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The pipe is filling

Although not foreign to the audience of Drainage Contractor, there is a crucial yet overlooked component to production and sustainability: drainage systems.

These systems are essential for managing water levels and optimizing soil conditions. They get recognized for increasing yields and profitability but misunderstood about their potential to improve nitrogen fertilizer management, reduce N2O emissions, pesticide transport, and surface runoff. By optimizing managed drainage systems, water management can contribute to the long-term viability and resilience of agricultural systems. 

The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) has a small fraction of industry representatives as members yet plays a crucial role in uniting the voices of the industry by advocacy, providing a platform for stakeholders to collaborate, facilitating information sharing, building partnerships, and by magnifying the technical expertise and guidance of its members. 

As the ADMC’s executive director, I was able to attend a series of recent meetings including National LICA Winter Meeting, the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research Sustainable Water Management Summit and the Conservation Drainage Network Annual Meeting. It was clear from this series that the drainage industry would benefit from a more unified voice.

The drainage industry has historically operated in a fragmented and siloed fashion. Now more than ever, the time is ripe for stakeholders to come together and amplify the voice as there is unprecedented levels of public and private investments in agricultural conservation while looking to improve the environmental footprint.

ADMC is focusing on a new strategic plan to foster collaboration, drive innovation and sustainability within the industry. 

The absence of a more unified platform hampers collective progress. Fragmentation leads to inefficiencies in communication, educational events, and the leveraging of collective expertise. ADMC members recognize the opportunity and need to be able to promote sustainable practices, engage with policy makers, and improve our agricultural systems through water management to face shifting weather practices and the need to produce more with less. 

To do this, ADMC is focusing its efforts on working even more with industry members by looking at impactful policies, expanding outreach, and bringing more drainage industry members on board to generate the momentum needed. To interact with ADMC, it is encouraged to join as a member, engage with the coalition, and be and advocate for the importance of drainage practices.

To join and learn how to engage with the coalition, please contact Keegan at kkult@admcoalition.com or by visiting the website https://admcoalition.com/.

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