The Water Table

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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