
23:54 Weather patterns and agriculture; Episode 55
27:11 The ADMC and relationships; Episode 56
31:00 A banker’s perspective on water management; Episode 63
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
In this episode, Jamie sits down with Iowa farmer, Kellie Blair to talk about cover crops, the future of farming, and an exciting drainage recycling pilot program that she and her husband AJ have volunteered to be a part of.
About the Guest:
Kellie Blair farms with her husband, AJ near Dayton, Iowa. Blair Farms LLC is a fourth-generation farm focusing on improvements and conservation. Kellie is a graduate of Iowa State University in Forestry and Agronomy. She and AJ are part of a pilot program for drainage recycling funded by the EPA, the Iowa Department of Land and Ag Stewardship and the Iowa Soybean Association.
Want more? Check out our past episode:
Episode #56: A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality: Batch and Build
Related Content:
Iowa Farmers Work Towards the Future - Best Young Farmers and Ranchers
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome to Kellie Blair
01:12 Where in the world is Dayton, Iowa?
02:09 Fourth generation on the farm
02:44 Time flies when you’re having fun
03:19 Conservation and continued improvement
03:35 Water retention and drainage recycling project
05:20 Three inches for 130 acres
06:08 When you can’t count on Mother Nature
06:40 Happenstance
07:30 Iowa Soybean Association, guidance and timing
08:15 They had their water figured out
09:05 Cover crops
11:15 Drilling is the way to go
12:12 Committed to making it work
13:18 Soil health and cover crops
13:45 A lawn vs. a muddy driveway
15:20 Good drainage will pay for itself
16:50 If I could figure out a way to live on the farm…
19:06 Raising the fifth generation
19:40 The entrepreneurial spirit
21:25 The value of partnerships
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Agricultural water management can be very misunderstood outside the ag industry. It’s so much more than just draining water off land. In today’s episode of The Water Table, industry expert, Kent Rodelius joins Jamie for a conversation about a tool that has helped thousands of people understand agricultural water management a little better, and what the next level might look like.
About the Guest:
Kent Rodelius has been in the water management industry for nearly 40 years. He started his career at Prinsco and has helped build strong relationships, grow sales and develop key partnerships for the company. Kent is the current President of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) and has a passion for staying informed on regulatory and legislative issues. He is a strong advocate for enhanced conservation practices designed to address the environmental challenges currently facing producers.
Want more? Visit out YouTube channel to watch "Agricultural Water Management 101":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5WiD8ZPSNk
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Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome to Kent Rodelius
00:55 Agricultural Water Management 101 on YouTube
01:20 How does water management work?
01:50 A popular video!
02:30 It’s good for hunting…
03:00 It’s about management, not just drainage
04:15 Drainage coefficient – why is it important?
06:10 What is the ideal soil make-up?
07:11 A drainage system is a risk mitigator
08:55 It’s like a sponge
09:45 A big announcement – the next level of water management
10:10 Holding water on the farm, let’s get educated!
11:30 Making a difference
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
What does financial health look like in agriculture? Jamie sits down with banker, Jacob Jennings, and Prinsco Agricultural Segment Lead and farmer, Karl Guetter, to talk ag lending. What are the current trends and how can farmers get the most out of what they already have? From land prices to investments that will never depreciate, tax planning and building wealth in rural America– Jamie, Jacob and Karl hash it out in this episode.
About the Guests:
Jacob Jenniges is the branch president of Integrity Bank Plus in Walnut Grove, MN. He has been with the bank for 15 years and is an active member of the BankIn Minnesota Ag Committee. Jacob is knowledgeable about numerous agriculture loan programs offered by the USDA, Farmer Mac, RFA and Ag BMP. He currently services a loan portfolio that ranges from $20 million to $23 million dollars.
Karl Guetter is Prinsco’s Agricultural Segment Lead and is also an active farmer in South Central Minnesota.
Learn more about Integrity Bank Plus: www.integritybank.com
Want more? Check out these past episodes:
23: How Tiling is Driving Today’s Land Values
43: Commodity Prices and Water Management in the Bushel Business
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Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome to Karl Guetter and Jake Jenniges
01:20 Let’s talk ag lending
03:00 Financial health of farmers
04:20 How to spend all that money?!?
04:45 The perfect storm?
06:00 Changing trends
08:00 Controlling the weather?
08:40 Land prices, deals and the oldest young guy
10:30 Improving what you have
12:50 An investment that will never depreciate
13:50 Building wealth in rural America
15:20 An average size farm in Minnesota? It’s so variable…
16:25 Join forces, work together, stay relevant
17:55 Murder and drainage
19:00 Attitudes and land values
20:55 Unexpected money
21:16 Coming to a halt – where is the floor?
23:00 What does a lender need to advise on drainage?
24:26 Is drainage ever the wrong decision?
25:45 Stretching the payments
26:50 You have to get as much as you can out of what you have
29:13 Cash rent – can you get the bushels?
30:02 Integrity Bank Plus, a bunch of really good youngsters
31:48 It’s like putting on a warm blanket
37:00 Tax planning; a really big deal
37:40 When does land sell high?
40:30 A generational transfer and the importance of relationships
44:40 Spend your money the right way at the right time
45:25 Regretting the Vikings
45:40 Wrap-up
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
From ‘what in the world is happening with harvest?!?’ to some dramatic advancements in water management practices, Jamie’s conversation with industry insider, Kent Rodelius, President of the ADMC and Prinsco Ag Relationship Manager, covers it all. Cover crops, carbon sequestration, denitrification, automation, crop insurance, batch and build… and the list goes on.
Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel!
https://youtu.be/hmgYPq-05rs
About the Guest:
Kent Rodelius has been in the water management industry for nearly 40 years. He started his career at Prinsco and has helped build strong relationships, grow sales and develop key partnerships for the company. Kent is the current President of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) and has a passion for staying informed on regulatory and legislative issues. He is a strong advocate for enhanced conservation practices designed to address the environmental challenges currently facing producers.
Learn more about the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC):
https://admcoalition.com/
Interested in sustainability and agriculture? Check out this video:
Conservation Drainage for Environmental and Economic Risk Reduction
Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table:
49: A Five-Buckle-Boot Career Serving Drainage Contractors
56: A More Efficient Approach to Water Quality– Batch and Build
Follow us on social media!
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Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
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https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
00:32 Welcome to Kent Rodelius
01:30 2022 collides with what is on the horizon
03:20 What in the world was happening with harvest?
04:09 Kudos to the farmers
04:50 ADMC plus Conservation Drainage Network equals research, studies & more
06:00 Cover crops and carbon sequestration – how important is it?
07:40 Addressing the soil health issue with cover crops
10:40 Cold and wet to dry and hot, technology matters!
11:50 So much funding, so many tools, how to take advantage
14:05 So many good practices
15:30 Automation
16:00 It’s drastic! Increases in technology
17:34 Breaking news – water is top claim in crop insurance!
18:00 Prevent plant, let’s reduce that number
20:00 A good year
20:40 ADMC – a strong voice
21:30 Batch and build
23:40 Denitrifying wetlands
24:55 Wrap-up
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
The script is flipped this week…instead of hosting a guest, Jamie is the guest. Occasionally, The Water Table Podcast host, Jamie Duininck, appears on other shows and we want to share those with you. This is the Farmland News Podcast with Bill Dean of KWLM and Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck with Fladeboe Land. Jamie joins them to talk farmland, tiling and the future of agriculture. (And how Jamie met his wife…)
About the hosts of Farmland News with KWLM:
Bill Dean with KWLM radio and Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck with Fladeboe Land join forces the first Thursday of each month to discuss issues impacting agriculture and farmland. Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck is a world-class auctioneer and farmland specialist. With 20+ years of broker experience, Kristine is owner of Fladeboe Land, a second-generation family owned business specializing in farmland. Bill Dean has been with Lakeland Broadcasting since 1973. Born and raised in West Central Minnesota, Bill has done just about everything at KWLM and currently hosts a morning show called The Morning Brew and the Farmland News Podcast with Fladeboe Land.
Check out Farmland News with Fladeboe Land Podcast:
https://www.willmarradio.com/podcasts/fladeboe/
Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table:
51: Why Farmland Values Have Never Been Higher with Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck
23: How Tiling is Driving Today’s Land Values with Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck
Follow us on social media!
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewatertableag/
Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
0:16 Welcome Kristine
1:33 Every dollar counts
3:20 The land market is strong
3:50 Tremendous yields
4:30 Upcoming auctions
10:10 Special guest – Jamie Duininck
11:12 How they met…
12:00 The importance of water management
13:00 Time for farmers to make improvements
13:35 Call 811 before you dig!
14:38 It’s really dry…
15:45 What soils should you tile?
16:20 It’s an investment
17:44 The Water Table Podcast
19:00 Tile vs. impervious surface
20:00 Convey, treat, store; and urban solution
21:22 Go Minnesota! We have the water…
22:15 Wrap up
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
In this episode of The Water Table, Jamie sits down with Ceri Howell to discuss the importance of relationships in business. With a career spanning more than 40 years in the pipe industry, Howell has seen the shift from corrugated metal to plastic pipe and talks about how the people he's met over the years have been instrumental in building his career.
About the Guest:
In this episode of The Water Table, Jamie sits down for a conversation with Ceri Howell about the importance of relationships in business. With a career spanning more than 40 years in the pipe industry, he has seen the shift from corrugated metal to plastic pipe and talks about how the people he has met over the years were instrumental in helping launch one company’s international division.
Want more? Check out this past episode from The Water Table:
https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/ep-54/
Learn more about Armtec:
https://armtec.com/
Follow us on social media!
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Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
0:00 Podcast Introduction
0:38 Welcome to Ceri Howell, President of 2M Solutions
1:50 An industry mentor
3:00 The importance of friendship
5:15 From Britain to Canada
6:15 How do you feel about a sales engineer….ummmm
7:40 Vancouver to Alberta to Ontario
8:21 Competitor to best friend
8:45 Backing up – why Canada?
9:50 Black bears, moose and leaping salmon
10:20 An impetuous decision, but one of the best
12:55 The numbers are staggering
13:33 The epicenter of North American agricultural drainage
15:57 Rely on the people with the knowledge
16:44 It’s personal
19:42 Now we have the science
24:16 An international division is born
26:13 An old friend leads to new opportunities
27:15 Flood damage in Russia and napkin sketches
29:46 A five bridge order leads to more than 250 structures
32:35 Building on relationships and trust
33:53 How many countries??
36:56 A tunnel in Canada
40:50 A personal take
44:00 Wrap up
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
For our final installment of our 2022 Harvest Check-ins, Jamie talks with Southern Illinois farmer Josh Parcel about spring planting in April, good rains in July and a smooth harvest is leading to great yields; 60-70 bushels an acre for beans and 230-260 bushels an acre for corn.
Want more? Check out the first 3 episode of our Harvest 2022 Check-in Series:
https://watertable.ag/57
https://watertable.ag/58
https://watertable.ag/59
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Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
0:00 Welcome to The Water Table Podcast
0:33 Josh Parcel, Farmer in Southern Illinois
1:21 Harvest going well; Started the 3rd week in September, no stopping so far!
1:45 40-50 percent complete
3:15 Variabilities are pretty consistent
4:00 June and July: Too dry to exactly the moisture needed
4:30 Beans, 60-70 bushels per acre; corn, 230-260 bushels per acre
4:55 Concerns with interest rate, inflation and skyrocketing prices next year
6:30 Land prices are nice and steady
7:45 Wrapping up – have a safe harvest!
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Jamie talks with Al Giese, a farmer in O’Brien County, Iowa, where record-setting land prices are the talk of the area. A dry summer means corn on corn yields are taking a hit, but prices remain high because of extreme demand due to ethanol and feed lots in Iowa.
Want more? Check out this Ag Web article:
https://www.agweb.com/news/business/farmland/new-record-iowa-farm-joins-26000-acre-club
Follow us on social media!
FB: https://m.facebook.com/thewatertableag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewatertableag/
Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
0:00 Welcome to The Water Table Podcast
0:33 Al Giese, Farmer in Northwest Iowa
1:10 Soybean harvest – done!
1:17 Corn harvest – 2/3 done, but the wind is wreaking havoc
1:30 Yields lag behind last year thanks to a lack of moisture
3:00 Variable yields; corn, 175-210 bushels per acre; soybeans, 55-65 bushels per acre
3:18 Corn on corn takes a big hit
4:04 Revenue per acre is still strong
4:30 Ammonia application – a big question mark
4:45 An on-time spring, but very spotty moisture
5:45 Next year – prices look good but input costs are up
7:00 Export demand is lagging, the Mighty Mississippi is low
7:45 The 3-legged stool in agriculture: exports, livestock and biofuels, especially ethanol
8:37 Biggest concern is subsoil moisture
8:55 Record land price set in Western Iowa, $26k per acre
10:35 Who is buying – investors or farmers?
12:30 Challenges and benefits
12:55 Wrapping up – have a safe harvest!
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Jamie catches up with Dylan Erickson, a farmer in Western Minnesota who checked in with us last year for harvest. He talks higher-than-expected yields, but what record land prices mean for small family farmers. His plan for next year includes improving the land he already owns (in addition to watching the Minnesota Vikings win the NFC North this season.)
Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table:
https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/episode-25/
https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/why-farmland-values-have-never-been-higher/
Follow us on social media!
FB: https://m.facebook.com/thewatertableag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewatertableag/
Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
0:00 Welcome to The Water Table Podcast
0:33 Dylan Erickson, Farmer in Western Minnesota
1:00 Soybean harvest is going well, almost wrapped up
1:47 Corn is more impressive yields than soybeans but still variable
2:14 Western & Southwest MN– where it rains it grows, even in the less ideal ground
3:22 Corn harvest expectations, looking positive, up to 215 bushels an acre.
4:30 Late planting for corn, soybeans & edibles, but harvest is still on time
5:50 Consistent heat, consistent yields
6:20 Future outlook; inputs going up so lock in early
7:48 Record land prices, where to go from here?
8:16 How to grow with what you already have
9:50 Go Vikings! Will it be a successful season?
12:30 Wrapping up – have a safe harvest!
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Back by popular demand, The Water Table podcast host Jamie Duininck checks in with Midwest farmers to see how harvest is going. In part one of this four-part series, he talks to Karl Guetter, Prinsco’s National Agriculture Segment Lead, who also farms in South Central Minnesota. They discuss a surprising fall after a very late start in the spring, how climate change is affecting the growing season and how conditions in South Central Minnesota are perfect this fall for making preparations for next year, including getting pipe in the ground.
About the Guest:
Karl Guetter has nearly 20 years of experience in the ag industry and, being an active farmer himself, is a true advocate for managing water on the farm. Karl is an active farmer and the Agricultural Segment Lead at Prinsco. He’s passionate about issues facing rural America and the ag community– his experience gives him a unique perspective on what pushes farmers to manage their water, how the demand for tiling has changed and increased over the years, and why tile is critical for the sustainability and profitability of farms in the future.
Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table: https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/ep-55/
https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/ep-53/
Follow us on social media!
FB: https://m.facebook.com/thewatertableag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewatertableag/
Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Episode Topics:
0:00 Welcome to The Water Table Podcast
0:33 Karl Guetter, farmer in South Central Minnesota
1:09 A surprising fall after a very wet spring
1:23 Ahead of schedule and phenomenal harvest weather
2:30 Climate change; from 20 springs ago until now
3:06 Soybean harvest is done; variable due to land
4:10 Redwood County, a stark difference east to west.
5:00 The Minnesota River – what does it do to the weather?
6:20 Corn harvest is going well, wrapping up soon
7:15 Next year’s plan, looking at market fluctuations, what varieties performed well and dirt to fertility and drainage
8:56 Opportunities for preparations for next year. Get that pipe in the ground!
9:50 Wrapping up – have a safe harvest!
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
What’s better than installing one saturated buffer or bioreactor at a time? Doing 25-50 to improve water quality for an entire watershed. Jamie and Keegan Kult, Executive Director of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC), talk batch and build projects, cover crops and how water management can help farmers deal with climate change.
About the Guest:
Keegan has been working with agricultural water management for more than 15 years and has contributed to 80+ edge of field practice installations, development of new conservation practice standards, and to the scientific literature documenting practice performance and cost effectiveness. He holds a Master of Science degree from Iowa State University in Environmental Science with an emphasis on water resources and a Bachelor of Science degree also from Iowa State University in Forestry.
More Episodes & Water Management Education:
https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Follow us on social media!
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Website: https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698
Subscribe to our Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/001MKyL5nMw6jUpuuz9aGd
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMzg5OTEwLnJzcw==
Want more? Here's some related content you might be interested in:
Water quality and sustainable practices are more important than ever. Below are several sustainable solutions to consider when designing a water management system. Learn more about Saturated Buffers and Denitrifying Bioreactors!
https://www.watertable.ag/best-practice/saturated-buffer/
https://www.watertable.ag/best-practice/denitrifying-bioreactor/
Agricultural Water Management Coalition (ADMC) resources page:
https://admcoalition.com/resources/
Learn about a batch & build project in Des Moines, Iowa! - "Central Iowa Blitz Project Will Add 51 Water Quality Practices within Des Moines and Raccoon River Watersheds"
https://iowaagriculture.gov/news/central-iowa-adds-51-water-quality-practices
Episode Topics:
0:38 Welcome Keegan Kult, Executive Director of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC)
2:55 What is ADMC
4:00 History of ADMC
5:40 ADMC Membership
6:23 Upping the game with funding – memberships, grants and contract work
7:38 Goals, successes and building excitement
9:30 Watershed approaches and planning – Batch and Build
10:16 Education on water management: it’s not just for farmers; the frustrations & the wins.
13:26 Drainage water management certification classes – a win!
15:20 The water management industry’s story
17:35 Partnerships, fiscal agents and public entities
18:38 Conservation Drainage Network
21:05 Drainage water management field test plots
23:00 Edge of field practices – automated water management systems, saturated buffers and bioreactors
28:00 Climate change and water management
32:50 30 million acres – are we making progress?
35:32 Barriers to drainage water management
38:25 Working himself out of a job
39:37 Cover crops and soil health
44:15 ADMC on the cusp
Jamie has an insights-packed conversation with Karl Guetter, an active farmer and current leader of Prinsco's agricultural segment. Karl leverages that dual perspective to share what he believes is driving the continued demand for tile despite uncertainties like late springs and delayed planting. Karl defines and dives into these key factors:
- Farmers need to improve efficiency
- High inputs reinforce the need to take care of what's belowground.
- Land changing hands is triggering tiling investments
- Installation practices and system designs are becoming more optimized
Michael Swanson, Chief Agricultural Economist at Wells Fargo, joins Jamie to explain critical topics affecting agriculture. Listen to learn how current crop prices, the environmental effects of tiling, cash rents, carbon credits & the biodiesel market will impact the future of the ag community.
Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck, a farmland specialist, comes back to The Water Table to discuss how farmland values have never been higher, why we are seeing record-breaking farmland sales, and the impact a farm's tile maps have on its value.
Jamie sits down with Levi Otis of Ellingson Companies to discuss something that’s caused quite a stir in North Dakota– Bill Gates recently purchased roughly 2,000 acres of farmland. Jamie and Levi discuss why wealthy investors are buying farmland in ND, how these purchases affect the water management industry, and the number one reason why people aren’t managing water on their farms.
The drainage industry is driven by the unsung heroes of agriculture– drainage contractors. Kent Rodelius from Prinsco reflects on his four-decade career serving these hardworking business owners, many of whom have a multi-generational, family culture. He shares stories about the evolution of the industry and his personal philosophy of hard work which he describes as “a five-buckle-boot day.”
Michelle Miller aka “The Farm Babe” is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, writer, and online influencer. She’s working to bridge the gap between consumers and farmers by being a champion for global agriculture.
Michelle grew up in Wisconsin before getting her bachelor’s degree in Los Angeles, CA. She went from working at Gucci on Rodeo Drive to moving to Iowa to farm. She brings a unique perspective as a global traveler turned farm girl, and now works to give a voice to farmers and science as she attempts to share the truths of modern agriculture.
How should we be installing drain tile? Safely. Travis Albers along with other members of the Drain Tile Safety Coalition have made it their goal to make drain tile projects safer. They're working to reduce drain tile accidents to zero through education, advanced planning tickets and urging farmers and contractors to call 811 before they dig.
The agricultural industry is a growing field, but the amount of farmable acreage is decreasing as the world's population grows. Brenden VanWechel, Business Development and Ag Tech Intern for Ellingson Companies, joins Jamie to discuss the critical role of technology and the next generation in finding solutions to increase yields and create more sustainable agriculture.
Each spring is a waiting game for farmers and drainage contractors as they are anxious to get in the field. The Upper Midwest has had cold, wet springs for the past few years, compressing the time available for tiling and planting. Jamie shares his thoughts on preparing for the season and how to ensure increased yields despite the less-than-ideal conditions.
Prinsco Ag application engineer Trey Allis joins Jamie to answer frequently asked questions about pipe types, applications, materials, and more.
What’s happening in the world of commodities? Jamie is joined by Tommy Grisafi, commodity broker and host of The Ag Bull podcast, to discuss commodities prices, opportunities in the small grain market, and why tiling is a smart investment in the business of bushels.
Former U.S. Representative and House Agriculture Committee Chair, Collin Peterson, joins Jamie to discuss the possible impacts of the war in Ukraine on agriculture. They cover topics such as opening CRP, changes in global imports/exports, rising land prices, fluctuating commodity prices, and implications for the world market.
Mark Pletts joins Jamie Duininck to discuss the importance of understanding financial problems fully before committing to a solution. It starts with the willingness to be vulnerable and open with your financial advisor in order to get the best outcome for you, your family, or your business.
We are joined by guest and financial advisor, Mark Pletts, to talk about creating family trusts, the connection between trusts and life insurance for farms and small businesses, and why financial planning, if done properly, can positively impact generations to come
Host, Jamie Duininck, is joined by Mark Pletts, a financial advisor who believes that financial planning in a family business, when done correctly, can positively impact generations to come. He has worked with Jamie and many other family businesses to navigate financial challenges and make decisions that are best for both the business and the family. In this episode, Jamie and Mark discuss how to align the math with the emotion when doing financial planning for your business
Many businesses are transitioning to the next generation of leaders, a process which requires significant financial planning to be successful. Jamie Duininck is joined by financial advisor, Mark Pletts, to talk about two things that impact generational transitions most: the math and the emotion
Host, Jamie Duininck, asks business coach, Cory Carlson, about how to become better leaders in our families and our businesses. They discuss the added challenges of being a boss when working with family members. Cory explains that tools like enneagrams can help but being vulnerable and asking for personal feedback about how you can do better is the key to going from being a good boss to being a great leader.
Host, Jamie Duininck, is joined by guest and business coach, Cory Carlson, to discuss the connection between success in business and success at home. Cory takes a holistic approach that challenges clients with the question: If you aren’t unpacking the issues in your personal or family life, how do you expect to solve the issues facing your business?
Host, Jamie Duininck, has worked with business coach, Cory Carlson, for many years to gain insight and advice for working in a family business. Cory stresses that in order for people to have success in business they must also have successful at home. Through this episode, Jamie and Cory cover topics such as the benefits of hiring a coach, how to win at work by winning at home, and how to go from being a boss to being a leader.
Host, Jamie Duininck, is joined by guest and business coach, Cory Carlson, to discuss the misunderstood process of hiring a business coach. Cory started his career in the corporate world then became a business coach after experiencing the positive impact that a trusted advisor had on his own life. Jamie shares how difficult it can be to ask for help and how finding the right coach for your situation and personality can make all the difference.
Host, Jamie Duininck, hears Mark Herringshaw’s perspective on “Using Your Voice to Better Your Business.” Mark believes understanding your personality style or voice leads to better communication and conflict management. Learn about a successful family succession story and what Mark finds most rewarding about his work.
Host, Jamie Duininck, asks guest and business coach, Mark Herringshaw, if he thinks families are harder on each other in business. The truth? It depends on who you are as a leader. Mark explains the 5 personality types and how being aware of your voice can impact your family business.
Host, Jamie Duininck, is joined by business coach, Mark Herringshaw, to discuss the nuances of family business relationships and the generational transfer of knowledge. Mark has spent over 25 years working with companies of all sizes on decoding individual performance, team chemistry, and organizational excellence. Learn how humility-based leadership and understanding personality types can help family businesses be more successful.
Host, Jamie Duininck, asks Mark Herringshaw about the pressure in family businesses and how to plan for generational transitions. Working with family can be challenging because it adds another layer to an already multi-faceted business relationship. Mark, guest and business coach, discusses the importance of intentional communication and “The High Stakes of Family Succession Planning.”
Jamie asks guest and leadership expert, Mark Deterding, how to build a foundation of your mission, vision, and values? Mark, owner of Triune Leadership, recommends you start by understanding what the shared values are amongst members of your organization, and then asking yourself: what do you do, for whom do you do it, and why? From there, it’s time to build it into the culture of your organization to know what drives your business.
Jamies asks guest and leadership expert, Mark Deterding, to share his definition of a servant leader and the keys to becoming a great one. Mark explains how great leaders create energy, drive performance, build relationships, and ensure that their actions line up with the business' foundation of mission, vision and values.
As part of a third-generation family business, host Jamie Duininck has turned to Mark Deterding for guidance on many important issues over the years. Mark established “Triune Leadership Services” in 2010 to help small businesses build a culture around servant leadership and a shared vision, mission and values. Learn about the positive impact Mark has had on Jamie and countless other business leaders.
Jamie asks guest and leadership expert, Mark Deterding, what it means to work IN your business versus ON your business? Mark believes you must work on your business foundation, which starts by defining your purpose, vision, and values. When those things are crystal clear you will be able to better support the needs of your business, your family, and your customers.
Listen to the full episode here.
In this episode, Jamie talks with Prinsco Engineer, Trey Allis, who put in much of the legwork to establish the new Water Table website. Trey shares some highlights of the valuable research being done by land-grant universities across the country and why making it more accessible on our website can support the work of drainage contractors and help change the perception of our industry in the public.
A behind-the-scenes conversation with host Jamie Duininck about why this podcast matters and how telling our story as an industry is so important. Jamie is passionate about recognizing the critical role drainage contractors, industry researchers and farmers play in the success of agriculture and water quality practices.
In 2021, the Water Table Podcast launched over 30 episodes and invited 29 guests to join the conversation and share their industry expertise with listeners. Topics have ranged from wetlands and the farm, water quality issues, use of recycled materials, tiling impact on land values, and unique life stories from guests. To close out the year, listen as Jamie reflects on some of the best conversations of 2021.
From working on a potato farm in the '90s where he trialed subsurface drainage to building a successful business, Chris Unrau shares his experiences of being a part of the "birth" of the water management industry in Canada.
Jamie and Bob Clark II discuss how Clark Farm Drainage has combated the challenges the industry has seen in 2021 and how it's affected their season. In Indiana, these challenges have included unpredictable weather, supply chain challenges, and inflation. Also in this episode, Bob Clark II shares what's ahead in 2022 for the markets they serve.
Mike Litzau from Litzau Farm Drainage joins Jamie on the Fall Tiling Series. In this episode, Mike and Jamie catch up on the work Litzau Farm Drainage is doing in West Central Minnesota, how the season is shaping up and how land sales may correlate to 2022 when it comes to water management projects.
Jamie makes calls to drainage contractors to hear how the 2021 fall tiling season is going in their areas. Derrik Ellingson of Ellingson Companies joins Jamie on part 2 of this 4 part series. Derrik shares what he's seeing in the Red River Valley as well as his experience with the permitting process in his region.
Jamie makes calls to drainage contractors to hear how the 2021 fall tiling season is going in their areas. Bryce Gillen of Gridline Field Tile joins Jamie on part 1 of this 4 part series. Gridline Field tile is located in Mitchell, SD., and services primarily Eastern South Dakota. Bryce gives his perspective on how the season has shaped up in his area.
Jamie sits down with Franck Groeneweg of Living Sky Grains to talk about his passion for agriculture. His journey in ag takes him from France to Iowa to Saskatchewan to Montana, all in the pursuit of being a more perfect steward of the land.
Former US Congressman Collin Peterson joins Jamie to talk about The Midwest Council on Agriculture. The council is a new organization that is advocating for strong agriculture and economic policy promoting the long-term sustainability of the agriculture industry in the Midwest region.
Perry Skaurud, a farmer in northern Minnesota, joins Jamie in part 4 of this 4 part series.
This fall, the Water Table podcast is talking to farmers from all over the Midwest to get real-time updates on this year's harvest. Host Jamie Duininck makes calls to producers harvesting all types of crops to learn how this year's weather conditions along with factors such as subsurface drainage are impacting yields.
Eric Heaton joins Jamie in part 3 of this 4 part series to share what he's seeing in northern Illinois.
This fall, the Water Table podcast is talking to farmers from all over the Midwest to get real-time updates on this year’s harvest. Host Jamie Duininck makes calls to producers harvesting all types of crops to learn how this year’s weather conditions along with factors such as subsurface drainage are impacting yields.
This fall, the Water Table podcast is talking to farmers from all over the Midwest to get real-time updates on this year's harvest. Host Jamie Duininck makes calls to producers harvesting all types of crops to learn how this year's weather conditions along with factors such as subsurface drainage are impacting yields.
Dylan Erickson, a farmer in western Minnesota, joins Jamie in part 2 of this 4 part series.
This fall, the Water Table podcast is talking to farmers from all over the Midwest to get real-time updates on this year's harvest. Host Jamie Duininck makes calls to producers harvesting all types of crops to learn how this year's weather conditions along with factors such as subsurface drainage are impacting yields. Jeff Hewitt, a farmer in central Iowa, joins Jamie in part 1 of this 4 part series.
World-class auctioneer and farmland specialist, Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck, joins Jamie to explain the significant impact that installed water management systems have on land values. Learn why a farm's tilemaps are worth their weight in gold and are key to getting the highest dollar per acre when it's time to sell.
Peter Darbishire joins the podcast to share his passion for water management education with stories from his 40+ year career as a writer and owner/editor of Drainage Contractor magazine. His vast career covering water management issues and trends across Europe, Canada, and the United States has given him a unique perspective on the evolution of our industry and the outlook for our future.
Jamie sits down with Roger Ellingson of Ellingson Companies. Considered a leader in the industry, Roger shares how agricultural water management has changed over his 51 years in business. He also discusses the often complicated dynamics of running a third-generation, family-owned business. Listen to hear how Ellingson Companies has pivoted and adapted to an evolving industry.
Jamie once again sits down with Mike Burns of RTi Global and Randy McGill of Prinsco to get an update on the situation with the plastic resin used to make agricultural drainage pipe. This is a unique look at how the global plastic supply works. They look at how far the resin supply has come since last talking and what the future is looking like for the industry.
This week we are talking to nationally respected Meteorologist, Entrepreneur, and Author, Paul Douglas. With over 40 years of watching and analyzing weather patterns and the climate, he has incredible insight into the effects of climate change on the weather we are experiencing today. He shares his thoughts on what the future will hold for weather and how that will affect water management on the farm.
Matt Holland has been working with Pheasants Forever as a biologist for over 25 years and is currently the Director of Grant Development. Matt sits down with Jamie to discuss how Pheasants Forever conservation efforts can be a compliment to conservation on the farm. He explains the opportunities for collaboration towards a common goal of better water quality for all.
Flexible dual-wall is a product innovation that has advanced our industry and given drainage contractors a strategic tool to increase safety, improve installation speeds and get into high water table areas. In this episode, you'll learn about the product development journey which recently culminated in a new ASTM standard that ensures consistency among manufacturers and instills confidence among installers and their customers.
Warren Formo, Executive Director at MN Ag Water Resource Center, discusses the urgent need for modern data in order to create modern water management practices for our changing industry and world. He shares examples from Discovery Farms Minnesota, a farmer-led effort to gather water quality information under real-world conditions.
Today we are joined by Margaret Johnson, Administrator of the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District (MFCRW). She shares insight into how watersheds work and their focus on water quantity and water quality.
Fifth-generation Iowa farmer, Jacob Handsaker, started Hands On Excavating about 10 years ago to meet the tiling needs of area farmers and has been growing ever since. He shares the opportunities he sees in the installation of water quality practices in the changing water management landscape.
Guest Charlie Schafer started Agri Drain with two brothers in 1976. In this episode, we get his perspective on our changing industry and opportunities to positively impact water quality through controlled drainage and conservation practices.
Jamie continues his discussion Levi Otis, Director of Government Relations at Ellingson Companies, and Kale Van Bruggen, Attorney at Rinkee Noonan law firm, this time turning their attention to Waters of the United States or WOTUS. Listen to learn more about the legislation and its impact on agriculture today.
Jamie sits down with two experts to discuss the effects of US Fish and Wildlife easements on water management on the farm. He is joined by Levi Otis, Director of Government Relations at Ellingson Companies, and Kale Van Bruggen, Attorney at Rinkee Noonan law firm.
John Kolb from Rinkee Noonan sits down with Jamie and Kent to take a deep dive into the law as it relates to agricultural water management. The discussion takes a look at history, swamp busters, and how they all lead to the laws we see today.
Jamie and Kent talk with Bob Clark of Clark Farm Drainage and President of National Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA). In this episode, Bob shares what led him to LICA and the value he sees in learning from a community of like-minded individuals.
Jamie sits down with Mike Burns of RTi Global and Randy McGill of Prinsco to discuss the current situation with the plastic resin used to make agricultural drainage pipe. This is a unique look at how the global plastic supply works. They cover the effects of the pandemic on the global supply and what the recent winter storms in Texas have done to exacerbate the supply shortage.
Jamie sits down with Jason Ahrenholz of Prinsco and Chuck Brandel of ISG to talk about the engineering behind water quality practices. Bioreactors, Saturated Buffers and more. Listen now to get a better understanding of what it takes to increase water quality on the farm.
Have you had questions about ag water management or the topics discussed in previous episodes? Jamie and Kent sit down to answer questions listeners have submitted over the last couple of months.
Jamie continues his discussion with Jason Ahrenholz, Director of Engineering at Prinsco, and Dr. Michael Pluimer, Director of the Advanced Materials Center at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. In part two the conversation focused on the sustainability and resiliency of making HDPE pipe.
Jamie discusses "The Science behind making pipe" with Jason Ahrenholz, Director of Engineering at Prinsco and Dr. Michael Pluimer, Director of the Advanced Materials Center at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. In part one the conversation focused on the material blends that go into making pipe, including the use of recycled content
Today Kent Rodelius, sitting in for Jamie, has a discussion with guest Jeremy Donabauer, a wetland specialist from Agricultural & Wetland Services. Jeremy has been helping farmers with wetlands, wetland banking and wetland issues for almost a decade. Listen to learn more about how wetlands are used on the farm.
Collin Peterson has represented the 7th congressional district of MN for 30 years and has served on the House Committee on Agriculture for 15 years, most recently as Chairman. As a strong advocate for agriculture in the US House of Representatives, the Congressman has left his mark on agriculture. Jamie has an interesting conversation with Collin on his history, accomplishments and what he sees in the future for agriculture.
Jamie Duininck and Kent Rodelius sit down with Northern Minnesota farmer Todd Stanley. Hear how water management has changed they way Todd farms and how the results he's seen on the farm has turned him into a water management advocate.
Jamie Duininck sits down with Dr. Matt Helmers of Iowa State University to discuss "A Case for Water Management". Over the course of this episode, Jamie and Matt discuss water management practices, water quality, the affects of climate change and more. This episode is packed with valuable information from someone who has done the research and studied the data behind water management on the farm.
Jamie sits down with Kent Rodelius, a 37 year veteran of the Water Management industry. They talk about why they are doing this podcast, the history of water management, and touch on some of the key issues the industry is facing.