The Water Table

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/

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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.

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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

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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

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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…

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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!

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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!

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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

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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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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/

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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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/