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.

Watch the full episode on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/g0sirjOjCOU

About the Guest:
Ceri Howell is a pioneer in the field of agricultural drainage in Canada. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Science in Great Britain and has spent more than 40 years in the pipe industry. Howell worked for Armtec in Canada for more than 30 years, establishing their international division and eventually taking on the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He is currently the President and Owner of 2M Solutions in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a consulting firm that provides market development, sales and customer service training, management support and leadership training along with facilitating relationships between Canada and international markets.

Want more? Check out these related episodes from The Water Table:
https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/ep-54/
https://www.watertable.ag/podcast/how-the-war-in-ukraine-could-impact-agriculture/

Learn more about Armtec:
https://armtec.com/

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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

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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

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FB:  https://m.facebook.com/thewatertableag/
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Website:  https://www.watertable.ag/the-podcast/

Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1538507698

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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

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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

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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! 
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== 

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

Eric Snodgrass, Principal Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien, joins Jamie to discuss the atmospheric delivery of rain and its impact on the ag industry. Listen to learn how to maintain stability on your farming operation despite changing weather patterns, longer growing seasons, and yield variability due to rain.

Tony Kime, President of BlueWater Pipe Inc, was among the first to install plastic drainage pipe in North America. He joins Jamie to discuss how tiling is building wealth in our agricultural communities, and why it could contribute to advancements in water quality in the future. 

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: 

1. Farmers need to improve efficiency  
2. High inputs reinforce the need to take care of what's belowground. 
3. Land changing hands is triggering tiling investments  
4. 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.