The Water Table

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 resi...

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 stru...

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 R...

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 re...

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 contr...

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 chal...

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...

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 op...

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 Applic...

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 draina...

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 an...

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...

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 al...

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, l...

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 potenti...

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...

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 passio...

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. Ch...

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?...

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 episod...

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 sys...