The Current is a speed networking webinar series for professionals engaged in water-related extension, research, and conservation activities. The North Central Region Water Network and Extension Directors from all 12 North Central states are sponsoring this series to highlight the best water-related research and Extension programming in the region. Webinars will run for 60 minutes, with three 10-minute project snapshots and 30 minutes of QA/peer-to-peer interaction.
Most Recent Webinar:
Nutrient Reduction Loss Strategies: What are Different States Doing?
Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 2:00 pm CT – View the Recording
March’s The Current Webinar featured updates on various Midwestern state’s Nutrient Reduction Loss Strategies.
Speakers included:
- Matt Helmers, Director, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Brent and Cindy Hart, Professor, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Trevor Sample, Coordinator for the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
- Corrie M. Layfield, Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy Coordinator, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Drainage Water Recycling
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 – View the Recording
This edition of The Current Webinar Series explored conservation drainage and drainage water recycling – a topic of interest for many as more of us are dealing with either too much or too little water. This webinar featured research from Kelly Nelson with the University of Missouri and Chris Hay with the Iowa Soybean Association and Hay Water Solutions, LLC, who provided an overview of the Conservation Drainage Network.
Boosting Climate-Smart Agriculture Implementation
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 – View the Recording
The term climate-smart agriculture was first coined in 2010, but has gotten more attention over the last several years. This webinar features three climate-smart agriculture projects that are working to expand climate-smart ag practice implementation across the North Central Region: – The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Ag Program, the Climate-Ready Farm Assessment Tool, and the Satellite-Driven Data for Climate-Smart Ag Inventory.
Featured Speakers:
- Dave Gustafson, Project director, Conservation Technology Information Center: “OpTIS: Monitoring the Adoption of Conservation Practices through the Use of Satellite-Based Remote Sensing Data”
- Suzanne Rhees, Special Projects Coordinator, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
- Monica Jean, Field Crop Specialist, Michigan State Extension: “A Tool to Assess Climate Risk on Farms”
A Closer Look at Nitrate Leaching
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – View the Recording
Nitrogen loss to groundwater can lead to environmental and human health concerns – from increased cancer risk, birth defects, and blue baby syndrome to harmful algal blooms. However, not enough nitrogen can cause crop yield and quality loss. This edition of The Current Webinar Series featured recent research on BMPs to reduce nitrate leaching and methods to calculate potential nitrate loss so you can better optimize N inputs.
Featured Speakers:
- Javed Iqbal, Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Nathan Sedghi, Associate Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Guolong Liang, Commercial Vegetable Quality Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
Drought Preparedness and Adaptation
Wednesday, October 16th 2024 at 2pm CT – View the Recording
While many of us have been drought-free this spring and early summer, the summer heat and dry conditions have led to the return of drought, particularly across portions of the Ohio River Basin. Parts of Ohio are now seeing the worst drought since 1988 and parts of Great Plains are in multi-year droughts. This webinar is a special edition of The Current Webinar Series and the Soil Health Nexus Digital Cafe. It featured land-grant professionals in Kansas, Minnesota and Ohio who discussed how producers in their state are preparing and adapting to drought, whether they are currently facing dry conditions or not.
Aquatic Invasive Species
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 2pm CT – View the Recording
This edition of The Current Webinar Series focused on a topic on a lot of our minds this summer – Aquatic Invasive Species. This webinar featured Greg Conover with the Mississippi River Basin Regional Panel, Theresa Gruninger with the Great Lakes Commission and Stuart Carlton with Purdue and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. We discussed regional coordination and the latest research on the impact of AIS outreach.
Communicating Conservation Through Curriculum
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 2pm CT – View the Recording
This month’s edition of The Current Webinar Series we highlighted innovative examples of ag and natural resource professionals using curriculum to communicate and educate landowners and volunteers on conservation. We featured UNL’s Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-Making Exercise for manure land application, Wisconsin Master Naturalists’ Great Lakes Trek, and National Wildlife Federation’s Grow More Program – three inventive learning approaches focused on conservation.
Looking for information on our other webinars? The Network’s Harmful Algal Bloom, Soil Health and Climate team all have a webinar series. Be sure to check them out!
View all past webinars in our media archive