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.
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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
