The Sprinkler Nerd Show

What if the next great irrigation software tool doesn't come from a manufacturer, a big tech company, or a traditional development team?

What if it comes from you?

In this episode, Andy shares his personal experience learning the craft of vibe coding and why he believes it could be a game changer for the irrigation industry. After four months of building apps with AI coding tools, including SLIDE and BranchBoard, Andy explains how curiosity, imagination, and domain knowledge can now turn real-world problems into real software faster than ever before.

This is not a technical coding tutorial. It is a rally cry for the curious.

If you have ever thought, "Why doesn't this exist?" or "I wish this worked differently," this episode is for you. Andy walks through how to start with a pain point, brainshare with AI, create a product requirements document, and use tools like ChatGPT, Codex, GitHub, Visual Studio Code, and AWS to begin building real applications.

The message is simple:

If you think it, you can build it.

The future belongs to the curious.

Song Credit: Intro/outro music: "Mexico" by Little Stranger.

In this solo episode, Andy takes a step back from the usual technical conversations and reflects on what The Sprinkler Nerd Show has really given him.

After listening to a friend's podcast while cutting the grass, Andy started thinking about the difference between the episode people hear and the life happening behind the microphone. Every podcast has two versions: the edited version that shows up in your earbuds, and the behind-the-scenes version where life, business, purpose, identity, and the future can feel uncertain.

This episode is a personal reflection on learning in public, staying curious, and continuing to show up even when the path is not perfectly clear. Andy talks about the role this show has played in helping him stay connected to the irrigation industry, process change, ask better questions, and remain close to the people doing the real work in the field.

He also connects this idea to the larger landscape and irrigation industry, where technology, sensors, controllers, data, AI, software, and new ways of working are beginning to accelerate change. The message is simple: you do not need to know everything before you try something new. You just need to stay curious enough to take the next step.

This episode is also a thank-you to the listeners, contractors, friends, and industry professionals who have sent messages, shared ideas, challenged assumptions, and helped shape the show along the way. The Sprinkler Nerd Show was never meant to be a place where Andy pretends to know everything. It is a place where we stay curious together.

In this episode, Andy shares a few simple, real-world ways he used AI this week — from organizing messy data into CSV files, turning commercial property energy bills into a clean PDF, vibe-coding the SLIDE App with Codex in Visual Studio, designing gateway stickers, and creating irrigation patent t-shirt concepts for Sprinkler Supply Store.

But this episode is not about letting AI replace your voice, your experience, or your creativity. It is about using AI as a tool — more like a nail gun than a hammer — to move faster, stay curious, and turn ideas into action. Andy also shares why he still wants his writing, emails, podcast, and message to sound like the real Andy, imperfections and all.

For years I've watched irrigation contractors, designers, consultants, and water managers wrestle with the same question:

How much water should a landscape actually need?

The research exists. The science exists. But getting from all that information to something practical in the field often feels harder than it should.

So I decided to build something.

In this episode, I'm introducing S.L.I.D.E. — Simplified Landscape Irrigation Demand Estimation, a new tool designed to help estimate landscape water demand using plant type, location, and historical climate information.

More importantly, I'm inviting you into the process.

Visit: SLIDE Calculator and try it for yourself.

Be curious about the results. Test your own property, customer sites, parks, or projects. If you find a bug, have an idea, or think something feels off, click the Buoy icon in the upper right corner and submit a ticket. Those messages come directly to me.

This episode is less of a launch announcement and more of an invitation to build something together.

Additional notes for fellow nerds:

• The S.L.I.D.E. methodology builds upon research developed by researchers with the University of California Cooperative Extension.
• U.S. weather and rainfall inputs use historical gridMET reference evapotranspiration and precipitation data averaged from 2021–2025.
• Canada weather and rainfall inputs use Open-Meteo historical climate archive data.

Because sometimes the best ideas happen when we stop pretending we have it all figured out…and start building in public.

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at OptConnect, a cellular IoT company helping businesses connect devices to the internet without making connectivity complicated. Justin Nichols explains how OptConnect supports everything from irrigation controllers to ATMs, kiosks, vending machines, wastewater treatment, solar inverters, EV chargers, security trailers, access controls, and other commercial/industrial IoT applications.

For the landscape and irrigation industry, the biggest takeaway is that irrigation controllers do not need much data to be valuable. Most controllers may use only 50–100 MB per month, and often less, but the value of that connection is significant: remote access, monitoring, fewer truck rolls, better uptime, and more reliable service. Justin also explains why choosing the right cellular technology matters. Faster is not always better. For low-data irrigation applications, Cat M1 can often be a better fit because it has stronger building penetration than higher-speed cellular options.

A few key themes from the conversation:

• OptConnect is not just selling hardware; they are simplifying connectivity.
• Irrigation is one piece of a much larger IoT world.
• The same connectivity principles used in ATMs, solar, EV charging, security, and industrial monitoring also apply to landscape irrigation.
• Antenna selection and placement are often overlooked but can be the weak link in the system.
• Multi-carrier and eSIM technology can make deployments easier because the contractor or end user does not need to manually choose the best carrier.
• The goal is fewer truck rolls, better uptime, and a more professional connected experience.
• OptConnect's experience across other industries gives the irrigation market access to technology that has already been proven at scale.

What does it actually take to turn around and grow an irrigation business?

In this episode, Andy sits down with Erik Dyba from The Bruce Company to talk about his journey through the industry. From learning irrigation in the mountains of Colorado to rebuilding and scaling a department at David J. Frank from a few hundred thousand dollars to over $1.5 million.

We get into what really moves the needle: building the right team, investing in training, creating systems that actually work, and leaning into partnerships with organizations like the Irrigation Association.

Erik also shares his perspective on water conservation, why education is one of the biggest opportunities in the industry right now, and how his experience in both irrigation and snow removal has shaped the way he leads.

This is a conversation about doing things the right way—and what happens when you commit to getting better over time.

In this episode of The Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy Humphrey is joined by Scott Allison from Hunter Industries to talk about My Design Landscape Beta, Hunter's new contractor-focused design platform for irrigation and landscape professionals.

Scott shares how Hunter has been building digital tools for contractors for years, from runtime calculators and site recommendation tools to lighting design software. Now, with My Design Landscape, Hunter is bringing that experience into irrigation design with a tool built to help contractors create better layouts, proposals, hydraulic plans, as-builts, and customer-facing presentations.

This conversation is about more than software. It is about helping contractors communicate value.

For many irrigation contractors, the biggest challenge is not just designing the system. It is helping the customer understand why proper head-to-head coverage matters, why one system costs more than another, and why professional design can protect water, landscapes, and long-term performance.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why irrigation design is becoming a stronger sales and communication tool.
• How My Design Landscape can help contractors create plans faster.
• The value of visual design when explaining coverage, zones, valves, controllers, and drip irrigation.
• How contractors may use as-built drawings as an added service.
• Why beta users have a chance to help shape the future of the software.
• How better visuals can help justify price, professionalism, and system quality.
• Why technology may help level the playing field for everyday contractors.

Scott also walks through the beta version of My Design Landscape, including image upload, scale setting, hydrozones, sprinkler placement, drip layout, controllers, valves, sensors, project summaries, bill of materials, and PDF exports.

If you are an irrigation contractor, landscape professional, designer, distributor, or anyone interested in where irrigation design software is headed, this episode is worth watching.

Learn more about My Design Landscape from Hunter Industries: https://www.hunterirrigation.com/my-design-landscape

Subscribe to The Sprinkler Nerd Show for more conversations about irrigation, water, technology, contractors, and the future of the green industry.

What if the most important action is no action at all?

In this solo episode of The Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy explores the idea that patience is not something standing in the way of the process… patience is the process.

From wanting to get ahead when you are young, to waiting for a customer to sign a proposal, to standing in front of a 150 zone 2-wire system that just will not work, this episode is about the moments when doing more is not the answer.

Sometimes the grass does not need more water. More fertilizer. More adjustment. Sometimes, it simply needs time.

This episode is a reminder that not all growth is visible, that roots are growing beneath the surface, and that sometimes the wisest thing we can do is step back, trust, and let the grass grow.

What happens when you try to answer one simple question: Where is all the water going?

In this episode of the Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Paul Bassett from ENVOCORE to tell the story of one of the most complex irrigation and water management projects they have ever worked on—a massive retrofit at a government military base.

What began as an irrigation upgrade quickly became something much bigger: more than 1,000 water meters, 225 irrigation controllers, 7 million square feet of irrigated landscape, and over 25 million gallons of monthly water use.

Together, Andy and Paul share how they used wireless technology, LoRaWAN gateways, smart irrigation controls, weather stations, soil moisture sensors, and utility-grade water meters to build a system capable of tracking every drop across an entire military base.

But the real challenge was not installing the hardware. It was learning how to trust the data.

They discuss:

• How to discover and estimate a project of this size
• Why some properties are unknowingly use twice as much water as they need
• How missing meter data, duplicate reporting, and underground leaks complicated the project
• Why "gallons per square foot" may be the most important number in irrigation
• How water bills can reveal more about a property than most people realize
• Why contractors should start with the math before they start replacing sprinklers

Paul also shares practical advice that any contractor can use immediately, whether they manage a military base or a five-zone residential system.

If you want to understand how data, water, and technology are reshaping the future of irrigation, this is an episode you will not want to miss.

At the Hunter Industries Contractor Training Event hosted in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Andy sat down with irrigation contractors and technology leaders to explore one big question:

What is the future of irrigation going to look like?

In this documentary-style episode, you'll hear from contractors with decades of field experience, including three generations of Grapids Irrigation, contractors adapting to smart controllers and cloud-based monitoring, and the people building the next generation of tools at Hunter.

Featuring conversations with: Aaron Katerberg of Grapids Irrigation, Brandon Dietrich of Garpio Group, Jason from Smith Lawnscapes, Hector Avalos of Pro-Mow Landscaping, Tony Tiscareno of Grapids Irrigation, and Scott Allison from Hunter Industries.

Topics include:

• Flat-rate pricing and running a more profitable service business
• Smart controllers, Wi-Fi, flow sensors, and remote monitoring
• Why water savings and technology matter more than ever
• New cloud-based design tools like Hunter's My Design Landscape
• The differences between irrigation in Michigan and Florida
• Why, after 20–30 years in the business, contractors still love what they do

The tools are changing. The technology is changing.

The people who make irrigation work are still the story.

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend in the irrigation industry.